Soil health

Estimating lime requirements for tropical soils: Model comparison and development

Acid tropical soils may become more productive when treated with agricultural lime, but optimal lime rates have yet to be determined in many tropical regions. In these regions, lime rates can be estimated with lime requirement models based on widely …

On-farm trees are a safety net for the poorest households rather than a major contributor to food security in Rwanda

The world is challenged to meet the food demand of a growing population, especially in developing countries. Given the ambitious plans to scale up agroforestry in Africa, an improved understanding of the effect of agroforestry practices on the …

Influence of 9 years of permanent raised beds and contour furrowing on soil health in conservation agriculture based systems in Tigray region, Ethiopia

Conservation agriculture (CA) systems represent a set of three soil management principles: minimarbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotations - whereas the CA-based systems in this study add the bed and furrow tillage techniques as integral …

Agricultural mechanization and reduced tillage: antagonism or synergy?

This paper reviews agricultural mechanization and reduced tillage use in the context of sustainable intensification in developing country agriculture. The scoping review includes selected and contrasting cases - including Zimbabwe (manual systems), …

Should fertilizer recommendations be adapted to parkland agroforestry systems? Case studies from Ethiopia and Rwanda

Aims This study aimed to disentangle tree-crop- fertilizer interactions in agroforestry systems, which has been suggested as an entry point for sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although tree-crop …

Climate-smart agroforestry: Faidherbia albida trees buffer wheat against climatic extremes in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Faidherbia albida parklands cover a large area of the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Africa, a region that suffers from soil fertility decline, food insecurity and climate change. The parklands deliver multiple benefits, including fuelwood, soil nutrient …

Complementary practices supporting conservation agriculture in southern Africa. A review

Conservation agriculture (CA) 'the simultaneous application of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification' is a key approach to address declining soil fertility and the adverse effects of climate change in southern …

Conservation agriculture with trees amplifies negative effects of reduced tillage on maize performance in East Africa

Conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted in sub-Saharan Africa both in open fields and in agroforestry where the practice is known as 'conservation agriculture with trees' (CAWT). Although advantages and disadvantages of CA are well studied …

Crop vs. tree: Can agronomic management reduce trade-offs in tree-crop interactions?

Scattered trees dominate smallholder agricultural landscapes in Ethiopia, as in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While the inclusion of scattered trees could provide a viable pathway for sustainable intensification of these farming systems, …

Do open-pollinated maize varieties perform better than hybrids in agroforestry systems?

A large body of evidence demonstrates the agronomic superiority of maize hybrids over open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) in intensive monoculture. However, comparisons of the performance of hybrids and OPVs in agroforestry systems are scarce. In this …