The Mazingira Centre consists of laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment that have the capacity to measure a set of environmental parameters including livestock system greenhouse gas emissions, hydrological parameters, soil and plant nutrient contents as well as soil C sequestration.

ILRIs Mazingira Centre on ILRI’s Nairobi farm

Our instrumentation includes:

• 7 Gas chromatographs (CO2, CH4, N2O, (SF6)) and autosamplers

• Livestock respiration chambers (3 x cattle, 3 x small ruminants, one mobile chamber)

• Manual and automatic soil respiration chambers (18 pc.) connected to Picarro

• Laser absorption spectrometers to measure CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O and NH3 (Aerodyne)

• A mobile climate controlled laboratory and 12 animal holding facilities

• Standard laboratory analytical equipment: ie. Kjeldahl (total N), 2 x C/N analyzers, photometers, incubation cabinets, NIRS,  etc.

• Two eddy covariance stations in partnership with Kings College London and Lund University

In addition, the ILRI farm in Nairobi as well as Kapiti Plains Estates Ltd., a semi-commercial research farm 60km South of Nairobi (approx. 13000 ha) that provides excellent ground to study these semi-arid systems jointly in the laboratory and in the field.