Agroecology, as a holistic approach to sustainable food systems, is gaining momentum globally as a key approach to addressing current challenges in agricultural and food production. In sub-Saharan Africa, despite numerous efforts to address declining soil productivity, water scarcity, and increasing pest pressure through agroecological soil, water, and integrated pest management (IPM) practices, the adoption of such practices remains low. As part of the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative, we conducted a collaborative rapid innovation assessment of existing soil, water, and pest management practices in two Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs) in Makueni and Kiambu counties, Kenya. The assessment also included an evaluation of the performance of these practices and identified farmer preferences. Using a multi-stage approach, we applied stratified random sampling to identify 80 farmers for farm assessments and in-depth interviews. A total of 31 practices were identified, of which 26 were further evaluated. The evaluation revealed a heterogeneous set of socio-economic and biophysical contextual factors influencing practice performance. Respondents identified 19 strengths, and 13 challenges associated with the practices, highlighting opportunities for innovation to improve or adapt performance. Farmers also expressed preferences for future adoption of 31 practices, 77% of which were listed in one of the three focus areas, namely soil management, water management, or IPM. The other 33% were associated with multiple functions and were listed under two or three of the focus areas. The results of the collaborative assessment informed a broader co-design cycle that included participatory prioritization and selection of innovative practices, experimental design, and monitoring protocols. This collaborative and systematic approach was taken because innovative practices often fail to be adopted due to a lack of co-design and inclusion of local perspectives in innovation design, and a disconnect between science and practice. Our study highlights the importance of integrating stakeholder input and transdisciplinary technical expertise in the co-design and implementation of agroecological innovations. It also emphasizes the importance of using a structured methodology to understand farmers’ options, context, and preferences while co-designing locally relevant agroecological practices, which promotes holistic and inclusive adoption, successful implementation and long-term sustainability of agroecological practices.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent a functionally important component of soil microbial community, being of particular significance for plant mineral nutrition in tropical agro ecosystems. The effects of AMF inoculation on growth and yield of two sweet potato varieties was studied during the short rains season of 2017/2018 in the Teaching and Research Farm of Agricultural Science and Technology Department, Kenyatta University. The experiment was laid down as 2x2 factorial design in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experimental factors were two sweet potato varieties (Kemb-10 and Bungoma) and AMF inoculum (With and without inoculation). Data on growth parameters was collected on vine length and number of branches, while data on yield was collected on marketable storage roots and shoot biomass. Data was analyzed using Genstat 15th edition and the results showed that there was significantly difference at P≤0.05 among the treatments. AMF inoculation increased growth and yield of sweet potatoes by vine length 29.74%, Number of branches 22.36%, marketable storage roots 18.32%, and shoot biomass 28.68% in week 20. Also, variety interacting with AMF inoculation enhanced growth and yield parameters. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the application of commercial AMF inoculum solely or when interacting with varieties enhanced growth and yield of sweet potatoes, though there was no significant difference between the two varieties.

Elucidating the diversity of native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is essential for the sustainable management of semi-arid land ecosystems. This is because they significantly improve plant nutrient uptake and decrease the stress caused by biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we examined the AM fungal communities and the key drivers influencing their diversity and occurrence in the smallholder farming systems of Eastern Kenya. Soils samples were collected from 34 diverse agricultural fields and AM fungal spores were extracted using wet-sieving and decantation techniques. The spores were quantified, and AM fungal communities were identified based on their morphological characteristics. Statistical data analyses, including relative abundance, the Shannon-Wiener index, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and principal component analysis (PCA), were performed using R software 4.4.0. The results revealed that two AM fungal families dominated the agricultural fields, namely Gigasporaceae (61.0%) and Acaulosporaceae (39.0%). These fungal families comprised a total of five genera, with the following relative abundances: Acaulospora (39.0%), Gigaspora (35.05%), Scutellospora (23.92%), Dentiscutata (1.32%), and Rococetra (0.72%). The AM fungal morpho-species were ranked from 1 to 26 across the five genera. Acaulospora denticulata ranked the highest, with a proportion of 25.19%. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index revealed a higher diversity of AM fungi in agricultural fields with greater spore richness. The PCA showed that the composition of AM fungal communities was strongly related to soil physiochemical characteristics. Dryland farming systems also played a role in AM fungal composition. Overall, the distribution of AM fungal communities across the agricultural fields was lower, implying the need to adopt sustainable dryland farming systems to enhance native AM fungal communities and support the development of context-specific biofertilizers.

