Precision organic farming, increasing grain yield, soil nutrient management and economic viability for maize production.

Abstract

Precision organic farming was designed to develop a system of wise stewardship of land using principles of ecology and agriculture. A prevailing question remains on how to balance increasing crop yields whilst maintaining soil nutrients. Here, we demonstrate that precision organic farming can increase yields, soil nutrient composition, and soil organic carbon temporarily. but that effectiveness depends on the environmental context. We designed a set of multi-plot demonstrations using a randomized complete block design, consisting of nine equal plots growing maize with two fertilizer treatments, compost manure, and chemical fertilizers across years with different rainfall profiles. We also considered the outcome of the control plots where no treatment was applied. The experiment site is located in the transboundary Mount Elgon ecosystem between Kenya and Uganda. Observations recorded over a two-year cycle of empirical assessments indicate that the use of compost manure is not inferior to the use of chemical fertilizers. We analyzed the data using both descriptive and statistical approaches. Additionally, we calculated the benefit-cost analysis of farm treatments based on output from the cost return utility for both growing seasons. Analyses suggest that even in years where the addition of artificial fertilizer increases yield above that generated by the addition of compost, the total yield is so low that the economic gains do not exceed the costs of adding fertilizer. We conclude that precision organic agriculture using compost as a supplement can be adopted as an alternative climate-resilient agricultural practice at reduced capital costs for maize crop production systems in good and bad rainfall years.