IFDC

The Role of Integrated Soil Fertility

Management in Increasing

Agricultural Productivity

A. Mando and D. Hellums

IFDC

IFDC

Agriculture in Africa: challenges

Poor soil fertility, drought

Low productivity

Fertilizer use: lowest in the world

High transport costs

Small markets

Food imports (SSA, bln $)

240 million people

live on less

than US$ 1

per day;

vast majority active

in agriculture

IFDC Where are the drylands?

Aridity index <

0.65

RF < 800, CV 25%

IFDC

And fertilizer use in the region

remains low (kg nutrients/ha)

IFDC This has resulted in nutrient mining on agricultural

lands

1995–97 2002–04

IFDC

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.501962

1965

1968

1971

1974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

Mt/H

a

Cereal Yields (Mt/Ha)

Developed Countries

Asia Developing

Latin America & Carribean

Sub-Saharan Africa

Cereal yields (Mt/ha) in different regions

IFDC

SSA has chiefly relied on area expansion to

achieve gains in production

IFDC

Changes in Tropical Soil Fertility Management

Paradigms over the Past Five Decades

Period Approach Role of

Fertilizer

Role of Organic

Resources Lessons

1960-1997

External input Major focus Minimal - Low adoption - Soil degradation

1980 Organic input Little focus Key source of nutrients

- Low adoption - Soil degradation

1990 Combined use of fertilizer and Organic Resources

Fertilizer to top organic input

- Localized adaption

- Intensification not reached

-

2000 Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)

Major entry point

Increase fertilize use efficiency

- Goal of large-scale adoption

- Prospect of sustainable management

IFDC

Now: Integrated Soil Fertility Management

A set of soil fertility management practices that

necessarily include the use of fertilizer, organic

inputs, targeted interventions to improve soil

“hospitability” (drought, acidity) and improved

germplasm combined with the knowledge on how

to adapt these practices to local conditions, aiming

at optimizing agronomic use efficiency of the

applied nutrients and improving crop productivity.

All inputs need to be managed following sound

agronomic and economic principles.

IFDC Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)

Optimal use of:

Soil nutrients

Locally available soil amendments

Mineral fertilizers

Improve soil “hospitability”

Improve crop productivity, while

maintaining or improving soil

fertility

IFDC Participatory Learning / Training Site Specific Fertilizer Recommendation

Plots N P K

0N, +P, +K 0 + +

0P, +N, +K + 0 +

0K, +N, +P + + 0

+N, +P, +K + + +

IFDC

Environmental Benefits

Improved Agronomic efficiency

Improved Resource Use efficiency

Modify Release Mechanism - Polycoating, Reactive

layer, Absorbed technology Nano-material

Inhibitors - Urease (NBTPT -

Agrotain), Nitrification (DCD, Neem, DMPP)

Site Specific

Improved NUE

Slow Mineralization Urea formaldehydes,

Urea Polymers, Nitamin, NFusion

Lo

w H

an

gin

g F

ruit

s

Me

tho

ds &

Ma

na

ge

me

nt

New and Modified Nutrient Sources

Fertilizer-Sphere - bio-coating

- nutrient retention

Improved Internal Use Efficiency

- more grain/nutrient uptake, better

nutrient partitioning

High Nutrient Density Grain

New Application Tools

-LCC, Green Seeker

Site and Crop Specific Application

UDP: -Machinery

- Multi-nutrient

Integrated Management

- Cropping Systems - Amendments

New Plant Type for Maximum Uptake

-more rooting & uptake - reduced losses

Improved Yields

Increased Income

Improved Nutrition, Health, and Education

Organic /Biofertilizers

BNF Promoters - Soil based, Foliar

(TWINN)

P

lan

t Typ

es

Benefits

Improved Livelihood

Microbiology Rhizosphere Chemistry

Smart Fertilizers - Host specific -Climate-driven

Improved knowledge

IFDC

Selected ISFM Options

IFDC

ISFM works for maize-based systems

3.15.6

3.3

3.2

0

2000

4000

6000

Kasaï Kuleni BH140 BH540

Gra

in y

ield

(kg

ha-1

)

without fertilizer with fertilizer

SED* (variety effect)

SED** (fertilizer)

3.15.6

3.3

3.2

0

2000

4000

6000

Kasaï Kuleni BH140 BH540

Gra

in y

ield

(kg

ha-1

)

without fertilizer with fertilizer

SED* (variety effect)

SED** (fertilizer)

Maize

yield in

East DR

Congo

Local

Improved

ISFM is technically sound

IFDC

Pearl Millet Total DMY

vs.

