Conservation Agriculture Basics for Smallholders

Conservation agriculture rests on three principles: minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop diversification. On smallholder farms in Kenya, this typically means direct planting into crop residue, mulching with maize stover, and rotating maize with legumes such as beans or pigeon pea.\n\nStart on a small plot. Keep residue on the surface rather than burning it. Rotate cereals with legumes every season to rebuild nitrogen. Expect gains in soil moisture retention within one to two seasons, especially in semi-arid counties.