A. Bationo

Action for Integrated Rural Development

This report is a detailed review, synthesis, and analysis of the current “state of the science” concerning the potential for carbon sequestration in grazing lands through improved land management practices in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It aims to provide an up-to-date assessment of the science of C sequestration from improved land management, includ...

Peu de données existent sur la contribution en azote des légumineuses, et leurs impacts en présence des fumures sur la nutrition azotée des céréales. Ainsi, pour évaluer les effets du niébé et des fumures organo-minérales sur la nutrition azotée et les rendements du mil subséquent, une expérimentation a été conduite de 2008 à 2009 à Sadoré au Niger...

This book contains 31 chapters, grouped into 7 parts, which provides a link between the complexity of the scientific knowledge on soil carbon, and how this knowledge can be applied for multiple benefits, and the complexity of the policy and practice arenas where soil and land management impact many sectors: environment, farming, energy, water, econ...

This book contains 31 chapters, grouped into 7 parts, which provides a link between the complexity of the scientific knowledge on soil carbon, and how this knowledge can be applied for multiple benefits, and the complexity of the policy and practice arenas where soil and land management impact many sectors: environment, farming, energy, water, econ...

In March 2013, 40 leading experts from across the world gathered at a workshop, hosted by the European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre, Italy, to discuss the multiple benefits of soil carbon as part of a Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) project commissioned by SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment). This col...

A Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment Rapid Assessment (SCOPE-RAP) workshop was held on 18–22 March 2013. This workshop was hosted by the European Commission, JRC Centre at Ispra, Italy, and brought together 40 leading experts from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America to create four synthesis chapters aimed at identifyin...

Rapid disappearance of crop residue used as soil surface cover in conservation tillage systems reduces the envisaged soil cover benefits. This study was conducted in a conservation tillage experiment, established in 2003 in Nyabeda, western Kenya,to (1) characterize crop residue disappearance during crop growth, and (2) assess termite activity and...

Soil microbes such as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria play significant roles in the solubilisation of inorganic phosphorus (P), mineralization of organic P and in improving plant P uptake. It is known that phosphate solubilising microorganisms (PSM) populations largely vary depending on the ecosystems, the cropping systems or the soil manageme...

Stable soil aggregates and high microbial diversity are essential for efficient nutrient recycling in soil. This study evaluated effects of different arable land-use systems on soil aggregation and associated composition and total diversity of bacteria and fungi. For this purpose, 5- and 3-year-old field trials were selected, two in sub-humid (orth...

Yield increases of cereals following legumes in rotation have been previously reported for West Africa, but little progress has been made to explain the mechanisms involved. At four sites in Niger and Burkina Faso, field trials with pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Mo...

Reduced tillage is said to be one of the potential ways to reverse land degradation and ultimately increase the productivity of degrading soils of Africa. We hypothesised that crop yield following a modest application of 2 t ha−1 of crop residue in a reduced tillage system is similar to the yield obtained from a conventional tillage system, and tha...

The use of models in decision support is important as field experiments provide empirical data on responses to only a small number of possible combinations of climate, soil, and management situations. Yet, crop modeling by African scientists so far has been limited. Therefore, to build the capacity of African scientists in the use of decision suppo...

African soils have an inherently poor fertility because they are very old and lack volcanic rejuvenation. Inappropriate land use, poor management and lack of input have led to a decline in productivity, soil erosion, salinization and loss of vegetation. The extent of such losses is of sufficient importance that action, such as ­recapitalization of...

In the drylands of Africa about 90% of the population is rural and depends on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. There is an increasing pressure on the natural resources due to the high population growth, and farmers are constrained to cultivate marginal lands, thereby compounding the land degradation problem. Low and erratic rainfall,...

Africa is the continent with the lowest fertilizer use per hectare ­notwithstanding the fact it possesses geologically old, infertile and degraded soils. This chapter discusses the agro-ecological zones (AEZ) and main soil types in Africa followed by a section on the extent, effects and costs of land degradation including issues of soil productivit...