Agricultural intensification worldwide is increasingly relying on a narrow range of crops such as rice, wheat, and maize. The reliability on this relatively small numbers of food diversities raises a very serious concern about the sustainability managing our nutrition today and in the future. We conducted a scoping review using online databases to identify various agricultural interventions that can be utilized for enhancement of underutilized root and tuber crops adaptability under the current observable effects of climate change. This is because reports of underutilized crops’ adaptability to climate change continues to remain anecdotal with limited research capacity to support them. The results mooted a wide range of crop production techniques that can be utilized in production of root and tuber crops. They includes biofertilizers, tied ridging method, improved seed varieties, management of community seed banks, cropping systems, irrigation methods, exploiting abandoned lands, agroforestry practice, clean seed production technologies, and nutrient use efficiency. Based on the findings, each of these interventions plays different roles in management of the negative impacts brought up by climate change and thus they would be useful when adopted in combination since package adoption would enable farmers to benefit from the positive synergy of the selected interventions. The interventions are therefore recommended not only for sustainability but also for profitable production to meet feed, food, energy, and fiber needs and foster economic growth in the ever changing world. Therefore this chapter contributes immensely towards the development of innovative mechanisms for strengthening the resilience of root and tuber crop.

Before in vitro propagated Melia volkensii plants can be used for mass planting, the transition phase to in vivo conditions needs to be better controlled because too many plants are lost during acclimatization and in the field. Two experiments were set up to evaluate the effects of biological agents on the establishment of M. volkensii in vitro plantlets. The biological agents consisted of Trichotech^®, Bio-cure B^®, Rhizatech^®, Bacillus subtilis, a Trichoderma isolate and self-isolated native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Regarding the latter, in soil from the nursery, the number of AMF spores increased from six spores to 400 per 100 g of soil using a trap culture, in which thirteen AMF morphotypes were identified and root colonization assessed through observation of hyphae, vesicles, coils and appressoria. The first experiment was set up in the greenhouse to investigate the efficacy of the biological agents on the hardening off. In the second, a field experiment was set up to study their effect on the early establishment of the plantlets in the field compared to seedlings. All biological agents significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved in vitro plant survival and growth compared to the control. The highest plant height and number of leaves per plant were recorded in plants treated with Rhizatech^®, Native AMF, Bio-cure B^® and Trichoderma isolate. The treatments with Rhizatech^®, Bio-cure B^® and native mycorrhiza recorded a significantly wider stem. The root diameter of the plants treated with Rhizatech^® and Bio-cure B^® was the largest, but the plants inoculated with the native AMF had the longest roots. Moreover, the inoculated plants generally developed multiple secondary roots. After two months, AMF had clearly colonized the acclimatized plantlets. In the field experiment, the biologicals made no difference in survival rate but did produce a significantly larger leaf area after two months, with the largest leaves recorded with Rhizatech^®, native AMF and Trichotech^®. They also increased the quality index of the plants from 0.21 to 0.52. The performance of in vitro grown M. volkensii plants six months after planting in semi-arid conditions in Kiambere was better than that of seedlings. Inoculation of plants increased plant height and diameter. Thus, inoculation of biological agents is an efficient approach for improving the early growth of in vitro propagated M. volkensii plants.

Soil multifunctionality (SMF) encompasses key soil functions, such as organic matter transformation, nutrient cycling, water storage, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support for resilient agroecosystems. These vital processes promote soil structuration that supports nutrient supply, primary production, climate regulation, erosion control, and water filtration capacities. However, their success depends on the strategic integration of organic mulch and compost within holistic, context-specific farming systems. This review, therefore, synthesizes the current scientific understanding of the roles of organic mulch and compost, with a focus on soil multifunctionality. This is because soil functions still face many challenges stemming from human activities such as deforestation, overcultivation, and the intensive use of external farm inputs. These changes place mounting stress on soil ecosystems. By adopting these strategies, stakeholders can strengthen soil multifunctionality and safeguard the soil for both ecosystems and human well-being. Organic residues have been used repeatedly in sustainable farming, with compost and mulching being the most common practices, and therefore align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in terms of environmental conservation and protection. Organic mulch, such as crop residues, conserves soil moisture, moderates’ temperature, reduces erosion and promotes microbial activity, thereby improving nutrient availability and soil structure. Compost, derived from decomposed organic materials, enriches soil with essential nutrients, enhances water-holding capacity and supports microbial biodiversity, thereby contributing to long-term soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The integrated use of mulch and compost enhances nutrient availability, increases soil organic carbon and mitigates environmental stressors such as drought and erosion. These practices align with agroecological principles, reducing reliance on chemical inputs and promoting circular economy models. By improving soil aggregation, water infiltration, and microbial necromass carbon buildup, mulch and compost restore degraded lands and enhance crop productivity and yield stability. Despite challenges such as nitrogen immobilization and scalability, their combined application offers a sustainable pathway to address food insecurity and the impacts of climate change. This review underscores the need for context-specific strategies to optimize these practices, highlighting their role in revitalizing soil multifunctionality for resilient agroecosystems.