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Njuguna E, Gathara M, Nadir S, et al. Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands. Data Brief. 2015;5:138-44doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030.
Njuguna, E., Gathara, M., Nadir, S., Mwalusepo, S., Williamson, D., Mathé, P. E., Kimani, J., Landmann, T., Juma, G., Ong'amo, G., Gatebe, E., Ru, B. L., & Calatayud, P. A. (2015). Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands. Data in brief, 5138-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030
Njuguna, Elijah, et al. "Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands." Data in brief vol. 5 (2015): 138-44. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030
Njuguna E, Gathara M, Nadir S, Mwalusepo S, Williamson D, Mathé PE, Kimani J, Landmann T, Juma G, Ong'amo G, Gatebe E, Ru BL, Calatayud PA. Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands. Data Brief. 2015 Sep 03;5:138-44. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030. eCollection 2015 Dec. PMID: 26509187; PMCID: PMC4579291.
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Data Brief. 2015 Sep 03;5:138-44. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030. eCollection 2015 Dec.

Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands.

Data in brief

Elijah Njuguna, Mary Gathara, Stanley Nadir, Sizah Mwalusepo, David Williamson, Pierre-Etienne Mathé, Jackson Kimani, Tobias Landmann, Gerald Juma, George Ong'amo, Erastus Gatebe, Bruno Le Ru, Paul-André Calatayud

Affiliations

  1. African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya ; Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), P.O. Box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya.
  2. Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), P.O. Box 20412-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
  3. African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya ; Department of General Studies, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), P.O. Box 2958, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
  4. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR-7153 LOCEAN, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Centre IRD France Nord, 32 Avenue Henri-Varagnat, F-93143 Bondy cedex, France.
  5. Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, CEREGE UM34, Aix-en-Provence, France.
  6. African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
  7. University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
  8. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), P.O. Box 62000, Nairobi, Kenya.
  9. African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya ; UMR Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement et Ecologie, groupe IRD, Diversité, Ecologie et Evolution des Insectes Tropicaux, UPR 9034, 22 CNRS, 91198 - Gif-sur-Yvette, France and Université de Paris-Sud, 91405-Orsay, France.

PMID: 26509187 PMCID: PMC4579291 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2015.08.030

Abstract

Maize is the main staple crop in the East African Mountains. Understanding how the edaphic characteristics change along altitudinal gradients is important for maximizing maize production in East African Highlands, which are the key maize production areas in the region. This study evaluated and compared the levels of some macro and micro-elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and P) and other soil parameters (pH, organic carbon content, soil texture [i.e. % Sand, % Clay and % Silt], cation exchange capacity [CEC], electric conductivity [EC], and water holding capacity [HC]). Soil samples were taken from maize plots along three altitudinal gradients in East African highlands (namely Machakos Hills, Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro) characterized by graded changes in climatic conditions. For all transects, pH, Ca, K and Mg decreased with the increase in altitude. In contrast, % Silt, organic carbon content, Al and water holding capacity (HC) increased with increasing altitude. The research provides information on the status of the physical-chemical characteristics of soils along three altitudinal ranges of East African Highlands and includes data available for further research.

Keywords: Cation exchange capacity; Electric conductivity; Leaching; Organic carbon content; Soil macro and micro elements; Soil pH; Soil texture; Water holding capacity

References

  1. Science. 1927 Jun 3;65(1692):549-51 - PubMed

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