Data on greenhouse gas fluxes from smallholder cropping systems in Upper Eastern Kenya

Summary

This dataset presents greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes—carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane (CH4 ), and nitrous oxide (N2 O) measurements collected from smallholder cropping systems in Chuka, Upper Eastern Kenya. The study aimed to assess the effects of different cropping systems on soil GHG fluxes, as described in a related study (Lemarpe et al., 2023). Data were collected over two cropping seasons from five cropping systems: sole maize, maize-bean intercrop, agroforestry, banana and coffee replicated three times. The study used static chambers to measure GHG fluxes, which were then analyzed using gas chromatography. The dataset also consists of soil physicochemical parameters (bulk density, total nitrogen, organic carbon, and pH), soil moisture, rainfall, and crop yield data for maize and beans. This dataset offers findings on how agricultural practices affect GHG emissions and the possibility of smallholder cropping systems, such as agroforestry, to act as nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation.