Farmer Field School on Nutrient Management.

In Kenya Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is being used to make the best use of local resources and to optimise the effects of external inputs. In Mbeere, a district that lies in the dryland area of Eastern Kenya the Farmer Field School (FFS) has been in operation during one season and work is being done to integrate INM into local farming practices. The FFS is developing, testing and evaluating technologies based on the use of local organic resources and mineral fertiliser

Farm nitrogen flows of four farmer field schools in Kenya

Re-use of nutrients within farming systems contributes to sustainable food production in nutrient limited production systems. Re-use is established when nutrients pass through several farm compartments before they leave the farm via marketable products. In this paper re-use of nitrogen is examined as an indicator for sustainable soil fertility management. Re-use (RU, kg farm-1) was defined as the amount of nitrogen that was translocated within one farm divided by the sum of transitions between farm compartments within a farm. In 2002, a total of 101 farms belonging to 4 farmer field schools in Kenya were analysed using the NUTMON (now known as MonQI) toolbox. The farms were distributed over 4 farmer field schools located in two agro-ecological zones.RUwas positively related to the net farm income and to crop yields. However, data were scattered and often local farm conditions veiled the relation between nitrogen management strategies and farm performances. The results of this paper demonstrate that different agro-ecological zones with diverse production constraints have developed different in-farm nitrogen management strategies that are best adapted to the local conditions, but may have different environmental impacts

Exploring options for integrated nutrient management in semi-arid tropics using farmer field schools: a case study in Mbeere District, eastern Kenya

The farmer field school (FFS) approach was used in semi-arid eastern Kenya in the period 2002–2003 to explore technology options for addressing declining soil fertility and to institute learning processes on integrated nutrient management (INM).The farmer field school (FFS) approach was used in semi-arid eastern Kenya in the period 2002-2003 to explore technology options for addressing declining soil fertility and to institute learning processes on integrated nutrient management (INM). Participatory diagnosis of soil fertility constraints and experimental design workshops led to the formulation of the INM-FFS learning curriculum and choice of INM technologies for testing in the central learning plot. INM technologies jointly chosen for testing included farmyard manure (FYM = T-1), diammonium phosphate (DAP = T-2), combined application of FYM and DAP (T-3); and T-3 combined with Tithonia diversifolia applied as green manure (T-4). Maize was used as a test crop. The treatments were replicated twice using a pair-wise design and data collected, bi-weekly, using the agroecosystem analysis (AESA) framework to aid learning and data analysis with farmers. Farmers' evaluation of the trials was conducted at the end of the study period using matrix scoring and ranking. Treatments with combined application of organic and inorganic materials had better agro-economic performance than sole application of either FYM or DAP (T-4 > T-3 > T-2 and T-1) and they had a high value cost ratio (VCR > 2). The technologies of T, to T-3 did not have a positive impact on either nitrogen or phosphorus balances. However, T-4 resulted in a positive partial N balance. Farmers' evaluation corresponded well with the majority of the quantitative agro-economic analysis. The study showed that there is a potential to use FFS for INM technology development and testing by stimulating interactions, farmer learning and closer working relationships between farmers, research scientists, extension and the institutions that they represent