KARI Katumani Research Centre Annual Report 2002

Abstract

Agriculture in the dry areas depends on the vagaries of weather, especially rainfall. The dry areas are characterised by low seasonal rainfall, the distribution of which varies in space and time. The greatest climatic risk to sustainable agricultural production in these areas is rainfall variability, which increases with decreasing seasonal rainfall. Consequently risk-averse farmers are unwilling to invest in fertilizers and other inputs that are needed for high levels of agricultural production. Economic agricultural production in these areas could be achieved through use of appropriate nutrient replenishment and water harvesting techniques. Water harvesting supports a flourishing agriculture in many dry areas (Oweis and Taimeh, 1996; Oweis, 1994; Perrier, 1990; Suleman et al., 1995; Giller, et al., 1998).