Characteristics of Soils in Selected Maize Growing Sites along Altitudinal Gradients in East African Highlands

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dc.contributor.authorOng’amo, George
dc.contributor.authorNjuguna, Elijah
dc.contributor.authorGathara, Mary
dc.contributor.authorNadir, Stanley
dc.contributor.authorMwalusepo, Sizah
dc.contributor.authorJuma, Gerald
dc.contributor.authorKimani, Jackson
dc.contributor.authorLandmann, Tobias
dc.contributor.authorWilliamson, David
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-21T14:13:30Z
dc.date.available2016-09-21T14:13:30Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractMaize is the main staple crop in the East African Mountains. Understanding how the edaphic characteristics change along altitudinal gradients is important for maximizing maize production in East African Highlands, which are the key maize production areas in the region. This study evaluated and compared the levels of some macro and micro-elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and P) and other soil parameters (pH, organic carbon content, soil texture [i.e. % Sand, % Clay and % Silt], cation exchange capacity [CEC], electric conductivity [EC], and water holding capacity [HC]). Soil samples were taken from maize plots along three altitudinal gradients in East African highlands (namely Machakos Hills, Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro) characterized by graded changes in climatic conditions. For all transects, pH, Ca, K and Mg decreased with the increase in altitude. In contrast, % Silt, organic carbon content, Al and water holding capacity (HC) increased with increasing altitude. The research provides information on the status of the physical-chemical characteristics of soils along three altitudinal ranges of East African Highlands and includes data available for further research.en_US
dc.identifier.citationGathara, M., Ong’amo, G., Njuguna, E., Juma, G., Kimani, J., Mwalusepo, S., Landmann, T., Nadir, S. and Williamson, D., 2015. Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/4014
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.titleCharacteristics of Soils in Selected Maize Growing Sites along Altitudinal Gradients in East African Highlandsen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
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