In an effort to improve agricultural productivity, farmers in Kiambu County are being urged to embrace the use of organic manure for more yields.
Speaking from her office today, Jane Muigai, the Agriculture Monitoring and Evaluation officer said that manure from plant and animal waste offer better source of nutrients to plants and the soil, after decomposition.
The officer added that the art of collecting and using waste from animal, human and vegetable sources for improving crop productivity is as old as agriculture itself.
“Manures are organic materials derived from animal and human and plant nutrients in complex organic forms which are naturally occurring or synthetic chemicals,” Muigai said.
Manure with low nutrients content per unit quantity have longer residual effects besides improving soil physical properties compared to fertilisers with high nutrient content, she reckoned.
Muigai added that farmers should make use of organic manure, since it has a lot of benefits considering that the county is agricultural.
She emphasised that manure does not have to come from animals or from farmers with livestock, but can also be sourced from crop wastes like coffee husks, green manure crops and green leaf material.
The officer said that farmers indulging in vegetable crops like potato, tomato, sweet potato and onions can have the full benefits of organic manure since they respond well to farm manure.
Farm manure has to be applied three to four weeks before sowing while well rotten manure can be applied immediately before sowing or at least fifteen days in advance to avoid immobilization of nitrogen.
“Livestock farmers can also benefit from farm manure which works well with fodder feeds such as napier grass, since it improves soil physical properties like structure and water holding capacity which would be beneficial in dry seasons,” Muigai said.