Using Principal Component Analysis to Assess Soil Chemical Properties in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya: Implications for Rice Agronomic Management
Daniel M Menge, Ruth N Musila, Sammy Kagito, Lourine Bii, James Gichuki, Emily Gichuhi, Caroline A. Kundu, Rosemary Murori, Abdelbagi Ismail, Ajay Panchbhai
International Journal of Plant & Soil Science · pp. 106–126 · Published 19 Mar 2024
10.9734/ijpss/2024/v36i54508Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges as a net importer of rice, with self-sufficiency rates plummeting to as low as 14% in countries like Kenya. The Mwea irrigation scheme shoulders the bulk of rice cultivation, contributing over 80% of the country’s production. However, productivity within the scheme has seen a concerning decline, dropping from 5.6 ─ 6.0 t ha-1 to 1.3 ─ 4.6 t ha-1 between 1977 and 2018. This decline could be attributed to site-specific nutritional deficiencies and/or toxicities, rendering generalized agronomic recommendations ineffective in certain areas. To address this problem, our study aimed to assess soil chemical properties variability within the Mwea irrigation scheme, identify clusters with similar nutritional status, and tailor area-specific agronomic recommendations. During May to September 2020, we collected and analyzed four hundred samples from five sections of the scheme for total organic carbon, soil pH, macro and micronutrients, and exchangeable cations. Principal component analysis was conducted on the mean values of the soil chemical properties to identify significant contributors to variation and establish zones with similar patterns. Principal components 1 to 4 collectively explained 72.2% of the total variability. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct clusters, namely MW, TB, KT, and WU. Within cluster MW, soil pH was below the optimum range for rice cultivation, suggesting a need for liming. Potassium deficiency was observed across all clusters, with rice straw incorporation recommended as a long-term solution. Furthermore, zinc deficiency was noted in cluster WU, necessitating zinc fertilizer application. Conversely, iron toxicity was a concern in cluster MW, suggesting the adoption of alternating wetting and drying techniques and cultivating tolerant varieties. By proving tailored recommendations based on localized soil conditions, we aim to bolster rice productivity within the Mwea irrigation scheme and contribute to regional food security efforts.
References (59)
- 1 Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants [DOI]
- 2 Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils [DOI]
- 3 Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review [DOI]
- 4 Tropical soil biology and fertility: a handbook of methods.
- 5 Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility [DOI]
- 6 Rice: Importance for Global Nutrition [DOI]
- 7 Aluminium toxicity in plants: a review [DOI]
- 8 Effects of liming on phosphate availability in acid soils [DOI]
- 9 Biochar built soil carbon over a decade by stabilizing rhizodeposits [DOI]
- 10 A meta-analysis of the effects of nitrogen additions on base cations: Implications for plants, soils, and streams [DOI]
- 11 Use of biochar-compost to improve properties and productivity of the degraded coastal soil in the Yellow River Delta, China [DOI]
- 12 Enhanced Lead Sorption by Biochar Derived from Anaerobically Digested Sugarcane Bagasse [DOI]
- 13 Contrasting effects of straw and straw-derived biochar amendments on greenhouse gas emissions within double rice cropping systems [DOI]
- 14 Nitrogen Cycling in Rice Paddy Environments: Past Achievements and Future Challenges [DOI]
- 15 Improving zinc efficiency of cereals under zinc deficiency
- 16 A critical assessment of the system of rice intensification (SRI) [DOI]
- 17 Exploratory soil map and agro-climatic zone map of Kenya, 1980
- 18 Suitability analysis for rice growing sites using a multicriteria evaluation and GIS approach in great Mwea region, Kenya [DOI]
- 19 Effects of land use, climate, topography and soil properties on regional soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the Upstream Watershed of Miyun Reservoir, North China [DOI]
- 20 Influence of Urea and Ammonium Sulfate on Soil Acidity Indices in Lowland Rice Production [DOI]
- 21 Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects [DOI]
- 22 Influence of Soil Amendments on the Growth and Yield of Rice in Acidic Soil [DOI]
- 23 Effects of Post-Anthesis Nitrogen Uptake and Translocation on Photosynthetic Production and Rice Yield [DOI]
- 24 Tolerance of rice germplasm to zinc deficiency [DOI]
- 25 Nitrogen Supply in Rice‐Based Cropping Systems as Affected by Crop Residue Management [DOI]
- 26 Nitrogen application enhanced the expression of developmental plasticity of root systems triggered by mild drought stress in rice [DOI]
- 27 Long-term fertility experiments for irrigated rice in the West African Sahel: effect on soil characteristics [DOI]
