This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
On a typical dry spell, Sammy Mbaluka's farm near Sofia market on the Nairobi-Garissa road would have been like any other in the Yatta plateau. However, two years ago, Mbaluka's farm stood out as an oasis of greenery, thanks to the water-retention technology he had adopted.
Published on October 16, 2019, by Pius Maundu, the farm was visited by Seeds of Gold during the harvesting of watermelons.
"During dry seasons, this farm remained useless," Mbaluka said, highlighting the terracing and polythene mulching technology he had adopted.
"Mulching using polythene has improved our watermelon yields during droughts," he added, noting that the advanced mulching technology drew the line as neighboring farms also had terraces.
The simple water-retention technology, with roots in China, entails sinking shallow basins and creating ridges. The farmer then covers the basins and ridges with a thin film of polythene paper, which retains irrigation water that percolates to the roots.
"The troughs should be shallow enough to hold little. Before covering the troughs and ridges with the polythene film, we ensure the soil is adequately prepared by adding fertilizer," Mbaluka said.
As a former mechanic at Kenya Bus Services, Mbaluka is among a dozen farmers in the area who were introduced to the technology by Dr. Simon Nguluu, their neighbor in Kakuumini village, Machakos County. Dr. Nguluu is the dean of Agriculture at South Eastern Kenya University.
"The seeds are introduced in holes made on the ridges through the polythene film," Mbaluka explained, noting that he grows watermelons, onions, and vegetables on his eight-acre farm. He draws the water from a shallow well on one edge of the farm.
Traders throng Mbaluka's farm during the dry season when demand for watermelons skyrockets. "We harvested 12 tonnes of watermelons from the three acres we put under the crop last season," Mbaluka said. "A kilogramme of the produce fetches Sh40. Customers come from as far away as Thika, Matuu, and Kithimani," he added.
