Tedmical Note on Local Adaptations to Soil Erosion and Low Soil MoiSture in the Semiarid Tharaka District, Kenya

This study explored the local adaptations to soil erosion and low soil water status in the semi arid Tharalm area in Kenya. Personal interviews and non-participant observations were used to solicit infor-mationjrom 137 small-scalefarmers. A workshop was held in each of the three village clusters at the be-ginning and at the end of each rainy (crop) season involving the researchers, farmers, local opinion leaders and agricultural extension agents. The study found out thatfarmers had developed ingenious in-digenous soil and water conservation practices in response to soil erosion and low soil moisture. The main indigenous methods used were intercropping, trash lines, stone bunds, minimum tillage, grass strips, ''janyajuu t t terraces and their combinations. The farmers ' decision to adapt a particular tech-nique was influenced by the technique's ability to control runoff, associated crop yield increment,farm-ing system, availability of the raw material, and the labour requirement. Key words: Soil erosion, soil moisture, soil and water conservation, indigenous knowl