Climate and Agriculture

1. Climate SMART Agriculture

The impacts of climate change  and variability on Kenya's agricultural sector  is of great  concern  to policy makers, researchers, development partners, farmers and other stakeholders.It is a big threat to achieving food security. 

The effects of climate change and variability are characterised by increased frequency of drought and floods, changes in weather patterns, high rainfall intensity and increased incidence of pest and diseases outbreaks. 

Climate smart agriculture aims to achieve food security  and broader development goals under  a changing climate and increasing  food demand. 

2. Farm Level agricultural Resilience

Climate change  and variability  affects agriculture  particularly rural livelihoods, incomes and food security. This is through increased temperatures,changing rainfall  patterns  which have become  unreliable, increased  frequency  and intensity of floods and drought. Because of this it is important  for farmers  to learn  and practice  appropriate  farm  level adaptation measures  so as to build their capacity  and resilience  in food production systems.

2.1. Crop management practices

Crop management practices  is one of the cost effective  methods  of building resilience  into agricultural systems. It takes  into account  seasonal  climatic  stresses such as changes in rainfall distribution,  increased temperatures, increased Incidences of pest and diseases, extreme floods etc.

Major crop practices are:

1.Use of salt tolerant crop varieties 

2.Crop diversification 

3. Crop fertilisation

4. Timely harvesting 

5 . Post harvesting handling 

3. Integrated soil fertility and water management

Soil is the most valuable  and widespread natural resource. However  there is a general decline in land productivity decline to declining soil fertility  arising from continuous mining of soil nutrients  and inappropriate farming practices. For sustainable  agriculture production  there's need to aim at achieving  high yields per unit of land  while at the same time  conserving  soil resources.

3.1. MajorTechnologies and management practices for enhancing farm level resilience

1.soil health management practices-Soils as a natural resource  and base for agricultural productivity is critical  in enhancing  farm level  resilience. A healthy  soil has the capacity to sustain  agricultural  production. A healthy soil should have a good tilth, sufficient depth,good water holding  capacity, good drainage, sufficient supply of nutrients  etc.

3.2. Traditional soil fertility indicators

1.Structure-a soil with bigger clods indicates soil  fertility 

2.Weed species  associated with either poor or fertile  soil.eg the grassy weed called poverty grass occurs in very  Infertile soils.

3.Domince of soil fauna(eg earthworms) also Imply high fertility. 

3.3. Soil composition

Soil is composed of mineral  particles  from weathered underlying rocks,plants  and animals residues (organic matter),living organisms,air and soil water.The relative amount of each  component  within a given  soil determines the properties  of the soil in that area.

3.4. Characteristics of climate smart farm

Soil and water conservation  structures  or measures  to increase  ground cover and use little water. 

Use manure and compost  decrease use of chemical fertilisers. 

Promotion of agroforestry  system hence crops and trees benefit from each other. 

Integration of perennials  and annual  crops. 

Diversification of farm enterprises. 

3.5. CAS practices

1.conservation agriculture-this is method of farming system that conserve, improves and use natural resources  more efficiently through sustainable intensification of locally available resources. 

2.Agroforestry 

3.water harvesting and conservation measures 

4.Improved soil management measures 

5.Crops diversification