SysCom Kenya - Thika

This experiment has been added by the GLTEN Curators using existing published sources.
Objective
SysCom Kenya - Thika LTE is one of four trials in three different countries (Kenya, India, Bolivia) assessing the effects of conventional and organic farming. The Kenyan trials aim to understand the long-term benefits or drawbacks of organic agriculture in Kenya to address soil degradation and increase productivity.
Description
The experiment uses a 3 year crop rotation with maize, beans, potatoes and vegetables. with treatments comparing conventional and organic management and a comparison of high vs low input levels. The low input level represents the context of subsistence farming, whereas the high input level represents the situation of commercial growers. In the high input treatments, nutrient application levels are about four times higher than in the low input treatments. Input levels follow recommendations from the East African Organic Standards, from the Ministry of Agriculture and from own surveys.
Data Access Statement
Don't know
Data license
Don't know
Data policy
Don't know
Organizations
Institute of Insect Physiology and Ecology
research organisation
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
research organisation
Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute
http://www.kalro.org/
People
Dr Dr Anne Muriuki
Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute
Martha Musyoka
Institute of Insect Physiology and Ecology

Site: Thika

Type
research farm
Location
Thika
Thika
Kenya
Geographic location
-1.003868, 37.079093
+−
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation
1500 Metres
Visits permitted?
No
Soil type
nitisol
Soil description
Soils are classified as dystric nitosol and are slightly susceptible to erosion
Soil properties
VariableDepthValue (range)UnitsRef yearEstimated?Baseline?
soil pH0 – 20 Centimetres5.46
cation exchange capacity0 – 20 Centimetres11 kilogram per centimole
soil organic carbon0 – 20 Centimetres23 gram per kilogram
total soil nitrogen0 – 20 Centimetres1.6 gram per kilogram
plant available phosphorous0 – 20 Centimetres10.5 milligram per kilogram
sand content0 – 20 Centimetres5 Percent
clay content0 – 20 Centimetres83.6 Percent
silt content0 – 20 Centimetres11.4 Percent
Climatic type
tropical monsoon climate
Climate properties
VariableTime periodValue (range)Units
air temperature20 degree Celsius
precipitation (900 – 1100) millimeter

Design period: (2007—)

Design Type
Randomized complete block design
Description
Parallel to the establishment of the long-term system experiments, climate data has been continuously collected. In addition, agronomic and socio-economic data is being gathered, and soil, fertiliser and crop samples regularly analysed. The experiment has a three year rotation with 2 harvest seasons per year.
Design description
Trial plots measure 8 x 8 m (net plot size is 6 x 6 m).
Number of plots
20
Number of replicates
5
Number of harvests per year
2
Crops
CropYears grown
maize
Phaseolus vulgaris
vegetable crops
potatoes
Crop Rotation
Unnamed
  • 1
    maize
    vegetable crops
  • 2
    maize
    Phaseolus vulgaris
  • 3
    maize
    potatoes
Factors
Factor name
Factor levels
farming system
conventional agriculture
organic agriculture
fertilizer exposure
High input
High input represents fertilizer inputs for commercial large scale production representative for the area.
low input
Low input represents fertilizer inputs for small holder production, largely for subsistence use, representative for the area.

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