Impacts Of Traditional Farming Methods On Soil: A Case Study Of Kasameni Division Kwale County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Traditional farming embraces the use of local tools like hoes, jembes, sticks and indigenous

farming technology for a wide range of farm operations from land preparation to planting,

harvesting, storage and selling the surplus harvests while the impacts of traditional farming

include soil degradation, soil erosion and others. This study was therefore to assess the degree of

traditional farming and its impacts on soil degradation in Kasemeni division in Kwale County,

Kenya. The study was conducted among many traditional farmers where the general objective

was establishing the effects of traditional farming on soil and the specific objectives were to find

out the types of traditional farming methods practiced by local farmers in Kasemeni division, to

identify the possible effects of traditional farming methods on soil in Kasemeni division and to

determine ways of improving traditional farming methods in Kasemeni division.

Descriptive study design in which both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted. A

total of 44 farmers were interviewed using interview guides, informal discussions based on

questionnaires. Experimental research was also carried out to determine the impacts of

traditional farming on soils. This was done by focusing on soil fertility whereby soil sampling

was done and parameters such as determination of soil PH, measuring of soil organisms,

measuring physical degradation and crop demonstrations followed. Data was analyzed, coded

and presented using tables.

The study established that traditional farming had an effect on the soil degradation and

contributed to the downward decline of soil productivity through soil erosion, loss of organic

matter and change of soil PH. I concluded that there was urgent need to protect the soils from

degradation and from this I recommended use of organic farming, indigenous soil and water conservation, soil management, better systems and improvement on what is being practiced.