Problems, Progress and Partnerships

A. Bationo

Problems, Progress and Partnerships

A. Bationo

Combating Soil Fertility Degradation in the

Desert Margins of Africa

Combating Soil Fertility Degradation in the

Desert Margins of Africa

Why Focus on Soils in the desert margins of Africa

Why Focus on Soils in the desert margins of Africa

Low /declining/ unstable land productivity

Interactions with the other factors such as

climate change, water quality, C sequestration

Limited returns to crop breeding

Lot of soil research initiatives. What is NEW?

Low /declining/ unstable land productivity

Interactions with the other factors such as

climate change, water quality, C sequestration

Limited returns to crop breeding

Lot of soil research initiatives. What is NEW?

Soil Degradation in AfricaSoil Degradation in Africa

227

187

62

19

0

50

100

150

200

250

(mill

ion h

a)

Water erosion Wind erosion Chemicaldegradation

Other physicaldegradation

Percentage decreases in soil fertility in farmers’ fields under continuous cultivation in

the savanna zone of Nigeria

Percentage decreases in soil fertility in farmers’ fields under continuous cultivation in

the savanna zone of Nigeria

Zones Ca Mg K pH

Sudan 21 32 25 4

Northern Guinea 19 27 33 4

Southern Guinea 46 51 50 10

Annual losses rates of soil organic carbon measured at farm level in WASAT

Annual losses rates of soil organic carbon measured at farm level in WASAT

Site Clay +

silt (%)

Annual losses

(K) (%)

Bambay 3 7

Saria (non eroded) 12 2

Saria eroded 19 6

Growth rate of millet 1979-1994Growth rate of millet 1979-1994

Country Area

(%)/ yr

Yield (%)/ yr Production

(%)/ yr

Production/ hbt

(%)/ yr

WA 4.7 - 0.4 4.2 1.2

Mali 5.1 - 1.0 4.0 2.3

Niger 3.9 - 1.0 2.8 - 1.3

Nigeria 7.7 - 2.3 5.2 2.2

B.F 3.8 2.0 5.9 3.0

Greater Yield Increase Due to Land Expansion than to Crop Improvement Potential

Greater Yield Increase Due to Land Expansion than to Crop Improvement Potential

Crops Area Yield Production

Cassava 2.6 0.7 3.3

Maize 0.8 0.2 1.0

Yam 7.2 0.4 7.6

Cowpea 7.6 -1.1 6.5

Soybean -0.1 4.8 4.7

Plantain 1.9 0.0 2.0Based on three-year average for 1988-1990 and 1998-2000. FAO database.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Maize Soybean Cowpea

Gra

in y

ield

(t

ha-1)

Farmer

Researcher

Derived Savanna

The Yield Gap From Station and On-farm FieldsThe Yield Gap From Station and On-farm Fields

N,P,K Application Versus Loss in AfricaN,P,K Application Versus Loss in Africa

4.4

0.5

3.0

0.8

0.3 0.2

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

N P KNutrients

Mill

ion

tons

per

yea

r

Loss

Applied

Fertilizer Prices 1998/99 -- DAP

Location Price per ton ($)

USA (Kansas) 260Pakistan 283Bangladesh 286South Africa 348 Central Ethiopia 350C. Kenya 415 Malawi 470Uganda 550

Fertilizer Prices 1998/99 -- DAP

Location Price per ton ($)

USA (Kansas) 260Pakistan 283Bangladesh 286South Africa 348 Central Ethiopia 350C. Kenya 415 Malawi 470Uganda 550

Total millet dry matter yield as affected by long-termapplication of crop residues and fertilizer, Sadore, Niger

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

19821984198619881990199219941996

Year

To

ta

l m

ille

t d

ry

m

atte

r (k

g h

a-1 )

Control

Crop residues

Fertilizer

Crop residues + fertilizer

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

withoutcrop

residues

with cropresidues

Dry

m

atte

r / N

a

pp

lie

d (k

g k

g-1 )

Integrated Nutrient BenefitsIntegrated Nutrient Benefits

Sources of Organic MatterSources of Organic Matter

Residues

Oil palm Manure

Imperata

Integrated Soil Fertility Management StrategyIntegrated Soil Fertility Management Strategy

