INTRODUCING CHINESE RAINFED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM TO KENYA: A PROMISING STRATEGY TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY

摘要

Arid and semiarid areas comprise 82％ and 52％ of the total land area in Kenya and China,respectively.However grain yield per unit area and rainwater use efficiency in Kenya are less than 35％ and 30％ of China, respectively.China and Kenya are also among those two countries that are highly suffering from global warming;however China's integrated rainfed agricultural system produced sufficient food and considerable biomass to enhance carbon sequestration.Comparative experiments were carried out at Katumani research centre in the long rains 2012 which used water harvesting technologies derived from Chinese rainfed systems namely: ridge and furrow with transparent and black plastic film, ridge and furrow with mulch applied, ridge and furrow without any mulching material, flat ground without ridges or furrows.The parameters investigated included grain yield, water use efficiency, soil temperature, moisture, soil organic carbon from the Loess Plateau and the semiarid Kenya.The results showed that there was greater potential of ridge and furrow with plastic or grass straw mulching techniques in Kenya than China.Grain yield, rainwater use efficiency and biomass accumulation in Kenya were increased by 100-300％ as a result of introducing Chinese rainfed fanning techniques.The introduction of this farming system would provide sufficient food and soil carbon sequestration for Kenya and accordingly act as a strategy to cope with climate change.Our study provides a novel understanding on the role of dryland agriculture in mitigating strategies for climate change and a practical approach for a solution for food security in dry lands worldwide.