Abstract
<jats:p>Among small local farmers in low-rainfall areas of Kenya, the main causes of insecurity in food production are principally enshrined in challenges arising from erratic rainfall and infertile land. To overcome the challenges, adopting appropriate conservation soil technologies is crucial to improve soil health and moisture, and enhance carbon sequestration. Existing community-based soil moisture conservation practices face various limitations in providing solutions to meet their objectives. Farmers experience challenges such as increased soil erosion and land degradation; inadequate and inappropriate measures to conserve soil and water; and variations in climatic conditions. This article shares outcomes from a research carried out in two semi-arid areas in the South Eastern part of Kenya, Ndatani in Ikanga-Kyatune Ward of Kitui County and Mbuvo-Nzau in Kathonzweni Ward of Makueni County. The overall aim was to establish the existing techniques of soil moisture harvesting, their limitations in meeting objectives and the challenges in adoption and implementation. Two farmer surveys of a sample size of 40, from each site, were carried out. The study found that the most common technology of conserving soil moisture practised in the two study geographical areas encompassed agronomic, vegetative and structural methods. It was noted that there was a low level of uptake in important practices. In Ikanga-Kyatune, only 7.5% of respondents employed mulching as an agronomic practice, along with only 2.5% that employed structural practices such as Zai pits and sand dams. In Kathonzweni, adoption rates were further limited, with only 2.5% of respondents indicating that they mulched, and 0% indicating structural practices. Many of the adoption gaps discussed were due to significant socio-economic constraints, particularly the lack of capital and labor, which were compounded by institutional constraints, such as limited access to extension services. The study recommends integrating a combination of multiple appropriate and affordable techniques for farmer adoption in the semi-arid areas. As the sustainability of the adoption is dependent on community engagement, the study recommends adherence to community-based approaches involving local land users in the planning and implementation of soil moisture interventions. Active participation of communities is foreseen to ensure that relevant and manageable practices are in place.</jats:p>