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The climatic conditions of coastal Kenya favour rapid weed growth, leading to the accumulation of large biomass of weeds between cropping seasons. Smallholder farmers in the region usually slash and remove the weed biomass and crop residue from their farms during land preparation in order to facilitate easy planting. The impact of such practice on the production of maize has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the farmers’ practice on the performance of maize and fertilizer requirement. Three methods of managing weed biomass and crop residue (removal from field, incorporation into soil, or use as surface mulch) and five fertilizer rates (60 kg N ha -1 , 20 kg P ha -1 , 30 kg N ha -1 , 10 kg P ha -1 , and no fertilizer application) were evaluated. Removal of weed biomass and crop residue from the field led to 20-26% loss in grain yield and reduced the returns to labour by 41-51%.There was no response to applied P where weed biomass and crop residue had been incorporated into soil. Efforts should therefore be made to educate farmers on the advantages of retaining weed biomass and crop residue on their farms as they prepare land for subsequent crops.

Agro-Economic Benefits of Weed Biomass and Crop Residue in Maize Production Systems in Coastal Kenya