Improving Soil Fertility Management in Sub-Saharan Africa
There are more than 60 million smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Declining soil fertility is a fundamental impediment to agricultural growth and a major reason for slow growth in food production in SSA. In Africa, as a result of soil degradation, irrigated lands may be, on average, 7 percent below their potential productivity, rain-fed crop lands 14 percent below their potential and rangelands 45 percent below potential. Compared to parts of North America, Europe and of Asia, most SSA soils are naturally not very fertile. Low in a number of chemical constituents such as phosphorus, sulphur, magnesium and zinc, low amounts of soil organic matter (SOM) combined with poor land cover have resulted in poor soil structure, limited rooting depth and susceptibility to accelerated erosion. However, similar soils in other parts of the world have been made highly productive by using appropriate management techniques. There are two main approaches to improved soil fertility management. One is to attempt to meet plant requirements with purchased mineral fertilizers. The second relies on biological processes to optimize nutrient recycling, with little reliance on external chemical fertilizers, but maximizing the efficiency of their use. The more sustainable middle path borrows the best features from both and is referred to as Integrated Nutrition Management (INM). INM combines mineral fertilizers with organic resources, thus increasing fertilizer use efficiency, reducing the risks of acidification and providing a more balanced supply of nutrients.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
1998-10
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| Subjects: | ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, AGRICULTURAL GROWTH, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS, CROP, CROP LANDS, CROP LOSSES, CROP PRICES, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP VARIETIES, CROPS, DEGRADATION, DISEASES, EXTENSION AGENTS, FAO, FARM, FARM RESEARCH, FARMER, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMS, FERTILIZER, FERTILIZER PRICES, FERTILIZER RESEARCH, FERTILIZER USE, FERTILIZERS, FOOD PRODUCTION, ILLITERACY, LACK OF INFORMATION, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, LACK OF WATER, NGOS, NUTRIENT RECYCLING, NUTRITION, PESTS, PRIVATE SECTOR, RECYCLING, REMOTE AREAS, ROOTING, SEEDS, SMALLHOLDER FARMERS, SOIL CONSERVATION, SOIL DEGRADATION, SOIL FERTILITY, SOILS, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1998/10/12892966/improving-soil-fertility-management-sub-saharan-africa https://hdl.handle.net/10986/9883 |
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| Summary: | There are more than 60 million
smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Declining
soil fertility is a fundamental impediment to agricultural
growth and a major reason for slow growth in food production
in SSA. In Africa, as a result of soil degradation,
irrigated lands may be, on average, 7 percent below their
potential productivity, rain-fed crop lands 14 percent below
their potential and rangelands 45 percent below potential.
Compared to parts of North America, Europe and of Asia, most
SSA soils are naturally not very fertile. Low in a number of
chemical constituents such as phosphorus, sulphur, magnesium
and zinc, low amounts of soil organic matter (SOM) combined
with poor land cover have resulted in poor soil structure,
limited rooting depth and susceptibility to accelerated
erosion. However, similar soils in other parts of the world
have been made highly productive by using appropriate
management techniques. There are two main approaches to
improved soil fertility management. One is to attempt to
meet plant requirements with purchased mineral fertilizers.
The second relies on biological processes to optimize
nutrient recycling, with little reliance on external
chemical fertilizers, but maximizing the efficiency of their
use. The more sustainable middle path borrows the best
features from both and is referred to as Integrated
Nutrition Management (INM). INM combines mineral fertilizers
with organic resources, thus increasing fertilizer use
efficiency, reducing the risks of acidification and
providing a more balanced supply of nutrients. |
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