Socio-economic predictors, soil fertility knowledge domains and strategies for sustainable maize intensification in Embu County, Kenya

Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) practices are widely recognized as crucial interventions but knowledge-intensive technologies for farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Very few studies have synthesized the knowledge gaps between small-holder practices and recommended ISFM packages. A farm survey was therefore carried out in Runyenjes sub-County of Embu to determine factors influencing the quality of ISFM knowledge considering inorganic fertilizer, organic manure, integrated soil inputs, and improved maize seeds. One hundred small-scale maize farmers were systematically sampled in Embu County, Kenya, using a cross-sectional survey design. The most significant factors shaping the quality of ISFM knowledge (p < 0.05) included gender, age, household size, land under maize, off-farm earnings, maize yield, members involved in farming, farming experience, education level, and farm size. Farmers recorded lower knowledge scores for technical ISFM themes including soil liming, soil testing, fertilizer types, fertilizer functions, curing of organic manure, compost manure management, crop spacing, combination ratios for integrated inputs, and the labor and cost-benefit implications of integrated inputs, revealing important ISFM knowledge gaps. High-quality knowledge of blended fertilizers and DAP use was associated with increased soil testing and soil liming knowledge, respectively. Multivariate analysis of ISFM knowledge items provided a high-quality understanding of the structure of ISFM knowledge among farmers in Embu County, which is useful in developing future ISFM dissemination strategies.