Use of Biochar and Vermicompost to Reduce Soil Borne Disease Incidence on Beans in Small Holder Farmer Fields.

Yield losses due to high disease and pest incidence and severity, inadequate biological nitrogen fixation and low soil fertility jeopardize bean production in Western Kenya. Population pressure has led to continuous cultivation of the land without crop rotation. This system results in a decline in soil fertility and high disease inoculum in the soil, which are the major causes and propagators of bean root rot and root-knot nematode severity. We are using organic matter amendments (vermicompost and biochar) to reduce the incidence and severity of soil borne fungal diseases and plant-parasitic nematodes on beans grown on 45 small holder farms in Western Kenya. Two years of field data indicate both biochar and vermicompost soil amendments can help reduce disease incidence and improve bean yields. We aim to help farmers achieve greater agronomic success, higher yields and more reliable return on their investments in bean cropping and; increase research and extension capacity to help small scale farmers address constraints to bean production sustainably.