Sokoine University of Agriculture

Effectiveness of selected soil conservation practices on soil erosion control and crop yields in the Usambara mountains, Tanzania

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dc.contributor.author Mwango, S. B.
dc.contributor.author Msanya, B. M.
dc.contributor.author Mtakwa, P. W.
dc.contributor.author Kimaro, D. N.
dc.contributor.author Deckers, J.
dc.contributor.author Poesen, J.
dc.contributor.author Massawe, I.
dc.contributor.author Samwel, J.
dc.date.accessioned 2015-03-27T13:55:03Z
dc.date.available 2015-03-27T13:55:03Z
dc.date.issued 2014-12-16
dc.identifier.citation Mwango, S. B., Msanya, B. M., Mtakwa, P. W., Kimaro, D. N., Deckers, J., Poesen, J., Massawe, I. & Samwel, J. (2014). Effectiveness of selected soil conservation practices on soil erosion control and crop yields in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International, 2(2), 129-144. en_US
dc.identifier.other DOI: 10.9734/JAERI/2015/13636
dc.identifier.uri https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/573
dc.description This article is also available at www.sciencedomain.org en_US
dc.description.abstract Indigenous soil conservation measures such as miraba have been widely used in Usambara Mountains for controlling soil erosion but with little success. On-farm runoff experiments were set from 2011–2014 on Acrisols in Majulai and Migambo villages with contrasting agro-ecological conditions in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of miraba and miraba with various mulching materials in reducing runoff, soil and nutrient losses and improving productivity of maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). Results show that mean annual runoff coefficients (mm mm-1) ranged from 0.72 for cropland with no soil conservation measure (control) to 0.15 for cropland with miraba and Tithonia (Tithonia diversifolia) mulching in Majulai village and respectively from 0.68 to 0.13 in Migambo village. Soil loss was significantly (P = .05) higher under control than under miraba with either Tughutu (Vernonia myriantha) or Tithonia mulching e. g. 184 vs. 20 in Majulai and 124 vs. 8 Mg ha-1 year-1 in Migambo village in 2012. The Pfactors were significantly (P = .05) higher under miraba sole than under miraba with mulching in Majulai village (0.18 vs. 0.11) and in Migambo village (0.10 vs. 0.05).The annual nutrient losses in kg ha-1yr-1 were significantly (P = .05) higher under control than under miraba with mulching 367 vs. 37 total N, 0.8 vs. 0.1 P and 14 vs. 4 K for Majulai village; 474 vs. 26 total N, 0.7 vs. 0.1 P and 20 vs. 1.2 K for Migambo village in 2012. Maize and bean yields were significantly (P = .05) higher under miraba with Tughutu mulching than under control (e.g. 2.0 vs. 0.7 Mg ha-1 for maize in Majulai in 2012). Thus miraba with Tughutu mulching is more effective in improving crop yields than miraba with Tithonia and miraba sole. en_US
dc.description.sponsorship VLIR-UOS supported RIP-DSS SUA Project “Enhancing Indigenous Knowledge on Conservation Agriculture for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Livelihood, Usambara Mountains, Lushoto, Tanzania”, for providing financial and logistical assistance to the research. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher SCIENCEDOMAIN international en_US
dc.subject Soil erosion en_US
dc.subject Soil conservation en_US
dc.subject Crop yields en_US
dc.subject Tanzania en_US
dc.subject Usambara mountains en_US
dc.subject Miraba en_US
dc.subject Nutrient losses en_US
dc.subject Runoff en_US
dc.title Effectiveness of selected soil conservation practices on soil erosion control and crop yields in the Usambara mountains, Tanzania en_US
dc.type Article en_US
dc.type Article en_US
dc.type Article en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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