Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa. Issue 6 (2nd November 2017)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa. Issue 6 (2nd November 2017)
- Main Title:
- Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa
- Authors:
- Vanlauwe, B.
AbdelGadir, A. H.
Adewopo, J.
Adjei-Nsiah, S.
Ampadu-Boakye, T.
Asare, R.
Baijukya, F.
Baars, E.
Bekunda, M.
Coyne, D.
Dianda, M.
Dontsop-Nguezet, P. M.
Ebanyat, P.
Hauser, S.
Huising, J.
Jalloh, A.
Jassogne, L.
Kamai, N.
Kamara, A.
Kanampiu, F.
Kehbila, A.
Kintche, K.
Kreye, C.
Larbi, A.
Masso, C.
Matungulu, P.
Mohammed, I.
Nabahungu, L.
Nielsen, F.
Nziguheba, G.
Pypers, P.
Roobroeck, D.
Schut, M.
Taulya, G.
Thuita, M.
Uzokwe, V. N. E.
van Asten, P.
Wairegi, L.
Yemefack, M.
Mutsaers, H. J. W.
… (more) - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) 'strategic research', 'Research for Development', partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering theABSTRACT: Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) 'strategic research', 'Research for Development', partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering the last five decades (from the late 1960s till today). The paper ends with a number of lessons learnt which could be considered for future initiatives aiming at developing and delivering improved soil and soil fertility management practices to smallholder farming communities in SSA. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- International journal of agricultural sustainability. Volume 15:Issue 6(2017)
- Journal:
- International journal of agricultural sustainability
- Issue:
- Volume 15:Issue 6(2017)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 15, Issue 6 (2017)
- Year:
- 2017
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 6
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2017-0015-0006-0000
- Page Start:
- 613
- Page End:
- 631
- Publication Date:
- 2017-11-02
- Subjects:
- Decision support tools -- Farming Systems Research -- innovation platforms -- Integrated Soil Fertility Management -- research-in-development
Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals
Agricultural ecology -- Periodicals
338.14 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.earthscan.co.uk/JournalsHome/IJAS/tabid/503/Default.aspx ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tags20 ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ijas ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/14735903.2017.1393038 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1473-5903
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4541.606000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 5454.xml