The effects of crop rotations with fallow, groundnut (Arachis hypogea) and cotton (Gossypium sp) on soil and subsequent sorghum (Sorghum bicolour) yields were studied with a 14-years (1993–2007) old experiment at Farakô-Ba (4° 20′ West, 11° 6′ North and 405 m altitude) in the Guinean z one of Burkina Faso. A factorial design in a split plot arrange...

The prevailing low food production in sub-Saharan Africa is an issue of great concern especially since Africa south of the Sahara is the only remaining region of the world where per capita food production has remained stagnant. This chapter reviews long-term experiments in Africa in the context of shifting paradigms related to tropical soil fertili...

This book elucidates the importance of long-term experiments in revealing evidence of soil fertility decline in Africa. An evaluation of experiences from on-going long-term experiments is given in broad detail. The first chapter explains the paradigm shift in soil fertility management then provides justification for long-term experiments before ill...

Africa is the continent with the lowest fertilizer use per hectare notwithstanding the fact it possesses geologically old, infertile and degraded soils. This chapter discusses the agroecological zones (AEZ) and main soil types in Africa followed by a section on the extent, effects and costs of land degradation including issues of soil productivity...

This study was aimed at quantifying soybean (Glycine max) nitrogen fixation under reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) in a tropical Ferralsol of the sub-humid zone of western Kenya, using the isotope 15N dilution method. Crop residue (CR) management was a superimposed treatment in soybean-maize rotation and intercropping systems. Thi...

High rates of soil depletion, food insecurity, and poverty are widespread in western Kenya, which calls for urgent and affordable solutions. A field experiment was carried out during 2003 short rains and 2004 long rains in western Kenya to study the effectiveness of “PREP-PAC” on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.), and legume yields of six maize–...

Legume integration in African agricultural production systems is among the options with demonstrated potential for sustainable land management. Best bet legumes for promotion in cropping systems should play multiple roles in soil fertility, food and fodder provision. The main constraint to growth and productivity of legumes i.e., phosphorus deficie...

Legumes play important roles in provision of food security, generation of income, and maintenance of environment in most smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Grain legumes are particularly important human food as they are rich in protein and are sometimes sold for cash income, whilst herbaceous and tree legumes are important liv...

Legumes form an important component of sustainable food production systems in West and Central Africa. The region is characterized by low and erratic rainfall distribution, low soil fertility, high temperature. Legumes being fast maturing and able to withstand some of these constraints emerge as a strategic investment by the farmers. Legume technol...

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important grain legume crops in Africa. It represents an important share of food proteins and calories of poor agricultural populations in Eastern and Southern Africa. The production of bean in Africa is carried out primarily by small-scale farmers, who use little or no fertilizers or soil amen...

In June 2006, the African Heads of State made a declaration to support increase in use of fertilizers in the farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa from the present average of about 8kg ha–1 to about 50kg ha–1. One route to attain this goal is to engender regional joint fertilizer procurement to reduce farm gate price and increase fertilizer demand...

An on-farm experiment was conducted in Western Kenya (Busia district) in the long rain season of 2005 to investigate the effects of conservation tillage on soil properties and the crop yields. The experiment based on a split–split plot design with three replicates and six core treatments arranged in a factorial combination of nitrogen application a...

The fertilizer microdosing technology deals with the application of small quantities of fertilizers in the planting hole, thereby increasing fertilizer use efficiency and yields while minimizing input costs. In drought years, microdosing also performs well, because larger root systems are more efficient at finding water, and it hastens crop maturit...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can increase food production at household level through wide-scale adoption of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). Past and ongoing agricultural research shows that it is possible to double or even triple yields by improving soil, nutrient and water management at farm level. However, adoption of ISFM technologies i...

