The wetland soils of central Kenya: Characteristics classification and current use.

Abstract

This study was carried out in one of the agriculturally high potential and densily populated areas of Kenya The data presented in this paper was collected during soil survey carried out to asses the suitability of some of these waterlogged areas for drainage and their capability to sustain agricultural production.The wetland soils of central Kenya have histic, gleyic, stagnic, plinthic and/or vertic properties. They occur on mountain areas, structural plains and valleys and generally imperfectly to poorly, drained, shallow to very deep, dark reddish brown to black, friable to firm, in places mottled clay. The Wetland soils are used for irrigated rice production in the plains, cultivation of subsistence crops and horticultural crops in the seasonally flooded Valleys. Reeds and papyrus dominate the Mountains, which are used for forestry, mountains, mountaineering, game reserve and is important water shed zone