Mobile Night Kraals in Crop Fields: Sustainably Improving Soil Productivity

Soil productivity is positively related to soil pH. Animal manure is good alternative for improving soil pH over time. “Impacting” is a term used to refer to the establishing of mobile kraals in crop fields, to create nutrient hot spots. This study sought to assess the effect of impacting on soil pH. The study was carried out at Lupane State University, Zimbabwe. A randomized complete block design with two treatments was used: Kraal and no Kraal treatments. Soil samples were collected before planting. Data were analysed using the unpaired t-test. The pH in kraal treated plots averaged 6.0, while for the no-kraal plots, it averaged 4.8. Impacting can therefore be used to improve soil pH in one season. More research is needed on the effects of impacting duration on soil compaction and its effect on crop growth and development.