The effect of continuous cultivation using inorganic and organic fertilizers on crop yields and soil agro-properties was studied in a 30-year-old long-term field experiment at Kabete, near Nairobi, in the highlands of Kenya. The area is sub-humid with an average bimodal rainfall of 980mm and two cropping seasons per year. The soil is a dark red, fr...

Africa is a vast continent with a tremendous resource endowment and offers great potential for increased agricultural productivity. Africa occupies 20% of the world’s land mass but only 21% of this land is suitable for cultivation. Africa’s soils have an inherently poor fertility because they are very old and lack volcanic rejuvenation. With increa...

Field experiments were conducted for 4 years at Emali, Makueni District, in Kenya to compare the effect of tied ridging and integrated nutrient management practices on the yield of rain-fed maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L.). The main treatments were tied ridging and flat bed (traditional farmers’ practice) as main plots. Farmya...

Experiments were conducted on degraded crusted soils to study water status and nitrogen release in the soil during the dry seasons of 1999 at ICRISAT research station and on-farm during the rainy seasons of 1999 and 2000 in Niger. Zai is a technology applied on degraded crusted soil, which creates conditions for runoff water harvesting in small pit...

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region continues to experience perennial hunger, poverty and poor health of its people. Agricultural production has remained low over decades and is declining to extremely low staple maize yields below 0.5 t ha–1 season–1 at the smallholder farm scale, against the potential of 4–5 t ha–1 season–1 given modest levels of inp...

Smallholder land productivity in drylands can be increased by optimizing locally available resources, through nutrient enhancement and water conservation. In this study, we investigated the effect of tillage system, organic resource and chemical nitrogen fertilizer application on maize productivity in a sandy soil in eastern Kenya over four seasons...

Two critical factors that explain low crop productivity in the Sahelian agro-ecozone are inadequate moisture and poor soils, particularly phosphorus (P) deficiency. The purpose of this long-term study was to explore the use of both local phosphate rock (PR) and inorganic P on yields and risk of millet returns under the uncertain rainfall regimes in...

In Kenya, soil acidity is a major contributor to declining soil fertility and 20% of the soils are acidic and are considered to be of low fertility. Most farmers are unaware of the benefits of liming acid soils. A study was carried out during the 2005 and 2006 long rain seasons at Kuinet in Uasin Gishu District of the Rift Valley Province in Kenya...

The effects of cowpea (Vignaunguiculata) and groundnut (Arachis hypogea) on succeeding sorghum yields, soil mineral N and nematode in-festation were studied during five cropping sea-sons (2000 to 2004) in a weakly acid Ultisol of the agronomy research station of Farakô-Balo-cated in the Guinean zone of Burkina Faso, West Africa. A factorial 5 × 5 d...

Western Kenya region is densely populated, with population densities ranging from 500 to 1200 persons/km2. This has resulted in reduced land sizes, continuous cropping, high rates of soil nutrient depletion, and food insecurity. PREP-PAC was tested on a small-scale farm in western Kenya for three continuous seasons. Seven legume varieties were inte...

The effects of conservation tillage, crop residue and cropping systems on the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) and overall maize–legume production were investigated in western Kenya. The experiment was a split-split plot design with three replicates with crop residue management as main plots, cropping systems as sub-plots and nutrient levels as...

The CERES-sorghum module of the Decision Support System for Agro-Technological Transfer (DSSAT) model was calibrated for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) using data from sorghum grown with adequate water and nitrogen and evaluated with data from several N rates trials in Navrongo, Ghana with an overall modified internal efficiency of 0.63. The...

Traditional farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa depend primarily on mining soil nutrients. The African green revolution aims to intensify agriculture through the dissemination of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). This paper develops a robust and operational definition of ISFM based on detailed knowledge of African farming systems and t...