Resilient Germplasm /Fertilizer(org+Inorg)

Ecosystem Services

Integrated Pest Management

Entry point

Entry point

Soil ConservationWater Management

ISFM

Strategies ISFMStrategies ISFM

ISFM

Enabling policies

Farmerparticipation

Market/Seed/Fertilizer

Water use (WU), grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE) for millet in NigerWater use (WU), grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE) for millet in Niger

Treatments SADORE DOSSO

GY WUE GY WUE

- Fertilizers 460 1.25 780 2.04

+Fertilizers 1570 4.14 1700 4.25

Improved soil fertility enhances the water use efficiency of

crops in the Sahel

Grain response to N levels at degraded and non-degraded sitesGrain response to N levels at degraded and non-degraded sites

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

0 15 P 30 PP rate

Gra

in y

ield

0N (ND)

0N (D)

60N (ND)

60N (D)

N and P use efficiency at Karabedji, Niger 1998-2002N and P use efficiency at Karabedji, Niger 1998-2002Degraded 8.6 Nitrogen

(N) at 60

Non-degraded 15.3

Degraded 50 Phosphorus (P) at 30

Non-degraded 58

Farmers managed trials at Gaya, 2002 rainy seasonFarmers managed trials at Gaya, 2002 rainy season

Treatments Millet grain yield

(kg/ha)

Millet TDM yield

(kg/ha) 1=farmers’ practices

280

1419

2=NPK HP 573 2309

3=DAP HP 423 1832

4=PRT+NPK HP 736 2775

SE 10 25

NPK: 15-15-15 compound fertilizers DAP: Diammonium phosphate HP: hill placement at 4 kg P/ha PRT: Tahoua Phosphate rock broadcast at 13 kg P/ha

Effect of P sources and placement on cowpea yield and P use efficiency (PUE)Effect of P sources and placement on cowpea yield and P use efficiency (PUE)

Treatments Cowpea

P sources and methods of placement

Fodder (kg/ha)

PUE (kg/kg P)

Control 1688

SSP (bc) 2375 134

PRK (BC) 2469 141

PRK (BC) + 15-15-15 (HP)

3688

180

SSP: Single Superphosphate ,15-15-15: N2 P2O5 K2O compound fertilizer

BC: Broadcast at 13 kg P/ha, HP: hill placed at 4 kg P/ha; PUE: P use efficiency kg yield/kg P applied

Farmers managed trials at Karabedji, 2002 rainy seasonFarmers managed trials at Karabedji, 2002 rainy season

Treatments Millet grain yield

(kg/ha)

Millet TDM yield

(kg/ha) 1=farmers’ practices

237 2129

2=NPK HP 632 3244

3=DAP HP 582 3089

4=PRT+NPK HP 854 3868

SE 8 26

NPK: 15-15-15 compound fertilizers DAP: Diammonium phosphate HP: hill placement at 4 kg P/ha PRT: Tahona Phosphate rock broadcast at 13 kg P/ha

Millet grain yield response to P and manure applied at different rates, Banizoumbou, Niger, 2002 rainy seasonMillet grain yield response to P and manure applied at different rates, Banizoumbou, Niger, 2002 rainy season

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

0 13 26

P rates (kg P/ha)

Mille

t g

rain

yie

ld (

kg

/ha

)

0t/ha manure

2t/ha manure

4t/ha manure

Optimum combinations of Inorganic and Organic at Gaya and Karabedji, Niger,2002.

Optimum combinations of Inorganic and Organic at Gaya and Karabedji, Niger,2002.

