@article{fdi:010086855,
  title = {{I}ntegrating no-tillage with agroforestry augments soil quality indicators in {K}enya's dry-land agroecosystems},
  author = {{K}isaka, {M}. {O}. and {S}hisanya, {C}. and {C}ournac, {L}aurent and {M}anlay, {J}. {R}. and {G}itari, {H}. and {M}uriuki, {J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{C}onservation agriculture with trees ({CAWT}) is one of the best-bet strategies for enhanced soil quality under extensive and intensive smallholder farming. {CAWT} is an agroforestry system that integrates legume trees and shrubs into cropping fields under minimum soil disturbance and tillage. {T}his study identified principal soil quality indicators ({SQI}) under {CAWT} system. {T}he study further assessed the effects of {CAWT} components; i.e. tillage (convention or no-tillage), leguminous trees/shrubs ({C}alliandra calothyrsus, {G}liricidia sepium and {C}ajanus cajan), and their inter-row spacing (1.5 m, 3.0 m or 4.5 m) on the {SQI} in the dry-land agroecosystems of eastern {K}enya. {W}e finally reported on the suitability of the {SQI} under {CAWT} intervention towards maize production. {T}he experimental trials were both researcher ({M}other-trials; {MT}s) and farmer ({B}aby-trials; {BT}s) hosted and managed. {P}rincipal {C}omponent {A}nalyses ({PCA}s) identified soil fertility and textural components as the main factors explaining soil quality under the {CAWT} system. {I}n particular, the exchangeable bases ({E}x{B}as) such as {E}x{C}a, {E}x{K}, and {E}x{M}g), {C}ation-{E}xchange-{C}apacity ({CEC}), total soil nitrogen ({TSN}), soil organic {C}arbon ({SOC}), p{H}, available {P}hosphorus({P}), electrical conductivity ({EC}), clay and bulk density ({BD}) were identified as the principal soil quality indicators under the {CAWT} system. {T}ree species and varied inter-row spacing, significantly affected available {P}, {BD}, p{H}, {E}x{B}as, {CEC}, {SOC}, and {TSN}. {T}he tillage systems significantly ({P} < 0.05) influenced soil p{H}, {E}x{B}as, {CEC}, {SOC} and {TSN}. {A} high concentration of {TSN} was recorded in no-tillage ({NT}) blocks integrated with {C}. calothyrsus (41.9 and 41.6 {M}g {N} ha(-1)) and {G}. sepium (35.7 and 32.3 {M}g {N} ha(-1)) both spaced at 1.5 m at the {MT}s and {BT}s, respectively. {C}ombining {NT} with {C}.calothyrsus spaced at 1.5 m or {P}igeon pea at 3.0 m significantly increases available {P} (from 22.9 to 28.8 mg kg(-1) and 23.4-26.0 mg kg(-1)) at the {MT}s, respectively. {S}ignificant rise in {E}x{K} (1.91-2.25 cmolc kg(-1)), {E}x{C}a (6.86-8.17 cmolc kg(-1)), and {E}x{M}g (2.35-2.78 cmolc kg(-1)) were observed in {NT} block's sub-plots with {G}. sepium spaced at 3.0 m at the {MT}s. {C}onclusively, a shift towards {CAWT} showed evidence of improving soil quality, nutrient availability and increasing soil nutrient thresholds that can potentially support maize production. {B}y establishing the minimum datasets for soil quality determination through this study, key stakeholders in agroforestry and conservation agriculture ({CA}) have an efficient cost-effective and rapid tool for soil quality assessment, especially in dry-land agro-ecosystems.},
  keywords = {{A}groforestry ; {CAWT} ; {G}liricidia sepium ; {L}uvisols ; {M}inimum-dataset ; selection ; {S}oil quality indicators ; {S}oil organic carbon},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}oil and {T}illage {R}esearch},
  volume = {227},
  numero = {},
  pages = {105586 [18 p.]},
  ISSN = {0167-1987},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.still.2022.105586},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010086855},
}