Replenishing Soil Fertility in Africa - World Agroforestry Centre

264 Pages·2006·2.75 MB·English

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Replenishing Soil Fertility
in Africa
Proceedings of an international symposium cosponsored by Divisions A-6
(International Agronomy) and S-4 (Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition), and the
International Center for Research in Agroforestry, held at the 88th Annual
Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of
America, Indianapolis, Indiana, 6 November 1996.
Editors
Roland J. Buresh, Pedro A. Sanchez, and Frank Calhoun
Organizing Committee
Pedro A. Sanchez and Roland J. Buresh
Editor-in-Chief ASA
Jerry Hatfield
Editor-in-ChiefSSSA
Jerry M. Bigham
Managing Editor
Dave M. Krai
Associate Editor
Marian K. Viney
SSSA Special Publication Number 51
Soil Science Society of America
American Society of Agronomy
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
1997
Cover Design: Conrad Mudibo and Damary Odanga
Copyright © 1997 by the Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
American Society of Agronomy, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNDER THE U.S. COPYRIGHT ACT OF
1976 (PL. 94-553).
Any and all uses beyond the limitations of the "fair use" provision of the
law require written permission from the publishers) and/or the authors);
not applicable to contributions prepared by officers or employees of the
U.S. Government as part of their official duties.
American Society of Agronomy, Inc.
Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA
Library of Congress Registration Number: 97-77363
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
Foreword vii
Preface ix
Contributors xi
Conversion Factors for SI and Non-SI units xvii
1 Soil Fertility Replenishment in Africa: An Investment
in Natural Resource Capital
Pedro A. Sanchez, Keith D. Shepherd, Meredith J. Soule,
Frank M. Place, Roland J. Buresh, Anne-Marie N. Izac,
A. Uzo Mokwunye, Fred R. Kwesiga, Cyrus G. Ndiritu,
and Paul L. Woomer 1
2 Soil Fertility in Africa Is at Stake
Eric M. A. Smaling, Stephen M. Nandwa,
and Bert H. Janssen 47
3 Soil Fertility Management in Africa: A Review
of Selected Research Trials
Mateete A. Bekunda, Andre Bationo, and Henry Ssali 63
4 A Fertilizer-Based Green Revolution for Africa
Marco A. Quin'ones, Norman E. Borlaug,
and Christopher R. Dowswell , 81
5 Soil Profile Alteration under Long-Term High-Input Agriculture
Stanley W. Buol and Michael L. Stokes 97
6 Building Soil Phosphorus Capital in Africa
Roland J. Buresh, Paul C. Smithson,
and Deborah T. Heliums Ill
7 Building Soil Nitrogen Capital in Africa
Ken E. Giller, Georg Cadisch, Costas Ehaliotis,
Edward Adams, Webster D. Sakala,
and Paramu L. Mafongoya . .,. 151
8 Combined Use of Organic and Inorganic Nutrient Sources
for Soil Fertility Maintenance and Replenishment
Cheryl A. Palm, Robert J. K. Myers,
and Stephen M. Nandwa 193
V
vi CONTENTS
9 Gender and Soil Fertility in Africa
Christina H. Gladwin, Ken L. Buhr, Abe Goldman
Clifton Hiebsch, Peter E. Hildebrand, Gerald Kidder,
Max Langham, Donna Lee, Peter Nkedi-Kizza,
and Deirdre Williams 219
10 Ecological Economics of Investing in Natural
Resource Capital in Africa
Anne-Marie N. Izac 237
FOREWORD
The 1996 World Food Summit highlighted sub-Saharan Africa as the
remaining region in the world with decreasing food production per capita. The
worst levels of poverty and malnutrition in the world exist in this region.
A team of scientists has identified declining soil fertility as the fundamen
tal agronomic cause for declining food productivity in Africa. A "Soil Fertility
Initiative for Africa" has been created by a group of international organizations
including the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
International Center for Research on Agroforestry (ICRAF), International
Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), International Fertilizer Association (IFA),
and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
This SSSA-ASA Special Publication is a comprehensive treatise that brings
science to bear on current approaches to replenish soil fertility in Africa. It is the
proceedings of an international symposium cosponsored by ASA Divisions A-6
(International Agronomy) and SSSA Division S-4 (Soil Fertility and Plant
Nutrition), and ICRAF. The symposium was held on 6 November 1996 at the
joint annual meeting of ASA and SSSA in Indianapolis Indiana.
This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the development
of food supplies in Africa or problems of soil fertility anywhere in the world. Our
Societies are proud to publish this pioneering work written by its members and
by colleagues from other disciplines. It is an example of our Societies' contribu
tion to addressing problems on a global scale.
D. Keith Cassel, President
Soil Science Society of America
William McFee, President
American Society of Agronomy
vii
PREFACE
Sub-Saharan Africa is the last continent facing massive problems of food
security because of decreasing per-capita food production. Extreme poverty (per
capita incomes of <1 U.S. dollar per day), widespread malnutrition and massive
environmental degradation are direct consequences of a policy environment that
results in large scale nutrient mining. A series of awareness-raising events during
the last 2 yr has brought the issue of soil fertility depletion in Africa to a similar
level of importance as the issue of low-yielding rice and wheat varieties in Asia
three decades ago, which triggered the Green Revolution that dramatically
increased per capita food production in Asia and Latin America.