- 28 The Nature and Properties of Soils, 6th Edition [DOI]
- 29 Effect of soil K, Ca and Mg saturation and endomycorrhization on growth and nutrient uptake of sugar maple seedlings [DOI]
- 30 Temporal dynamics of exchangeable K, Ca and Mg in acidic bulk soil and rhizosphere under Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands [DOI]
- 31 Analysis of rice yield response to various cropping seasons to develop optimal cropping calendars in Mwea, Kenya [DOI]
- 32 SELECTING RICE GENOTYPES TOLERANT TO ZINC DEFICIENCY AND SODICITY STRESSES. I. DIFFERENCES IN ZINC, IRON, MANGANESE, COPPER, PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS, AND PHOSPHORUS/ZINC RATIO IN THEIR LEAVES [DOI]
- 33 Management Practice Effects on Surface Soil Total Carbon: Differences along a Textural Gradient [DOI]
- 34 Principal component analysis of the geochemistry of soil developed on till in Northern Ireland [DOI]
- 35 Effect of nitrogen application on the expression of drought-induced root plasticity of upland NERICA rice [DOI]
- 36 Principal Component Analysis for Identification of Superior Castor Bean Hybrids [DOI]
- 37 Effect of micronutrient application on the growth and occurrence of sterility in barley and rice in a Malaysian deep peat soil [DOI]
- 38 EFFECT OF SPLIT APPLICATION OF POTASH ON YIELD AND YIELD RELATED TRAITS OF BASMATI RICE
- 39 Ratios of Nutrients in Lowland Rice Grown on Two Iron Toxic Soils in Nigeria [DOI]
- 40 Individual and interactive effects of phosphorus and zinc in lowland rice.
- 41 Synthesis and characterization of nanoamendment for effective remediation of soil acidity [DOI]
- 42 Study of Physical and Chemical Soil Properties Variations Using Principal Component Analysis Method in the Forest, North of Iran
- 43 Azolla Fern in Mwea Irrigation Scheme and Its Potential Nitrogen Contribution in Paddy Rice Production [DOI]
- 44 Changes in Water Management Practices in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya from 1994 to 1998 [DOI]
- 45 A 15N tracer study to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and copper fertilization on fertilizer nitrogen efficiency in rice production
- 46 Using farmer-prioritized vertisol management options for enhanced green gram and tomato production in central Kenya [DOI]
- 47 Evaluation of Soil Chemical Properties under Paddy Production System in Central Kenya: Soil Exchangeable Cations [DOI]
- 48 Exploratory soil map and agro-climatic zone map of Kenya, 1980, scale 1:1,000,000
- 49 From government to farmer-managed smallholder rice schemes: The unresolved case of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme
- 50 Principal Component Analysis [DOI]
- 51 Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences [DOI]
- 52 A Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using R [DOI]
- 53 Moving toward rice self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030: Lessons learned from 10 years of the Coalition for African Rice Development [DOI]
- 54 Factors determining Zn availability and uptake by plants in soils developed under Mediterranean climate [DOI]
- 55 Phosphorus management strategies to increase lowland rice yields in sub-Saharan Africa: A review [DOI]
- 56 The importance of market signals in crop varietal development: lessons from Komboka rice variety [DOI]
- 57 Recycling Mwea irrigation water for sustainable agriculture [DOI]
- 58 Principal Component Analysis on Soil Fertility Parameters of Vegetable Growing Panchayats/ Locations in Ernakulam District of Kerala [DOI]
- 59 Improving of phosphorus use efficiency in Plant-Soil-System. A review [DOI]
Cited by 6
Jingling Jiang, Hong Zhang, Ji Ge · Earth System Science Data · 2025
Tancredo Souza · Advanced Statistical Analysis for Soil Scientists · 2025
Zongjun Gao, Jia Song, Sandunika Dulakshini Abeysekara · Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal · 2024
Showing 3 of 6 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.
Related research
- Correlation of Methanotrophs and Soil Enzymes with Available Nutrients in Long Term Green Manured Rice Rhizospheric Soil — shares topic coverage
- Evaluation of Fungicides against Sheath Rot Disease of Rice: An In vitro Study — shares topic coverage
- Evaluation of Nutrient Application and Drones Sprayed Pesticides (Fungicides and Insecticides) on the Disease Severity of Major Diseases of Paddy — shares topic coverage
- Comparative Efficacy of Microbial Biopriming on Germination Kinetics and Seedling Vigor in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) — shares topic coverage
- Production and Evaluation of Pasta (Noodles) from Rice, Cowpea and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Flour Blends — shares topic coverage
Article metrics
Real usage data collected on this platform.
7
Page views
0
PDF downloads
0
Outbound clicks
6
Citations
Views over time
Views by country
Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".
Traffic sources
Referring site, by host.
Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.