Many food production systems in sub-Saharan Africa are constrained by phosphorus (P). We hypothesized that within legume-cereal rotation systems: targeting P to the legume phase leads to higher system productivity, and that use of grain legumes leads to better economic returns than use of herbaceous legumes. Four P application regimes: (i) no P, (i...

Soil fertility decline is the major cause of declining crop yields in the central highlands of Kenya and elsewhere within the African continent. This paper reports a study conducted to assess adoption potential of two leguminous trees, two herbaceous legumes, cattle manure, and Tithonia diversifolia either solely applied or combined with inorganic...

Most farmers are aware of soil fertility gradients within their farms which influence their management decisions and further accentuate these variations. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of soil amendments on soil properties under farmers management. Soil sampling was done in 37 small scale maize farms in Njoro Division of Nakuru...

Differences in land-use management may result in different rangeland condition (soil, vegetation and biodiversity) and productivity. Vegetation condition in contrasting land-use management systems is well documented in semiarid rangelands, but relatively little information is available on soil quality. This study explores soil quality indicators in...

Soil biological activity was calculated on a daily basis, using standard meteorological data from African weather stations, a simple soil water model, and commonly used assumptions regarding the relations between temperature, soil water content, and biological activity. The activity factor re_clim is calculated from daily soil moisture and temperat...

In recent years, the concept of watershed management has grown rapidly due to the importance of water as an increasingly precious natural resource that is, at the same time, very difficult to manage within the overall development of any nation. Watersheds integrate many physical, biological, social and economic processes and information. Water reso...

Can Augmented Reality (AR) techniques inform the design and implementation of a mobile multimedia guide for the museum setting? Drawing from our experience both on previous mobile museum guides projects and in AR technology, we present a fully functional prototype of an AR-enabled mobile multimedia museum guide, designed and implemented for the Mus...

Can Augmented Reality (AR) techniques inform the design and implementation of a mobile multimedia guide for the museum setting? Drawing from our experience both on previous mobile museum guides projects and in AR technology, we present a fully functional prototype of an AR-enabled mobile multimedia museum guide, designed and implemented for the Mus...

Field experiments were designed to investigate the effectiveness of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), comparing fertilizer use efficiency and its impact on millet, cultivated close to the homestead (“infields”) and away from the homestead (“outfields”). Millet yields and response to N (0, 30, and 60kgha−1) and P (0, 15, and 30kgha−1) wer...

In June 2006, African Heads of State declared support for increase in quantity of fertilizers used by farmers from about 8 to about 50 kg ha -1 . Following realization of the structural weaknesses in African fertilizer industry, regional joint procurement capable of reducing fertilizer farm gate price and increase demand has been noted as a potenti...

Persistent food insecurity accompanied by low and declining farm household incomes are a common feature of many small holder maize and bean producers in western Kenya. This has been largely attributed to soil nutrient depletion, among other factors. One way of addressing soil fertility problems in many maize-based cropping systems is the use of agr...

In the past two years, ICRISAT, in collaboration with other International Agricultural Research Centres, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems, has been evaluating and promoting point or hill application of fertilizer along with “Warrantage” in three West African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The hill application o...

The effects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and groundnut (Arachis hypogea) on succeeding sorghum yields, soil mineral nitrogen and N recoveries were studied during three years (2000 to 2002) in a weakly acid Ultisol of the agronomic research station of Farakô-Ba located in the Guinean zone of Burkina Faso. A field agronomic experiment with a factori...

Low inherent soil fertility in the highly weathered and leached soils largely accounts for low and unsustained crop yields in most African countries. But in particular, the major nutrients, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), are commonly deficient in these soils. This scenario of nutrient depletion is reflected in food deficits and hence the food aid...

Trials were set up in three districts of central Kenya to evaluate organic and mineral sources of nutrients and their effects on maize yields. The experiments were set up during the long rains 2004 with fifteen different soil fertility management treatments. The treatments included cattle manure, green manures, maize stover, Tithonia, and mineral f...

The soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamic is a key element of soil fertility in savannah ecosystems that form the key agricultural lands in sub-Saharan Africa. In the western part of Burkina Faso, the land use is mostly linked to cotton-based cropping systems. Use of mechanization, pesticides, and herbicides has induced modifications of the traditional...

Ferralsol and Acrisol soil types important for maize production in Western Kenya have low pH, phosphorus (P) and organic matter plus high levels of Al and Fe oxides that fix P. Minjingu rock phosphate (MRP), lime and green manure (Tithonia) that are cheap and locally available are recommended for use. The low solubility of MRP when directly applied...

A field experiment was conducted for two seasons at Emali, Makueni District in Eastern Kenya to compare the effect of tied ridging and integrated nutrient management practices on the yield of rainfed maize (Zeamays L.) and cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L.). The main treatments were flat bed (FB, traditional farmers’ practice) and tied ridging (TR) as...

Soil microbial biomass is the main driving force in the decomposition of organic materials and is frequently used as an early indicator of changes in soil properties resulting from soil management and environment stresses in agricultural ecosystems This study was designed to assess the effects of organic and inorganic inputs on soil microbial bioma...

Combined application of organic resources and mineral inputs is integral to sustainable soil fertility management but in-situ production of adequate organic matter is often limited by P availability. An experiment was set up at Nyabeda in Western Kenya aimed at (1) quantifying the contribution of herbaceous and grain legumes to nitrogen supply in a...

Community based composting practices were studied in Nairobi using a questionnaire, and the quality of composts produced characterised for nutrient and heavy metal contents. An inventory of the composting groups was made using existing databases. The quality of different manure types and their sources were also noted. The movement of Municipal Soli...

In southern Africa, soil nutrient reserves are being depleted because of continued nutrient mining without adequate replenishment. The consequent downward spiral of soil fertility has led to a corresponding decline in crop yields, food insecurity, food aid and environmental degradation. The central issue for improving agricultural productivity in s...

Concerns about effects of increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) on climate has given rise to the possibility of emission credits for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. The goal of this study was to analyze SOC sequestration options in cropping systems of the Northern Guinea Savanna of West Africa. An 11-year experiment...

Micro-dosing technology has been developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners to help subsistence farmers in the Sahel improve inorganic fertilizer application. However, the ICRISAT's recommendations regarding fertilizer application through this technology are only applicable at sowing...

Soil nutrient depletion as a result of continuous cultivation of soils without adequate addition of external inputs is a major challenge in the highlands of Kenya. An experiment was set up in Meru South District, Kenya in 2000 to investigate the effects of different soil-incorporated organic (manure, Tithonia diversifolia, Calliandra calothyrsus, L...

Soil fertility depletion has been described as the single most important constraint to food security in West Africa. Over half of the African population is rural and directly dependent on locally grown crops. Further, 28% of the population is chronically hungry and over half of people are living on less than US$ 1 per day as a result of soil fertil...

Food production can be increased through the integration of organic and inorganic nutrient sources coupled with proper land management. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the Sahelian zone of West Africa where soil fertility and rainfall are the most limiting factors for crop production. The majority of the people in this region depend on sub...

The general soil fertility and crop yield decline constraints have guided the Malian agricultural research institute (Institut d’ Economie Rurale, IER), the Sahel Program of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to join efforts and undertake research activities aimed...

Soil microbial biomass is considered as an important early indicator of changes that may occur in the long term with regard to soil fertility and constitutes an important source and sink of nutrients. In South Africa, rangeland monitoring has mostly focused on assessing changes of aboveground vegetation in response to land uses effects, but the ass...

A participatory diagnosis (PD) was carried out in Makueni District, eastern Kenya, with a view of identifying farmer awareness on soil fertility status so as to identify gaps for research on soil fertility improvement. The results indicate that farmers are aware of soil types, soil characteristics soil, soil fertility status and soil distribution o...