scholarly journals Impact of Soil Fertility Improving Trees on Crop Productivity and Farmer Wealth in Zambia

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Elias Kuntashula
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan

There has been low uptake of soil fertility improving tree technologies that have been promoted as alternatives to the costly inorganic fertiliser among the poor resource farmers of Sub Saharan Africa. This is surprising given that the majority of smallholder farmers cannot afford inorganic fertilisers. Are these technologies effective? Using data collected in 2013 from 1,231 households across six districts of Zambia, this study showed that the tree technologies increased maize productivity. However, increases in maize productivity were less than those obtained from controlled on-station and field experiments where the technologies could double or more than double maize productivity according to literature. The technologies capacity to marginally contribute to wealth creation was confirmed. Socioeconomic constraints including labour, information access, land and credit need to be tackled for the technologies to give maximum benefits. Research on fertiliser trees should therefore be redirected towards the discovery of such resource constraints saving technologies. 

scholarly journals Modelling smallholder farmers’ preferences for soil fertility management technologies in Benin: A stated preference approach

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253412
Author(s):  
Segla Roch Cedrique Zossou ◽  
Patrice Ygue Adegbola ◽  
Brice Tiburce Oussou ◽  
Gustave Dagbenonbakin ◽  
Roch Mongbo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Latent Class Models ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Sub Saharan

The decline of soil fertility is a major constraint which results in lower levels of crop productivity, agricultural development and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study is the first to perform a focalized investigation on the most interesting technological profiles to offer to each category of producers in Benin agricultural development hubs (ADHs) using the stated preference method, more precisely, the improved choice experiment method. The investigation focused on 1047 sampled plots from 962 randomly selected producers in villages of the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Program in Sub-Saharan Africa of the ADHs. An analysis of the experimental choice data with the endogenous attribute attendance and the latent class models was carried out to account for the attribute non-attendance phenomenon and the heterogeneity of the producers’ preferences. However, three classes of producer with different socio-economic, demographic, and soil physicochemical characteristics were identified. Thus, the heterogeneity of preferences was correlated with the attributes linked to the cost, sustainability, and frequency of plot maintenance. All producers, regardless of the ADHs, had a strong attachment to accessibility of technologies with short time restoration of soil fertility, and the ability to obtain additional benefits. These latest attributes, added to that relating to cost, tended to have a low probability of rejection in the decision-making process. These results have implications for local decision-makers facing the complex problem of resolving land degradation and local economic development challenges. The generalizability of these findings provides useful insight and direction for future studies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: unravelling local adaptation

SOIL ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 491-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Vanlauwe ◽  
K. Descheemaeker ◽  
K. E. Giller ◽  
J. Huising ◽  
R. Merckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Integrated Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract. Intensification of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is necessary to address rural poverty and natural resource degradation. Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) is a means to enhance crop productivity while maximizing the agronomic efficiency (AE) of applied inputs, and can thus contribute to sustainable intensification. ISFM consists of a set of best practices, preferably used in combination, including the use of appropriate germplasm, the appropriate use of fertilizer and of organic resources, and good agronomic practices. The large variability in soil fertility conditions within smallholder farms is also recognized within ISFM, including soils with constraints beyond those addressed by fertilizer and organic inputs. The variable biophysical environments that characterize smallholder farming systems have profound effects on crop productivity and AE, and targeted application of agro-inputs and management practices is necessary to enhance AE. Further, management decisions depend on the farmer's resource endowments and production objectives. In this paper we discuss the "local adaptation" component of ISFM and how this can be conceptualized within an ISFM framework, backstopped by analysis of AE at plot and farm level. At plot level, a set of four constraints to maximum AE is discussed in relation to "local adaptation": soil acidity, secondary nutrient and micronutrient (SMN) deficiencies, physical constraints, and drought stress. In each of these cases, examples are presented whereby amendments and/or practices addressing these have a significantly positive impact on fertilizer AE, including mechanistic principles underlying these effects. While the impact of such amendments and/or practices is easily understood for some practices (e.g. the application of SMNs where these are limiting), for others, more complex processes influence AE (e.g. water harvesting under varying rainfall conditions). At farm scale, adjusting fertilizer applications to within-farm soil fertility gradients has the potential to increase AE compared with blanket recommendations, in particular where fertility gradients are strong. In the final section, "local adaption" is discussed in relation to scale issues and decision support tools are evaluated as a means to create a better understanding of complexity at farm level and to communicate appropriate scenarios for allocating agro-inputs and management practices within heterogeneous farming environments.

scholarly journals Poverty Alleviation Through Technology-Driven Increases in Crop Production by Smallholder Farmers in Dryland Areas of Sub-Saharan Africa: How Plausible Is This Theory of Change?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Harris ◽  
Judith Oduol ◽  
Karl Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Sub Saharan

