Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya
The contribution of smallholder farming systems to the National greenhouse gas (GHG) budget is missing in most developing countries, including Kenya. Data on the contribution of smallholder cropping systems to the GHG balance is essential for realising Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate acti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nature-Based Solutions |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411523000502 |
| _version_ | 1797405334302621696 |
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| author | Shaankua E. Lemarpe Collins M. Musafiri Milka N. Kiboi Onesmus K. Ng'etich Joseph M. Macharia Chris A. Shisanya Esphorn Kibet Abdirahman Zeila Paul Mutuo Felix K. Ngetich |
| author_facet | Shaankua E. Lemarpe Collins M. Musafiri Milka N. Kiboi Onesmus K. Ng'etich Joseph M. Macharia Chris A. Shisanya Esphorn Kibet Abdirahman Zeila Paul Mutuo Felix K. Ngetich |
| author_sort | Shaankua E. Lemarpe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The contribution of smallholder farming systems to the National greenhouse gas (GHG) budget is missing in most developing countries, including Kenya. Data on the contribution of smallholder cropping systems to the GHG balance is essential for realising Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action, i.e., on nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and in compliance with the Paris Agreement. Do smallholder farming systems act as nature-based solutions for greenhouse gas emissions reduction? This study evaluated GHG emissions from cropping systems under on-farm smallholder farming conditions. We had five cropping systems on two smallholder farms: sole maize, maize-bean intercrop, coffee, banana, and agroforestry. Gas samples were collected using three static chambers per cropping system. The gas samples were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) fitted with a 63Ni-electron capture detector (ECD) for N2O and flame ionisation detector (FID) for CH4 and CO2 using N as carrier gas. Cumulative annual fluxes of (CH4, N2O, and CO2) varied significantly in farms one and two across the cropping systems. The cumulative soil GHG fluxes ranged from -1.34kg CH4C ha−1 yr−1 under agroforestry to -0.77kg CH4C ha−1 yr−1 under banana for CH4, 0.30kg N2ON ha−1 yr−1 to 1.23kg N2ON ha−1 yr−1 for N2O and 5949kg CO2C ha−1 yr−1 to 12,954kg CO2C ha−1 yr−1 for CO2. The maize grain yields ranged from 0 to 3.38 Mg ha−1. The N2O yields scaled emissions ranged from 0.10 to 0.26g kg−1 maize and 0.68 to 1.30g kg−1 beans. Smallholder farmers in Upper Eastern Kenya contribute a limited amount of soil GHG emissions and thus could act as a nature-based solution for lowering agricultural emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:08:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb4a460797354f5b8fac7ecad0621e55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2772-4115 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:08:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature-Based Solutions |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb4a460797354f5b8fac7ecad0621e552023-12-04T05:25:06ZengElsevierNature-Based Solutions2772-41152023-12-014100098Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern KenyaShaankua E. Lemarpe0Collins M. Musafiri1Milka N. Kiboi2Onesmus K. Ng'etich3Joseph M. Macharia4Chris A. Shisanya5Esphorn Kibet6Abdirahman Zeila7Paul Mutuo8Felix K. Ngetich9Department of Water and Agricultural Resource Management, University of Embu, PO Box 6-60100, Embu, KenyaCortile Scientific, PO BOX 34991-00100, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of International Cooperation, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 11, Frick 5070, SwitzerlandDepartment of Water and Agricultural Resource Management, University of Embu, PO Box 6-60100, Embu, KenyaDepartment of Geography, Kenyatta University, PO Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Geography, Kenyatta University, PO Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, KenyaCortile Scientific, PO BOX 34991-00100, Nairobi, KenyaThe World Bank, Nairobi, KenyaMazingira Centre, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, KenyaResearch Centre for Smallholder Farmers (RCFSF), PO BOX 10451, Eldoret 30100, Kenya; School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), PO Box 210 - 40601, Bondo, Kenya; Corresponding author at: Research Centre for Smallholder Farmers (RCFSF), PO BOX 10451, Eldoret 30100, Kenya.The contribution of smallholder farming systems to the National greenhouse gas (GHG) budget is missing in most developing countries, including Kenya. Data on the contribution of smallholder cropping systems to the GHG balance is essential for realising Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action, i.e., on nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and in compliance with the Paris Agreement. Do smallholder farming systems act as nature-based solutions for greenhouse gas emissions reduction? This study evaluated GHG emissions from cropping systems under on-farm smallholder farming conditions. We had five cropping systems on two smallholder farms: sole maize, maize-bean intercrop, coffee, banana, and agroforestry. Gas samples were collected using three static chambers per cropping system. The gas samples were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) fitted with a 63Ni-electron capture detector (ECD) for N2O and flame ionisation detector (FID) for CH4 and CO2 using N as carrier gas. Cumulative annual fluxes of (CH4, N2O, and CO2) varied significantly in farms one and two across the cropping systems. The cumulative soil GHG fluxes ranged from -1.34kg CH4C ha−1 yr−1 under agroforestry to -0.77kg CH4C ha−1 yr−1 under banana for CH4, 0.30kg N2ON ha−1 yr−1 to 1.23kg N2ON ha−1 yr−1 for N2O and 5949kg CO2C ha−1 yr−1 to 12,954kg CO2C ha−1 yr−1 for CO2. The maize grain yields ranged from 0 to 3.38 Mg ha−1. The N2O yields scaled emissions ranged from 0.10 to 0.26g kg−1 maize and 0.68 to 1.30g kg−1 beans. Smallholder farmers in Upper Eastern Kenya contribute a limited amount of soil GHG emissions and thus could act as a nature-based solution for lowering agricultural emissions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411523000502Carbon dioxideMethaneNitrous oxideSmallholder farmsCropping systemsYield-scaled emissions |
| spellingShingle | Shaankua E. Lemarpe Collins M. Musafiri Milka N. Kiboi Onesmus K. Ng'etich Joseph M. Macharia Chris A. Shisanya Esphorn Kibet Abdirahman Zeila Paul Mutuo Felix K. Ngetich Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya Nature-Based Solutions Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide Smallholder farms Cropping systems Yield-scaled emissions |
| title | Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya |
| title_full | Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya |
| title_short | Smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper Eastern Kenya |
| title_sort | smallholder cropping systems contribute limited greenhouse gas fluxes in upper eastern kenya |
| topic | Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide Smallholder farms Cropping systems Yield-scaled emissions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411523000502 |
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