The Legume Research Net Work Project

Abstract

The productivity of smallholder farms in many parts of Kenya is low and one of the major causes is the decline in soil fertility. The problem of declining soil fertility in these farms is rampant mainly because of continuous cultivation and little use of inorganic fertilizers. High costs of fertilizers and their erratic availability limit their use. The green manure/cover crop (GMCC) legumes offer a potential option to farmers for maintaining soil fertility. This is because the costs involved in utilizing green manure technologies are minimal, the legumes add nitrogen to the soil, also add organic matter that improves soil physica1 characteristics and provides soil cover that reduces soil loss by checking runoff. Besides, some green manure legumes, are nutritious feeds for livestock; they are high in nitrogen and some others are food for humans.