Coffee Board of Kenya Monthly Bulletins June 1971

Abstract

Good soil management involves the provision of a satisfactory environment for roots,the suppression of weeds,the maintenance of fertility and the prevention of accelerated erosion.These aspects are,of course, interrelated and the complex environment of the soil has strong physical, chemical and biological interactions. However,in the drier tropics, two additional factors external to the soil have an important influence on soil management.High evaporation rates impose high levels of transpirational demand such that the water supply is often only marginally adequate,and the rainfall arrives at relatively high intensities, encouraging loss of water by surface runoff.Water conservation,therefore,becomes a dominant consideration in good soil management.