Zai pit combined with integrated nutrient management for improving soil aggregate stability, moisture content and microbial biomass in drylands of Eastern Kenya

This study sought to assess the impact of selected soil conservation and water harvesting technologies as promising options for alleviating moisture crisis, enhancing fertility reducing erosion in drylands Eastern Kenya. An experiment was set up investigate responses aggregate stability, contents microbial biomass carbon nitrogen (SMBC SMBN) Zai technology combined with integrated nutrient amendment. pit involves use holes or basins varying diameters farming activities drylands.  The done a completely randomized block design. Soils (0 15cm) from eight treatments (replicated thrice): no input (ZNO), sole manure (ZM60), full rate chemical fertilizer (ZF60), mineral (ZM30F30), conventional (CM60), (CF60), (CM30F30) control (CNO), were subjected laboratory analyses using various methods suggested by previous studies. ZM60 recorded 25% significantly high (p<0.05) stable aggregation compared CM60. 32 days after sowing LR2019 season, ZM30F30 34% content than CM30F30. highest values SMBC SMBN which 17.1% 36.5% higher that value results this demonstrate importance organic inorganic amendments an agricultural intervention can improve biomass, thus contributing overall improvement health fertility. Key words: Aggregate Mean weight diameter, Soil content, Volumetric technology.