0

200400

600800

1000

12001400

1600

100Inorg/ 0

Org

75Inorg/25 Org

50Inorg/50 Org

25Inorg/75 Org

0 Inorg/100 Org

Treatment

Gra

in y

ield

(kg

/ha)

Karabedji

Gaya

Fertilizer equivalency of manure at Banizoumbou, Niger, 2002 cropping season

Fertilizer equivalency of manure at Banizoumbou, Niger, 2002 cropping season

Parameters Grain (kg/ha) Total dry

matter (kg/ha)

N FE (%) at 2t/ha of manure 25 41

N FE (%) at 4t/ha of manure 77 52

P FE (%) at 2t/ha of manure 136 113

P FE (%) at 4t/ha of manure 92 75

Cowpea grain yield response to P and manure applied at different rates and methods, Karabedji, Niger, 2002 rainy seasonCowpea grain yield response to P and manure applied at different rates and methods, Karabedji, Niger, 2002 rainy season

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

0 6,5 13

P rates (kg P/ha)

Co

wp

ea g

rain

yie

ld (

kg

/ha)

control

6t/ha broadcast

6t/ha hill placed

Long term effect of fertilizer, CR and soil physical management on pearl millet grain yield, Sadore, 1998-2002Long term effect of fertilizer, CR and soil physical management on pearl millet grain yield, Sadore, 1998-2002

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

947 956 979 1289 1509

Environmental mean (kg/ha)

Mille

t g

rain

yie

ld (

kg

/ha

)

traditional

P+HC+sole crop+CR+N+rotation

P+AT+intercropping+CR+N+rotation

PartnershipsPartnerships

NetworkingNetworking

To exchange information and combine collective experience of professionals in the same field

To achieve economies of scale and efficiency by concentrating scarce human, financial and other resources on key national and regional problems

To minimize duplication

Provide increase bargaining power with external partners

Joint capacity building

To exchange information and combine collective experience of professionals in the same field

To achieve economies of scale and efficiency by concentrating scarce human, financial and other resources on key national and regional problems

To minimize duplication

Provide increase bargaining power with external partners

Joint capacity building

African Network of the Soil Biology African Network of the Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (AfNet)and Fertility Institute (AfNet)African Network of the Soil Biology African Network of the Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (AfNet)and Fertility Institute (AfNet)

• Established in 1988Established in 1988

• Single most important implementing agent Single most important implementing agent of of TSBF programmeTSBF programme • Network of scientists collaborating with Network of scientists collaborating with NGOs NGOs in Africa (120 from NARS, 70 from in Africa (120 from NARS, 70 from Universities)Universities)

• Individual membership with 157 male Individual membership with 157 male scientistsscientists and 33 female scientists, very few Social and 33 female scientists, very few Social ScientistsScientists

AfNet Overall GoalAfNet Overall Goal

To strengthen and sustain To strengthen and sustain

stakeholder capacity to generate, stakeholder capacity to generate,

share and apply soil fertility share and apply soil fertility

management knowledge and skills management knowledge and skills

to contribute to the welfare of to contribute to the welfare of

farming communitiesfarming communities

To strengthen and sustain To strengthen and sustain

stakeholder capacity to generate, stakeholder capacity to generate,

share and apply soil fertility share and apply soil fertility

management knowledge and skills management knowledge and skills

to contribute to the welfare of to contribute to the welfare of

farming communitiesfarming communities

1023

3548 51

80

200

0153045607590

105120135150165180195210

<89 89-90 91-92 93-95 96-98 99-00 >02

Year

No

. of

Sc

ien

tis

ts

AfNet member registrations since inception (1988)

101 from East and Central Africa68 from Southern Africa31 from West Africa

AfNetAfNetAfNetAfNet

13 14

1516191817

207 1 2

45 3

11

10

East and Central AfricaEast and Central Africa1.1. Uganda Uganda (28)(28)2.2. Kenya Kenya (55)(55)3.3. Tanzania Tanzania (11)(11)4.4. Rwanda Rwanda (1)(1)5.5. Burundi Burundi (9)(9)6.6. Ethiopia Ethiopia (2)(2)7.7. DRC DRC (8)(8)8.8. Madagascar Madagascar (1)(1)

Southern AfricaSouthern Africa9.9. Zambia Zambia (12)(12)10.10. Malawi Malawi (1)(1)11.11. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (14)(14)12.12. South Africa South Africa (5)(5)

