Optimizing Cattle and Goat Manure Quality in Semi-arid Agrozone to Improve Fertility Status of Fragile Soils of Samburu County, Kenya

Abstract The study assessed the effects of different composting strategies on compost quality and chemical characteristics of ASAL soils. A field trial was laid in a randomized complete block design with: control, cattle manure from open compost pit, goat manure + ash from compost pit, cattle manure from covered compost pit, goat manure from open compost pit, goat manure from covered pit, and cattle manure + ash from compost pit. Covered pits at 50 cm depth recorded the highest Nitrate- N levels (188.0 ppm), followed by open pits at 100 cm (148.0 ppm). Goat manure stored in covered pits had significantly lower subsoil nitrate (0.13 ± 0.14) compared with cattle manure in open or covered pits (T2 and T4; 0.47 ± 0.15 and 0.47 ± 0.03, respectively). Soil moisture content improved significantly from 17.08% in T1 to 23.05% in covered pits. The lowest soil bulk density was recorded under plots receiving compost from the covered pits (1.02 g/cm³). Moreover, nitrate-N at a depth of 10–20 cm (p = 0.01) showed a significant treatment effect. Compost from covered pits could be a sustainable approach to enhancing soil fertility and improving agricultural productivity in ASAL soils.