Doubled-up legume rotations improve soil fertility and maintain productivity under variable conditions in maize-based cropping systems in Malawi

Smith, Alex; Snapp, Sieglinde S.; Dimes, John; Gwenambira, Chiwimbo; Chikowo, Régis

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2016.03.008

Cited by 91 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The varying geographical gradient, and climatic conditions play a role in influencing productivity. As shown in Table 1 , Golomoti is a low agricultural potential site located at low elevation, with high evapotranspiration and variable rainfall, Kandeu and Nsipe are medium agricultural potential, located on medium elevation, with medium rainfall and Linthipe is a high agricultural potential, high elevation site, and well-distributed rainfall (Tamene et al, 2015; Smith et al, 2016). Malawi has a unimodal rainy season occurring from November to April, and a dry season from May to October (Jury and Mwafulirwa, 2002).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Simulation studies suggest that climatically risky sites may benefit from this doubled-up legume technology, although this requires extensive testing on-farm (Smith et al, 2016). Further, simulation research in Mozambique highlights the role that crop residues and management practices play as key regulators of nutrient retention and organic matter inputs to build soil carbon and nutrient pools (Rusinamhodzi et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Smallholder Farms and the Potential for Sustainable Intensification

et al. 2016

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The sustainable intensification of African agriculture is gaining momentum with the compelling need to increase food and agricultural production. In Southern Africa, smallholder farming systems are predominately maize-based and subject to erratic climatic conditions. Farmer crop and soil management decisions are influenced by a plethora of complex factors such as market access resource availability, social relations, environment, and various messages on sustainable farming practices. Such factors pose barriers to increasing sustainable intensification in Africa. This paper characterizes smallholder farming practices in Central Malawi, at Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) project sites. We present findings from a survey of 324 farmers, located within four Africa RISING sites selected in a stratified random manner to represent (1) low agricultural potential (high evapotranspiration, variable rainfall), (2) medium agricultural potential (two sites), and (3) high agricultural potential (well-distributed rainfall). Soil fertility was low overall, and certain farming practices appeared to limit the sustainability of agricultural production. Nearly half of farmers did not value legume residues as a high nutrient value resource for soil amelioration, as legume residues were removed (17.9%) or burned (21.4%). Conversely, maize residues were rarely removed (4.5%) or burned (10.4%). We found that farmers do not allocate soil amendment resources to legume fields (zero instances of mineral fertilizer or manure application to legumes compared to 88 and 22% of maize systems, respectively). Policy makers in Malawi have led initiatives to intensify agricultural systems through subsidizing farmer access to mineral fertilizer as well as maize hybrid seed, and only rarely to improved legume seed. In this survey, farmers allocate mineral fertilizer to maize systems and not legume systems. There is urgent need to invest in education on sustainable reinvestment in natural resources through complementary practices, such as maximization of biological nitrogen fixation through improved legume agronomy and better organic resource and crop residue management. Recent efforts by Malawi agricultural services to promote doubled-up legumes as a sustainable intensification technology are encouraging, but benefits will not accrue unless equal attention is given to an extension campaign on management of organic resources such as crop residues.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smallholder Farms and the Potential for Sustainable Intensification

et al. 2016

Self Cite

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“…Studies have shown that including grain legumes in cropping systems improves soil fertility [82][83][84]. This could be through relay cropping, intercropping, crop rotations or double cropping [82][83][84]. Legumes have also been successfully used as cover crops to improve soil fertility, control pests and suppress weeds [85][86][87].…”

Section: Agronomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Agronomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Expounding the Value of Grain Legumes in the Semi- and Arid Tropics

2017

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Approximately 70% of the population in the semi-and arid tropics reside in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Crop production is primarily focused on a few starchy staple crops. While this can ensure adequate calories, it inadvertently neglects the need for dietary diversity. Consequently, food and nutritional insecurity remains prevalent in the semi-and arid tropics. We reviewed the legume value chain with the aim to identify opportunities and challenges to unlocking their value and promoting them in the tropics. Several grain legumes are rich in proteins and micronutrients. They also possess adaptability to marginal environmental conditions such as drought and low input systems which typify rural landscapes. Adaptability to abiotic stresses such as drought makes them key to agriculture in areas that will receive less rainfall in the future. However, this potential was currently not being realized due to a range of challenges. Aspects related to their seed systems, production, post-harvest handling and marketing remain relatively under-researched. This was especially true for minor legumes. There is a need for transdisciplinary research which will address the entire value chain, as has been done for major starchy crops. This could also unlock significant economic opportunities for marginalized groups such as women. This will unlock their value and allow them to contribute meaningfully to food and nutrition security as well as sustainable and resilient cropping systems.

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“…The adoption of residue management combined with other climate smart technologies can help in sequestering soil organic carbon. In addition, intercropping with legumes increases soil fertility by enhancing both carbon and nitrogen accumulation over time [37]. Here we investigate whether there is any difference in soil carbon content (%C) between farmers adopting residue management and intercropping and those who do not.…”

Section: Linking Soil Conservation Practices To Soil Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resource Use Efficiency as a Climate Smart Approach: Case of Smallholder Maize Farmers in Nyando, Kenya

Salat

Swallow

2018

Environments

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Abstract:To simultaneously enhance agricultural productivity and lower negative impacts on the environment, food systems need to be much more efficient in using resources such as land, water, and fertilizer. This study examines resource use efficiency of maize production among smallholder farmers in Nyando, Kenya. The main objective is to assess the degree of technical efficiency of smallholder farmers and identify the impact of so-called "climate smart practices" on technical efficiency. The method of Stochastic Frontier Analysis is used to simultaneously estimate a stochastic production frontier and a technical inefficiency effect model. Data for 324 subplots farmed by 170 households were available for this analysis. The study reveals that maize production in Nyando is associated with mean technical efficiency of 45% and that soil conservation practices such as residue management, legume intercropping, and improved varieties significantly increase farmers' technical efficiency. Soil carbon is found to be a critical factor of production. These results imply that there is potential to more than double production using the same resources and that soil conservation practices can be very "climate smart," at once increasing soil carbon, production, climate resilience, and technical efficiency.

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Doubled-up legume rotations improve soil fertility and maintain productivity under variable conditions in maize-based cropping systems in Malawi

Cited by 91 publications

References 26 publications

Smallholder Farms and the Potential for Sustainable Intensification

Smallholder Farms and the Potential for Sustainable Intensification

Expounding the Value of Grain Legumes in the Semi- and Arid Tropics

Resource Use Efficiency as a Climate Smart Approach: Case of Smallholder Maize Farmers in Nyando, Kenya

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