The current paradigm of agricultural research and extension in support of rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is to disseminate improved technologies designed to increase the generally low crop yields per hectare on individual farms. Using data from a baseline survey (n = 7,539) from a large rural development programme implemented in five countries in SSA, we calculate the increases in yield per hectare required to significantly contribute to poverty alleviation for households managing such farms. We estimate the gap between current crop productivity and the productivity required to reach a poverty line of $1.90 per capita per day adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). We find this gap to be very large, both in percentage and absolute terms. Median additional gross crop productivity required to reach this poverty threshold was: $324/ha/year (254% increase) in Mali; $1,359/ha/year (1,157% increase) in Niger; $4,989/ha/year (665% increase) in Ethiopia; $1,742/ha/year (818% increase) in Burkina Faso; $2,893/ha/year (1,297% increase) in Kenya. The required additional productivity taking account of production costs including the opportunity cost of family labor would need to be even higher. Given that (a) values of net productivity of improved rainfed crop technologies reported in the literature rarely exceed $1,000/ha/year; and (b) the majority of arable farms in SSA are two hectares or less with increasing trends toward land fragmentation, we argue that closing the yield gap among smallholder farmers in SSA will never—alone—be sufficient to meaningfully alleviate the high levels of poverty and deprivation many currently experience.

scholarly journals Integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: unravelling local adaptation

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1239-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Vanlauwe ◽  
K. Descheemaeker ◽  
K. E. Giller ◽  
J. Huising ◽  
R. Merckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Integrated Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract. Intensification of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is necessary to address rural poverty and natural resource degradation. Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is a means to enhance crop productivity while maximizing the agronomic efficiency (AE) of applied inputs, and can thus contribute to sustainable intensification. ISFM consists of a set of best practices, preferably used in combination, including the use of appropriate germplasm, the appropriate use of fertilizer and of organic resources, and good agronomic practices. The large variability in soil fertility conditions within smallholder farms is also recognised within ISFM, including soils with constraints beyond those addressed by fertilizer and organic inputs. The variable biophysical environments that characterize smallholder farming systems have profound effects on crop productivity and AE and targeted application of limited agro-inputs and management practices is necessary to enhance AE. Further, management decisions depend on the farmer's resource endowments and production objectives. In this paper we discuss the "local adaptation" component of ISFM and how this can be conceptualized within an ISFM framework, backstopped by analysis of AE at plot and farm level. At plot level, a set of four constraints to maximum AE is discussed in relation to "local adaptation": soil acidity, secondary nutrient and micro-nutrient (SMN) deficiencies, physical constraints, and drought stress. In each of these cases, examples are presented whereby amendments and/or practices addressing these have a significantly positive impact on fertilizer AE, including mechanistic principles underlying these effects. While the impact of such amendments and/or practices is easily understood for some practices (e.g., the application of SMNs where these are limiting), for others, more complex interactions with fertilizer AE can be identified (e.g., water harvesting under varying rainfall conditions). At farm scale, adjusting fertilizer applications within-farm soil fertility gradients has the potential to increase AE compared with blanket recommendations, in particular where fertility gradients are strong. In the final section, "local adaption" is discussed in relation to scale issues and decision support tools are evaluated as a means to create a better understanding of complexity at farm level and to communicate best scenarios for allocating agro-inputs and management practices within heterogeneous farming environments.

scholarly journals Soil Nutrients and Maize Yields Responses to Agroforestry Tree Post-fallows Management in Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent G. Vyamana ◽  
Shabani A.O. Chamshama ◽  
Samora Macrice Andrew
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Degraded Land ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Continuous Maize ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Agriculture forms a backbone of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) thus has the potential to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, agriculture in the SSA is characterized by low production due to soil fertility depletion. Use of appropriate low input agricultural technologies may increase production and benefit smallholder farmers through increased productivity in already degraded land. A field experiment was established to assess tree coppice intercropping of Albizia harveyi and Albizia versicolor for soil fertility and maize yield improvements in Morogoro, Tanzania. Tree fallows of A. versicolor aged three years increased significantly soil organic Carbon, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium. Yields of maize grain, cobs and stover in maize fields intercropped with A. versicolor were significantly higher than those with A. harveyi. Fields with continuous maize cropping had the least yields of grain, cobs and stover. The studied agroforestry tree species are recommended for rotational woodlots and short rotation coppice systems to enhance agricultural productivity for achieving SDGs.

African Smallholder Farmers on the Move: Farm and Non-Farm Trends for Six Sub-Saharan African Countries, 2002–15

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Jirström ◽  
Maria Archila Bustos ◽  
Sarah Alobo Loison
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Production Area ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The One ◽  
High Degree

This chapter provides a broad descriptive background of central aspects of smallholder agriculture in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It offers an up-to-date picture of the current trends of crop production, area productivity, levels of commercialization, and sources of cash incomes among 2,500 farming households. Structured around smallholder production, commercialization, and diversification in the period 2002–15, the chapter points on the one hand at persistent challenges such as low crop yields, low levels of output per farm, and a high degree of subsistence farming, and on the other hand at positive change over time in terms of growth in crop production and increasing levels of commercialization. It points at large variations not only between countries and time periods but also at the village levels, where gaps in crop productivity between farms remain large. Implicitly it points at the potential yet to be exploited in the SSA smallholder sector.

