Soil Property Responses to Push-Pull Cropping in East Africa Data for Peer Review – Confidential until February 2026

ABSTRACT Push-pull technology is increasingly promoted in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for pest management and enhancing crop productivity. However, its influence on soil properties remains understudied, despite its potential implications for soil health and sustainable soil fertility management. This study examines how push-pull and non-push-pull systems, as well as components of push-pull, affect soil properties. Soil samples were collected from push-pull and non-push-pull plots in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. We examined the associations between soil physicochemical properties and cropping systems, along with key components of push-pull, namely Desmodium coverage and plot age, manure and mineral fertiliser use, and clay content. Push-pull systems in Ethiopia were negatively associated with cation-exchange capacity, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and copper and marginally with iron and magnesium. In Kenya, push-pull was positively associated with iron, whereas in Rwanda and Uganda, no significant associations were observed. In Kenya and Uganda, Desmodium cover was positively associated with soil organic matter, cation-exchange capacity, potassium, and sulphur. Additional positive associations were found with sodium, boron, and copper in Uganda, nitrogen and marginally calcium in Kenya, and phosphorus in Rwanda. Plot age in Kenya was negatively associated with pH and potassium, and in Uganda, with copper. No significant associations were observed in Rwanda. In Kenya, manure was negatively associated with several micronutrients and pH, while in Uganda, it was positively associated with base cations and micronutrients. In Ethiopia, positive associations with potassium, zinc, and calcium and negative associations with phosphorus and magnesium were observed within push-pull systems. Mineral fertilizer use in Kenya was negatively associated with potassium and pH, with similar patterns observed within push-pull. Clay content was consistently positively associated with base cations and micronutrients across countries. Our findings highlight the complex and context-dependent effects of PP cropping on soil properties, highlighting the need for site-specific management to sustain soil health and crop productivity across Sub-Saharan Africa.