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A golden age for agronomy?

Ken Giller Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University

Three issues

1.  Is this a ‘Golden Age’ for agronomy? 2.  Contested Agronomy – the case of

Conservation Agriculture

3.  Future challenges - Agronomy in context

The development spotlight shifted

1990s – the dark ages? 2003 – Hilary Benn – White Paper – Agriculture and Poverty: Unlocking the Potential

2005 – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started their Agricultural Development Program

2006 – Rockefeller Foundation & BMGF started AGRA (Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa)

2008 – World Development Report – Agriculture for Development

Grain prices

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Maize (US Gulf) Rice (Thailand) Soybean (Rotterdam) Wheat (US Gulf)

World&Bank&–&Global&Economic&Monitor&(data&un;l&May&2015)&hAp://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=GlobalLEconomicLMonitorL(GEM)LCommodi;es&l=en#&

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Global impacts

https://libcom.org/

Global impacts

Publications on “food security”

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Three issues

1.  Is this a ‘Golden Age’ for agronomy? Yes!

2.  Contested Agronomy – the case of Conservation Agriculture

3.  Future challenges - Agronomy in context

The problem of poor soil fertility in Africa

Potential solutions - Nitrogen fixing legumes

Grain legumes

Legume tree fallows

Legume green manures

Legume forages

Green manures on smallholder farms

…there are no silver bullets….

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FAO Workshop 2008 Investment in soil health = Conservation Agriculture

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Principles of Conservation Agriculture 1.  Minimum or no mechanical soil disturbance

2.  Permanent organic soil cover – maintain crop residues to achieve >30% soil cover

3.  Diversified rotations (with legumes)

The heretics’ view •  Conservation agriculture promoted as a panacea •  Univocal promotion by international organizations,

NGOs (and churches!) stifled debate e.g. ….“the plough is the enemy of sustainability” See http://www.farming-gods-way.org/

Two main arguments: 1. Scientific evidence to support the claims made for CA

was unclear and inconsistent 2. CA did not ‘fit’ within the majority of smallholder farming

systems in Africa

Giller, K.E., Witter, E., Corbeels, M., Tittonell, P., (2009) Field Crops Research 114, 23-34.

DE-COMPACTION ZONE IN ZERO TILLAGE

hAp://conserva;onag.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/kenLgillersLpaperLonLconserva;onL&&agriculture&&&

Competition for crop residues

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…&the&text&clearly&says&“Trials'in'southern'Africa'saw'a'six3fold'increase'in'maize'yields”;&it&does&not&claim&a&6&fold&yield&increase&for&CA&in&general…&&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Theodor&Friedrich,&FAO,&21/3/11

Farm(er)s are not all the same!

Resource-rich farm

Resource-poor farm

CA in Central Kenya on diverse fields

Guto, de Ridder, Pypers Vanlauwe & Giller (2012) Agron. J. 104, 188-198.

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Competition for crop residues Slide from an advisory consultancy for BMGF

Second question

2.  Is farming (as we know it) heading for

extinction?

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Second question

2.  Is farming (as we know it) heading for

extinction?

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Have you brought me fertilizer? Protracted Relief Programme, 2010 Zimbabwe, inputs provided for 0.25 ha

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CA&in&Malawi '…and'some'fell'by'the'wayside...''''''''''''(Tris;n&Bouwman&/Jens&Andersson,&2016)'&&

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Does the contestation of CA only concern less-developed countries?

! No!

! John Kirkegaard et al. (2014) Sense and nonsense in conservation agriculture: Principles, pragmatism and productivity in Australian mixed farming systems Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 187, 133-145.

! Giller et al. (2015) Beyond Conservation Agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6, Article 870

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Three issues

1.  Is this a ‘Golden Age’ for agronomy? Yes!

2.  Contested Agronomy – the case of Conservation Agriculture

…and the beat goes on… 3.  Future challenges – agronomy in context

Response to P and inoculation with soybean in western Kenya

Long term trial results in Western Kenya 2010

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa

Effect of P-fertilizer and/or Inoculant on soybean grain yield (t ha-1) in Nigeria, 2011 and 2012

Ronner et al. (2016) Field Crops Research, 186, 133-145.

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa

Cumulative probability of economic return to use of inputs in soybean (USD ha-1) in Nigeria, 2011 and 2012

Ronner et al. (2016) Field Crops Research, 186, 133-145.

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Potato yields on a high-tech farm in the Netherlands

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Van&den&Borne&Aardappelen,&Reusel,&southern&Netherlands&&~&120&fields,&500&ha

A ‘Golden Age’ for agronomy?

Agronomy is in the spotlight

Are we ready for the Great Leap forward?