ABSTRACT
This thesis has demonstrated, so far, that smallholder rainfed subsistence farmers are
faced with the challenge of water scarcity on degraded fields. Simple and affordable
techniques have been tested for their effectiveness in improving obtained yields. While
on-site moisture observations have demonstrated that the tested techniques help to
improve moisture availability within the root zone and, ultimately, contribute towards
increased grain yields, it is also important to better understand soil moisture
dynamics and the (re)partitioning of available water to better explain these
incremental yields. Simple logic relates an increase in yield with an increase in green
water fluxes which promote transpiration and, hence, biomass production. This is
particularly true where water is the limiting factor to crop productivity but, as a
matter of fact, nutrient balances and proper farm management practices play an
equally important role in raising yield levels.
