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Closing the crop yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems in Kenya: Long-term trial research indicates agronomic viability

dc.contributor.authorBautze, D.
dc.contributor.authorKaranja, E
dc.contributor.authorMusyoka, M.
dc.contributor.authorRuegg, J.
dc.contributor.authorGoldmann, E.
dc.contributor.authorKiboi, M.
dc.contributor.authorKampermann, I.
dc.contributor.authorCotter, M.
dc.contributor.authorRiar, A.
dc.contributor.authorMatheri, F.
dc.contributor.authorMwangi, E.
dc.contributor.authorMucheru-Muna, M.
dc.contributor.authorWambui, H.
dc.contributor.authorAnyango, J.J.
dc.contributor.authorNdung’u, S.
dc.contributor.authorTanga, C.
dc.contributor.authorFiaboe, K.K.M.
dc.contributor.authorMbaka, J.
dc.contributor.authorMuriuki, A.
dc.contributor.authorKamau, D.
dc.contributor.authorAdamtey, N.
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-30T08:10:08Z
dc.date.available2025-04-30T08:10:08Z
dc.date.issued2024-12
dc.identifier.citationBautze, D., Karanja, E., Musyoka, M., Rüegg, J., Goldmann, E., Kiboi, M., ... & Adamtey, N. (2024). Closing the crop yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems in Kenya: Long-term trial research indicates agronomic viability. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 18: 101499, 1-24.
dc.identifier.issn2666-1543
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/8668
dc.description.abstractThe production gap between current and attainable yields is highest on Africa`s smallholder farms, and some studies indicate that they might not benefit from the yield gains offered by conventional farming. Simultaneously, alternative farming systems like organic provide biodiversity and soil fertility advantages, but their ability to produce sufficient food is still under debate. Additionally, comparative data on the productivity of organic versus conventional in tropical regions are scarce or short-term. We investigated the crop productivity of organic and conventional farming systems using 15 years in two long-term systems comparison trials in Kenya. The trials were established in 2007 at two sites in the Central Highlands of Kenya. At each site, conventional and organic systems were compared at high input levels. The trial involved a three-year crop rotation cycle of maize, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes, repeated five times since its establishment. Management practices were kept similar in the first four rotations and revised in the fifth to improve systems representing best practices. Our results showed that while maize and baby corn had relatively low yield gaps (-13 to +12%) between organic and conventional systems, cabbage, French beans, and potato had high yield gaps (-50 to -30%). We attributed this to nutrient limitations and higher pest and disease damage. The yield gap could partially be closed by adopting best practices in the organic system, including system diversification and effective soil fertility, nutrient, and integrated pest management.
dc.description.sponsorshipBiovision Foundation
dc.description.sponsorshipSwiss Coop Sustainability Fund
dc.description.sponsorshipLiechtenstein Development Service
dc.description.sponsorshipSwiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
dc.format.extent1-24
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectTropics
dc.subjectLong-Term Experiment
dc.subjectBest Practices
dc.subjectFarming Systems
dc.subjectYields
dc.subjectOrganic Agriculture
dc.subjectKenya
dc.titleClosing the crop yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems in Kenya: Long-term trial research indicates agronomic viability
dc.typeJournal Article
cg.contributor.affiliationResearch Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
cg.contributor.affiliationKenyatta University
cg.contributor.affiliationKenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization
cg.contributor.affiliationKenya Organic Agriculture Network
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionEast Africa
cg.coverage.countryKenya
cg.coverage.hubCentral Africa Hub
cg.researchthemeSocial Science and Agribusiness
cg.identifier.bibtexciteidBAUTZE:2024
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country institute
cg.iitasubjectAgronomy
cg.iitasubjectDisease Control
cg.iitasubjectFarm Management
cg.iitasubjectFarming Systems
cg.iitasubjectFood Security
cg.iitasubjectGrain Legumes
cg.iitasubjectPlant Production
cg.journalJournal of Agriculture and Food Research
cg.notesOpen Access Journal
cg.accessibilitystatusOpen Access
cg.reviewstatusPeer Review
cg.usagerightslicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0)
cg.targetaudienceScientists
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101499
cg.iitaauthor.identifierMarc Cotter: 0000-0001-5004-654X
cg.iitaauthor.identifierChrysantus M. Tanga: 0000-0002-5788-7920
cg.iitaauthor.identifierKomi Fiaboe: 0000-0001-5113-2159
cg.iitaauthor.identifierNoah Adamtey: 0000-0002-5115-2747
cg.futureupdate.requiredNo
cg.identifier.issue101499
cg.identifier.volume18


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