Agro ecological Units and Fertilizer Recommendations

Abstract

The tenll agro-ecologicalunit is used to define the natural environmental conditions on which crops are grown and livestock produced. It embraces various climatic and soil aspects that actually inOuence crop performance. It is therefore important to understand such conditions if we will have to determine outcome of, and plan/interventions for our agricultural systems. Unlike Westem Europe for example where such natural conditions are similar for extensive areas and even countries, the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is in most cases extremely diversified. In Kenya which lies astride the equator, has a coastal strip along the Indian ocean, Mount Kenya peaking at 5,200m above mean sea level, Lake Victoria forming a large interned water hody and a vast arid area to the north; the climatic diversity is enormous and cannot be overlooked in such an imp0l1ant enterprise like agriculture fornling the economic backbone of the country. This diversity also involves an intricate soil pattern due to marked differences in altitude, landfolllls, geology and climate.