West AfricaWest Africa13.13. Mali Mali (2)(2)14.14. Niger Niger (1)(1)15.15. Nigeria Nigeria (6)(6)16.16. Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (4)(4)17.17. Cote D’Ivoire Cote D’Ivoire (4)(4)18.18. Ghana Ghana (4)(4)19.19. Togo Togo (1)(1)20.20. Cameroon Cameroon (5)(5)21.21. Sierra LeoneSierra Leone (1)(1)22.22. SenegalSenegal (2)(2)23.23. BeninBenin (2)(2)

12

6

AfNet participating countries, 2003

89

21

2223

Number in parenthesis represent the number of AfNet participants in the particular country

Network ExperimentsNetwork Experiments

Key research themes of regional/ international

importance (benchmarks and satellites)

Use of standard methods

Extrapolation of research results through DSS,

GIS and modeling

Key research themes of regional/ international

importance (benchmarks and satellites)

Use of standard methods

Extrapolation of research results through DSS,

GIS and modeling

Research topics addressed in the network trials in 2002/3Research topics addressed in the network trials in 2002/3 Long-term Soil Fertility Management

Optimum Management of Low Quality Organic Resources

Optimum N and P Management in Legume-cereal Rotations

Long-term Soil Fertility Management

Optimum Management of Low Quality Organic Resources

Optimum N and P Management in Legume-cereal Rotations

Research topics…Research topics…

Optimum Combination of Organic and Inorganic Nutrient Sources

Scaling up/ out soil fertility restoration technologies

Improving manure management

Farmer empowerment to combat land degradation

Optimum Combination of Organic and Inorganic Nutrient Sources

Scaling up/ out soil fertility restoration technologies

Improving manure management

Farmer empowerment to combat land degradation

Research topics…Research topics…

Below-ground biodiversity

Conservation tillage

Biological nitrogen fixation

Use of PR as a capital investment to replenish soil fertility

Below-ground biodiversity

Conservation tillage

Biological nitrogen fixation

Use of PR as a capital investment to replenish soil fertility

1

2

3

4

76

5

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

1. Mali2. Niger3. Nigeria4. Burkina Faso5. Cote D’Ivoire6. Ghana7. Togo8. Cameroon9. Congo (DR)

AfNet participating countries and research sites

Koulikoro**,Fana** Niono(ICRISAT, IER)

University ofAbidjan-CocodyLamto**

Kumasi**

Farakou-Ba**,Kouare** (INERA)

Sadore**, Banizoumbou**Karabedji**, Gaya**, Gobery** (ICRISAT)

Zaria**

Lome**

10. Uganda11. Kenya12. Tanzania13. Zambia14. Zimbabwe15. South Africa16. Madagascar

** Established 2002

Mlingano,Sokoine university

Egerton university,Nairobi university,KAR-KEFRI-ICRAF

Ndere dance TroupeMakerere universityNARO

University of Zimbabwe

Misamfu Research Centre, Chilanga

University of Kisangani

IRAD, University of Yaounde

15University of WitwatersrandUniversity of Fort Hare

16 FOFIFA

17 Chitedze

The Way ForwardThe Way Forward

Restructuring AfNet to be a cornerstone

network in soil research for Africa

Strengthening AfNet to pursue its role in

process research on soil biology and fertility

Restructuring AfNet to be a cornerstone

network in soil research for Africa

Strengthening AfNet to pursue its role in

process research on soil biology and fertility

The Way Forward… The Way Forward…

Contributing towards the development of

methodologies for scaling up and reaching out

soil fertility restoration technologies

Building capacity of stakeholders through

relevant research and training activities and

information dissemination

Contributing towards the development of

methodologies for scaling up and reaching out

soil fertility restoration technologies

Building capacity of stakeholders through

relevant research and training activities and

information dissemination

Reaching the Millions? Reaching the Millions?

Best bet technologies

Research

Research Delivery Delivery Capacity building Capacity building

?

?

Scaling up, out, down? Missing links?Scaling up, out, down? Missing links?

IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMMESAHI SoilFertNet ANAFE DMP SWMNet

ECABREN and IAEA

TSBF NetworksAfNet SARNet MIS BGBD

TSBFCORE

SCIENCEPROGRAMME