This SSSA Special Publication brings together the current thinking of a
multidisciplinary team on soil scientists, agronomists, economists, anthropolo
gists, and foresters as well as leaders of African national research institutes, inter
national research centers, nongovernmental organizations, and universities in
Africa, the USA and Europe. The 10 chapters are coauthored by a diverse group
of 41 scientists from 14 countries, about one-half of the authors are currently
working in Africa.
The first chapter presents the new conceptual approach of replenishing soil
fertility as an investment in natural resource capital. It is followed by an analysis
of the magnitude of soil fertility depletion (Smaling et al.), a review of field
research trials (Bekunda et al.), an exciting NGO approach (Quinones et al.), and
a perspective from temperate-region soils (Buol & Stokes). These in turn are fol
lowed by three process-oriented chapters on phosphorus (Buresh et al.), nitrogen
(Giller et al.), and combining organic and inorganic nutrient inputs (Palm et al.).
The last two focus on key socieconomic considerations, gender (Gladwin et al.)
and environmental economics (Izac).
The editors wish to acknowledge the assistance of P.K. Nair and Tom
Doerge, A-6 and S-4 Division Program chairs for assistance in organizing the
symposium, to Paramu Mafongoya and Rob Bertram for chairing the sessions,
the 200 partipants for lively discussions, the 25 peer reviewers for their critical
input, and to Helen van Houten, Kellen Kebaara, and Fiona Chandler of ICRAF,
and Marian Viney of ASA Headquarters staff for editorial assistance.
Roland J. Buresh and Pedro A. Sanchez
ICRAF
Nairobi, Kenya
Frank G. Calhoun
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
ix
CONTRIBUTORS
Edward Adams Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences Wye
College, University of London, Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH
England. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email:
[email protected]
Andre' Bationo Soil Scientist, International Fertilizer Development Center
(IFDCyinternational Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT), B.P. 12404, Niamey, Niger. Phone: 227-
722529, Fax: [phone] Email: [email protected]
Mateete A. Bekunda Senior Lecturer, Department of Soil Science, Makerere University
P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. Phone: [phone], Fax:
256-41-543382, Email: [email protected]
Norman E. Borlaug President, Sasakawa Africa Association, c/o CIMMYT, Lisboa 27,
Apdo 6-641, 06600 Mexico D.F., Mexico. Phone: [phone],
Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Ken L. Buhr Assistant Professor, Agronomy Department, University of Florida,
Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected]
Stanley W. Buol Professor, Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State
University, Box 7619, Raleigh, NC 27695-7619. Phone: 919-515-
2388, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Roland J. Buresb Principal Soil Scientist, International Centre for Research in
Agroforestry (ICRAF), P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya. Phone:
254-2-521450, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Georg Cadisch Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Wye
College, University of London Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH
England. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email:
[email protected]
Christopher R. Dowswell Director of Program Coordination, Sasakawa Africa Association
c/o CIMMYT, Lisboa 27, Apdo 6-641, 06600 Mexico D.F.,
Mexico. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email:
[email protected]
Costas Ehaliotis Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Agricultural Research
Foundation, Institute of Kalamata, 85 Lakonikis Str., Kalamata
24100, Greece. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email:
[email protected]
Ken E. Giller Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Wye College,
University of London, Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH England.
Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: k.giller@
wye.ac.uk
xi
CONTRIBUTORS
Christina H. Gladwin Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, Box 110240,
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida,
Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected]
Abe Goldman Associate Professor, Geography Department, University of Florida,
Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected]
Deborah T. Heliums Scientist-Soil Fertility, International Fertilizer Development Center
(IFDC), P.O. Box 2040, Muscle Shoals, AL 35662. Phone: 205-
381-6600, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Clifton Hiebsch Associate Professor, Agronomy Department, Box 110500,
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone],
Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Peter E. Hildebrand Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, Box 110240,
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida,
Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone], ext 436, Fax: 352-
392-8634, Email: [email protected]
Anne-Marie N. Izac Director of Research, International Centre for Research in
Agroforestry (ICRAF), P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya. Phone:
254^2-521450, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Bert H. Janssen Senior Lecturer in Soil Science, Department of Soil Science and
Plant Nutrition, P.O. Box 8005, Wageningen Agricultural
University, 6700 EC Wageningen, the Netherlands. Phone: 31-317-
483842, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected].
wau.nl
Gerald Kidder Professor, Soil and Water Science Department, Box 110290,
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone],
Fax:[phone], Email: [email protected]
Fred R Kwesiga Coordinator, Southern Africa Regional Programme, International
Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Makoka Research
Station, P.O. Box 134, Zomba, Malawi. Phone: [phone], Fax:
265-534283, Email: [email protected]
Max Langham Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, Box 110240,
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida,
Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected]
Donna Lee Assistant Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department,
Box 110240, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611. Phone: [phone]
ext. 224, Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
Paramu L. Mafongoya Soil Scientist, Zambia-ICRAF Agroforestry Research Project, c/o
Provincial Agriculture Office, Provident House, P.O. Box 510046,
Chipata, Zambia. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email:
[email protected]
A. Uzo Mokwunye Director, Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, United Nation
University, Private Mail Bag, Kotoka International Airport, Accra,
Ghana.Phone: [phone], 233-21-500791, Fax: 233-21-
500792, Email: [email protected]