Kiambu farmers have been cautioned against burning of vegetation while clearing land for farming.
According area agricultural officer Jackson Kariuki, farmers are letting weeds overgrow and wait for them to dry up during the dry season and then setting them on fire.
He said that the practice has long term negative effects as it leads to killing of micro-organisms in the soil that are important in maintaining soil fertility.
“Farmers need to understand that burning is not a good agricultural practice. Many are confusing the abrupt sprouting of weeds on a place where previously vegetation was burnt as being presence of essential nutrients. This notion has encouraged some farmers to continue this harmful practice,” he said.
Kariuki who was speaking in his office on Monday said that ash left behind contains basic compounds that reduce acidity of the soil and leading to the abrupt sprout of the weeds. He added that the compounds don’t last for long as they are taken up quickly by weeds leaving the land deficient of important nutrients.
"You should either slash the vegetation and use it as mulch on the land or leave it to decompose to release the nutrients they had absorbed," he said.
Sub-County forest officer, James Thairu said that farmers who are near forests risk spreading fire into the forest which he says can be very destructive and hard to put out.