, FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

The farm household is the fundamental unit of management where decisions and actions affecting crop biodiversity are made. The household functions as a consumer, consuming commodities made on the farm by its members as well as goods acquired with money earned from wage labor or the farm. The household generates agricultural commodities that are either consumed or sold on the market by combining its own resources of labor, land, and other capital with inputs that are acquired. (Van dusen, 2000). According to Benin et al (2004), farmers’ decisions about which cereal crops and varieties to grow and how extensively can be understood in the context of the theory of the household farm. In this theory, the household farm maximizes utility over a set of consumption items generated by the set of crops and varieties it grows (Cf), a set of purchased consumption goods (Cnf), and leisure (l). The utility a household derives from various consumption combinations and levels depends on the preferences of its members. Preferences are in turn shaped by the characteristics of the household, such as the age or education of its members, and wealth. Choices among goods are constrained by the full income of the household, total time (T) allocated to farm production (H) and leisure (l), and a fixed production technology represented by (F). The production technology combines purchased inputs (X) and labor (L) with the physical characteristics of the farm (ΩF), which are fixed in a single decision
making period. (Joshi, 2006).

This study investigated the residual effects of selected organic amendments on the physical, chemical, and microbial properties of soils previously cultivated with bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).The experiment was laid out in randomised block design (RCBD) with twelve different treatment representing sole treatment(T1(control) T2 (Poultry manure) T3 (Mychorriza) T4( Black soldier flyfrass)T5 (Digestate) and the rest as combined treatments. This research compared data from soil samples collected from the previous cultivation season in 2024 with soil samples of the post harvest period (2025) to evaluate changes in soil quality, the continuous and sustained effects of amendments over time. The results from the analysis shows that There was a decrease in pH from 2024 to 2025, from(6.47to6.00) in T2(PM), while organic matter and organic carbon showed a general increase from (5.30 to 34.60 g/kg) and (3.10 to 20.10 g/kg) in T12(DIG+PM) respectively. In comparing 2024 and 2025, bacterial counts increased across all treatments, while fungal counts declined. Results revealed that while some nutrient parameters declined compared to the initial season (2024 cropping season), soils that previously received combined organic treatments maintained significantly improved fertility indices relative to the control. These findings demonstrated that the amendments not only improved soil fertility during the first year but also had lasting residual benefits that continued enhancing the soil even without re-application. Also this study recognizes T12(DIG +PM) as the best most sustainable amendments because it effectively balanced nutrient supply, organic matter input, and microbial stimulation leading to enhanced soil fertility and lasting residual effects. Keywords: Poultry manure, Digestate.