Making Agricultural Input Subsidies More Effective and Profitable in Africa

2018 ◽  
pp. 172-187
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Kanyamuka ◽  
Charles B. L. Jumbe ◽  
Jacob Ricker-Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Support Programmes ◽  
Agricultural Input

The combined effects of declining soil fertility, continuous mono-cropping, poor crop residues management, and limited resources are considered the major constraints to increased crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is for this reason that most African governments in Sub-Saharan Africa have been implementing farm input support programmes to boost smallholder production. While substantial amounts of resources are committed to support such programmes, evidence suggests that the increased use of modern inputs such as inorganic fertilizers on the main staple food crops appear to be only marginally profitable or even unprofitable. There is a renewed realization that the use of fertilizer input alone to raise farm productivity is likely to be impeded, if sufficient attention is not given to complementary interventions such as integrated soil fertility management technologies and extension services. This chapter provides evidence from several African countries on the role of complementary interventions in enhancing profitability, effectiveness, and efficiency with which farm inputs such as inorganic fertilizer and improved seed are applied.

scholarly journals Improving Soil Fertility and Crops Yield through Maize-Legumes (Common bean and Dolichos lablab) Intercropping Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prosper I. Massawe ◽  
Kelvin M. Mtei ◽  
Linus K. Munishi ◽  
Patrick A. Ndakidemi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Plant Nutrients ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Crops Yield ◽  
Biological Nitrogen

Declining crops yield in the smallholder farmers cropping systems of sub-Saharan African (SSA) present the need to develop more sustainable production systems. Depletion of essential plant nutrients from the soils have been cited as the main contributing factors due to continues cultivation of cereal crops without application of organic/ inorganic fertilizers. Of all the plant nutrients, reports showed that nitrogen is among the most limiting plant nutrient as it plays crucial roles in the plant growth and physiological processes. The most efficient way of adding nitrogen to the soils is through inorganic amendments. However, this is an expensive method and creates bottleneck to smallholder farmers in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Legumes are potential sources of plant nutrients that complement/supplement inorganic fertilizers for cereal crops because of their ability to fix biological nitrogen (N) when included to the cropping systems. By fixing atmospheric N2, legumes offer the most effective way of increasing the productivity of poor soils either in monoculture, intercropping, crop rotations, or mixed cropping systems. This review paper discuses the role of cereal legume intercropping systems on soil fertility improvement, its impact on weeds, pests, diseases and water use efficiency, the biological nitrogen fixation, the amounts of N transferred to associated cereal crops, nutrients uptake and partition, legume biomass decomposition and mineralization, grain yields, land equivalent ratio and economic benefits.

RESTORING CROPLAND PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIAN DRYLANDS AFTER NINE YEARS OF RESOURCE-CONSERVING AGRICULTURE

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
TESFAY ARAYA ◽  
JAN NYSSEN ◽  
BRAM GOVAERTS ◽  
FRÉDÉRIC BAUDRON ◽  
LOUISE CARPENTIER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Northern Ethiopia

SUMMARYLong-term in situ soil and water conservation experiments are rare in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Eastern Africa. A long-term experiment was conducted (2005–2013) on a Vertisol to quantify the impacts of resource-conserving agriculture (RCA) on runoff, soil loss, soil fertility and crop productivity and economic profitability in northern Ethiopia. Two RCA practices were developed from traditional furrow tillage practices: (i) derdero+ (DER+) and terwah+ (TER+). DER+ is a furrow and permanent raised bed planting system, tilled once at planting time by refreshing the furrow and 30% of crop residue is retained. TER+ is ploughed once at planting, furrows are made at 1.5 m intervals and 30% crop residue is retained. The third treatment was a conventional tillage (CT) with a minimum of three tillage operations and complete removal of crop residues. Wheat, teff, barley and grass pea crops were grown in rotation. Runoff, and soil and nutrient loss were measured in plastic sheet-lined collector trenches. Significantly different (P < 0.05) runoff coefficients (%) and soil losses (t ha−1) averaged over 9 yrs were 14 and 3, 22 and 11 and 30 and 17 for DER+, TER+ and CT, respectively. Significant improvements in crop yield and gross margin were observed after a period of three years of cropping This study demonstrated that RCA systems in semi-arid agro-ecosystems constitute a field rainwater conservation and soil fertility improvement strategy that enhances crop productivity and economic profitability. Adoption of RCA systems (DER+ and TER+) in the study area requires further work to improve smallholder farmers’ awareness on benefits, to guarantee high standards during implementation and to design appropriate weed management strategies.

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