Scientists are working with farmers in Kenya to help them sustainably manage their land in ways that maximize efficiency, increase income and help mitigate climate change.

Thomson Reuters Foundation reports on a study in the Nyando Basin of western Kenya that will measure greenhouse gas emissions from soil tilled by smallholder farmers.

In this area, farmers cultivate a variety of crops such as maize, beans, sugarcane, bananas, tea and napier grass for fodder. This means the generally poor soil is disturbed for planting at different times and with different frequencies, and the potential rate and amount of emissions differs, depending on the crop.

The scientists will investigate fertilizer use, when crops are planted and how weeding occurs; all factors that affect emissions. Using this information, they will recommend how to best minimize emissions through techniques such as using drip irrigation, growing crops and trees together and introducing drought-tolerant crops.

The overall aim is to find combinations of plants that make sense in curbing emissions and protecting livelihoods and incomes, and to study how people manage their farms

The Standard Assessment and Mitigation Potential and Livelihoods in Smallholder (SAMPLES) systems project is a collaborative effort involving several CGIAR Centers together with Maseno University.

The article gives an example of how farmer John Obuom has increased his income following training in climate change adaptation through the Climate-Smart Villages program. He now practices agroforestry to reduced soil erosion, especially during floods, while enriching the soil.

Read the full story: Measuring farm emissions could pay dividends, scientists say