Management

Practices, Sadore,

Niger

Source: Bationo, 1998.

ISFM is technically sound

IFDC Sorghum Grain Yield as Affected by

Mineral Fertilizers and Manure in the

Sudanian Zone of West Africa

Source: Sedogo, 1993.

IFDC

Fertilizer N application (kg ha-1)

0 20 40 60 80 100

Maiz

e g

rain

yie

ld (

t ha

-1)

0

1

2

3

4

5

infields

outfields

www.ifdc.org

Added benefits obtained on infields and

outfields, northern Togo, 2001

IFDC

Mais en association avec Acacia auriculiformis

Années

0 1 2 3

Re

nd

em

en

t d

e m

ais

(t h

a-1

)

0

1

2

3

No fert. No trees

Fert.No trees

Fert.Trees

No fert.Trees

www.ifdc.org

Effect of Acacia litter and mineral

fertilizer on maize yield, Benin

IFDC

Select Options

Test

Evaluate

Development and Dissemination of ISFM

Diagnose

IFDC

DEVELOPMENT AND

DISSEMINATION OF ISFM

Testing of soil fertility

management options

Testing organizational

arrangements to facilitate

access to input, collective

work for GRN and output

markets

Villages become learning

and ultimately knowledge

centers

Farmer to farmer training

IFDC

Farmers are describing their crops Results

Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers

Through Participatory Learning

IFDC

K deficiency in

K

deficiency in

P

N deficiency

Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers

Good field

Some Indicators of Maize Performance

IFDC

Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers

Evaluation by the Learning Group

IFDC

www.ifdc.org

Farmer – to – Farmer Extension

Pilot village

Neighboring

village Neighboring

village

Neighboring

village

First generation innovations

Adaptations by other farmers Comments

Scaling out through farmer-to-

farmer

IFDC

Scaling out through Innovation Platform

Policy

NGOs

FBO

CBO

Industries

Input

markets

Extension Farmers

Output

markets

Research

Innovation is the outcome of networking and interactions among many

actors to make things happen

IFDC Public Evaluation of ISFM

(Knowledge sharing)

Good Farm Bad Farm – K Deficiency

IFDC

Farmers led rural workshop on ISFM – Southern Togo

400 participants

Scaling Up Through Knowledge Sharing with all

stakholders

IFDC Number of Households Reached

From 2006 to 2010

West Africa—SAADA

Source: IFDC, 2011

IFDC Changes in Yield of Four Major

Crops From 2006 to 2010

West Africa—SAADA

Source: IFDC, 2011.

IFDC Revenue Generated by Four Major

Crops Per Hectare, 2006-2010

West Africa—SAADA

Source: IFDC, 2011.

IFDC Additional Land Area Under Sustainable

Use, 2006-2010 (in hectares)

West Africa—SAADA

Source: IFDC, 2011.

IFDC Trend of Annual Additional Agricultural

Production in Cereal Equivalents (mt)

West Africa—SAADA

Source: IFDC, 2011.

IFDC Farmer Cluster Participation and

ISFM Adoption by Country and Year

Central Africa—CATALIST

Source: IFDC, 2012.

IFDC

Summary of Yield Increases by

Hectare (ha) Per Harvest

Central Africa—CATALIST

Source: IFDC, 2012.

IFDC

Strong commitment at various level for action on

Soil Health Abuja Declaration on the Uniquely African Green Revolution and on

Inputs

NEPAD and its CAADP, offers a framework for consensual policies and priorities for all stakeholders.

National and Regional Investment programs

Various conventional and non conventional donors commitment to soil health

2008 food crisis

This commitment needs to be backed with science based principles

www.ifdc.org

Concluding Remarks

IFDC

For ISFM to fulfill the promises in SSA the following are essential: Innovation systems, extensions tools and systems to be

established

Increased farmers access to inputs (fertilizer, seed, organic resources, etc.…)

Capacity building of R&D staff and institutions to address diversity, complexity and emerging global issues

Technological and processes innovations to improve nutrient use and water use

Concluding Remarks

IFDC

Thank you