Assessing soil system changes under climate-smart agriculture via farmers' observations and conventional soil testing.

ABSTRACT: Soil degradation remains a challenge in African highlands, where land management lacks a strong context-specific evidence base. We investigated the impacts of recently implemented soil and water conservation (SWC) practices-farmyard manure addition, incorporation of crop residues in soil and fanya juu terracing under an agroforestry system on soil health indicators in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Farmers' observations of soil changes were combined with conventional soil testing to assess the initial impacts of SWC practices relative to conventional non-SWC practice. Majority of farmers (66%-83%) reported that combining fanya juu terracing with organic amendments led to soil colour change from red to black and an increase in crop yield. Despite the observed darkeni

SUBMITTER: Eze S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9545738 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature