Aludeka SOM trial Kenya

Objective
(i) To determine the relationship between organic resource quality/quantity and the quantity/quality of the SOM pool and distinct SOM fractions for a set of soils and climates relevant for the target benchmark areas; (ii) To evaluate the impact of inherent soil properties (e.g. texture) and climate on the relationships between organic resource quality/quantity and the quantity/quality of the SOM pool and distinct SOM fractions; (iii) To quantify the effect of fertilizer N and growing crops on the relationships between organic resource quality/quantity and the quantity/quality of the SOM pool and distinct SOM fractions;
Description
The experiments test Integrated Fertility management options for Maize in four locations (Embu, Machanga, Sidada, Aludeka)The experiment aims at unravelling relationships between the quality of organic resources and the quantity/quality of the SOM pool and distinct SOM fractions as affected by various modifiers of the decomposition process.
Data Access Statement
Available to collaborators only
Data Access Notes
Anyone interested in using the data from SOM trials in Kenya needs to contact Bernard Vanlauwe and then it will be discussed if a collaboration is possible and access for free can be provided versus no collaboration with the cost to the data access will be agreed.
Data license
No data license
Data policy
No
Organizations
IITA
research organisation
ETH Zurich
research organisation
SNSF
funding agency
People
Bernard Vanlauwe
principal investigator
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Nayrobi, kenya
Joahn Six
principal investigator
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Monicah Mucheru-Muna
experiment manager
Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Waswa Wycliffe
experiment manager
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT), Kisumu, Kenya
Magdalena Necpalova
data manager
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
John Mukalama
experiment manager
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT), Kisumu, Kenya

Site: Aludeka

Type
research station field
Location
Aludeka
Teso District
Kenya
Geographic location
0.5746389, 34.1887002
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation
1100 Metres
Visits permitted?
Yes
Visiting arrangements
By arrangement with John Mukalama
Management
Integrated soil fertility management. The organic residues are applied only at the start of the first season. Each plot receives 60 kg P/ha and 60 kg K/ha per growing season. Tillage by hand
Soil type
acrisol
Soil properties
VariableDepthValue (range)UnitsRef yearEstimated?Baseline?
total soil nitrogen0 – 15 Centimetres0.08 Percent2002
soil total carbon0 – 15 Centimetres0.83 Percent2002
plant available phosphorous0 – 15 Centimetres6.04 parts per million2002
soil pH0 – 15 Centimetres5.49 2002
sand content0 – 15 Centimetres84.7 Percent2002
silt content0 – 15 Centimetres7.45 Percent2002
clay content0 – 15 Centimetres7.9 Percent2002
total soil nitrogen0 – 15 Centimetres0.06 Percent2005
soil total carbon0 – 15 Centimetres0.7 Percent2002
total soil phosphorous0 – 15 Centimetres88.17 milligram per kilogram2005
soil pH0 – 15 Centimetres6.14 2005
Climatic type
tropical savanna climate
Climate properties
VariableTime periodValue (range)Units
precipitation 2002 – 2007 1531.4 (1334.11 – 1983.43) millimeter

Design period: (2005—)

Design Type
split split plot
Description
Plots measure 6 x 6 m
Number of blocks
3
Number of plots
33
Number of subplots
66
Number of replicates
3
Number of harvests per year
2
Crop
CropYears grown
maize
Factors
Factor name
Factor levels
crop residue management process
Plot application: Whole plot
Tithonia diversifolia  (1.2 t/ha)
Tithonia diversifolia  (4 t/ha)
Calliandra calothyrsus  (1.2 t/ha)
Calliandra calothyrsus  (4 t/ha)
maize stover  (1.2 t/ha)
maize stover  (4 t/ha)
sawdust  (1.2 t/ha)
sawdust  (4 t/ha)
farmyard manure  (1.2 t/ha)
farmyard manure  (4 t/ha)
control exposure
nitrogen fertilizer exposure
Plot application: Whole plot
control exposure
nitrogen  (120 kgN/ha)
cropping system
Plot application: Whole plot
cropped
bare fallow
Measurements
VariableMaterialUnitsFrequencyScaleComment
grain yield traitmaizet/habiannualcropped plots
core biomassmaizet/habiannualcropped plots
stover biomassmaizet/habiannualcropped plots
plant biomassmaizet/habiannualcropped plots
soil organic carbonSoil%irregularsample per site
total soil nitrogenSoil%irregularsample per site
total soil phosphorousSoil%irregularsample per site
soil pHSoilirregularcropped plots
concentration of nitrate in soilSoilmg/kgCollected 3 times during 2018 rainy seasoncropped plots
concentration of ammonium in soilSoilmg/kgCollected 3 times during 2018 rainy seasoncropped plots