Farmers’ perception on the effects and management of saline water on soil and crops within Kilifi and Kwale counties

Abstract

Coastal Kenya is arid and semi-arid. Farmers in coastal Kenya use saline borehole irrigation water for crop production. There is limited  information regarding the perception of farmers on effect and management of salinity on crop production. This study assessed farmers’  perception on effects and management of saline water on soil and crops in coastal Kenya. The study was carried out in Kilifi County (Kaloleni, Magarini and Kilifi sub-Counties) and Kwale County (Msambweni and Matuga sub-Counties). A purposive sampling procedure  was used to select farmers from the two study sites. Farmers owning boreholes and practicing irrigated agriculture for at least three  calendar years were selected per site resulting in a sample size of 30 farmers from each county. Data were obtained from sampled  farmers through interviews and structured questionnaires. The farmers’ survey was undertaken using a single - visit survey approach.  Data collected were divided into four subsections, which include, socio-demographic profiles, farmers’ sources of information on crop  production, history of borehole water, crops grown and soil and water management. Survey data were coded and analyzed using SPSS  software, version 14. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results revealed that all (100 %) household size in Kilifi County and  92.2 % of Kwale County consisted of four or less members, showing that the smaller household sizes depended on irrigated crop  production either for food or income generation. Radio was the most common means of communication (Kilifi 90 % and Kwale 87.5 %)  through national and vernacular languages. Farmers in Kilifi County (93.3 %) and Kwale County (86.7 %) did not belong to any agricultural  society. This meant that some farmers lacked information on the advantages and how agricultural societies are formed.  Farmers growing crops under irrigation in Kwale County obtained water from boreholes. Farmers in both counties never tested the quality of borehole water used to irrigate their crops. All farmers (100 %) in Kwale County and 86.7 % in Kilifi County reported gradual  decline in yield, 13.3 % of famers in Kilifi County reported stunted growth, 84.6 % of farmers from Kilifi County and 78.6 % from Kwale  County reported that salts in irrigation water (indicated by white residues on soil after irrigation) accumulate in soil over time that  degraded the soil and harmed plants. Farmers in both counties (Kilifi 84.6 % and Kwale 64.3 %) use manure during planting to manage  their soils.