Adapting agriculture in Africa to climate change by

1
Adapting agriculture in Africa to climate
changeby

• Jens B. Aune
• Department of International Environment and
  Development Studies
• Noragric
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences

2
Soil organic matter - a key to adaptation to
climate change

• Increase soil water holding capacity
• Improves infiltration of water
• Reduce soil temperatures
• Improves soils ability to store nutrients
• Aeration
• Provides media for soil micro-organsims

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Message from World Congress of Conservation
Agriculture (2009) in India

• 2,5 tonn of organic matter should be recycled
  every year

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Why is it difficult to recycle enough organic
materials?

• Biomass production is low, often below 1 t/ha
• The biomass production is used for other purposes
  (fodder, builing materials). Low recycling of
  soil organic matter.
• Plouging reduces the soil organic matter

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How to increase biomass production?

• early sowing
• good quality seeds
• correct spacing
• appropriate varieties
• water harvesting/irrigation
• Integrated plant protection
• Integrated Plant Nutrition Management
• Trees on farm land

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• Seed priming
• Soaking of seed for 8 hours in water
• Facilitates crop establishment
• Yield increase 20-30
• Feasible in pearl millet, sorghum, cowpea,
  groundnuts, maize and sesam

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Effect of seed priming and micro-dosing on
sorghum yields and economic return Average for 53
farmers in Kordofan State, Sudan (Dryland
Coordination Group)
Control Priming Priming fertilizer (0.3g)
Yields kg/ha 328 435 556
Gross margin (US/ha) 28.4 57.3 80.0
Value Cost Ratio - - 6.15
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Seed priming and micro-dosing in Mali.
Non -primed
Primed
Primed micro-fertilsation
Photo A. Coulibaly
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Effect of crop residues and fertiliser on pearl
millet grain yields Average of 9 years
experiment, Niamey, ICRISAT
Treatment Yield kg/ha
Control 320
Crop residues 700
N P fertilizer 900
Crop residues N P fertilizer 1510
Yamoha , Bationo 2002
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Effect of crop residues and fertiliser on millet
grain and straw yields Average of 9 years
experiment, Niamey, ICRISAT
Treatment Yield kg/ha Straw yield
Control 320 1390
Crop residues 700 2560
N P fertilizer 900 3060
Crop residues N P fertilizer 1510 5400
Yamoha , Bationo 2002
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Effect on fertilisation and crop residue
management on pearl millet yield, Niamey, 13
years experiment Source Bationo and Buerkert
2002
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Changes in soil organic carbon in top-soil after
13 years of different soil management
Treatment Organic matter g/kg
Control 1,7
Crop residues 2,1
N P fertilizer 2,0
Crop residues N P fertilizer 3,3
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Breaking the vicisous cercle low yield and
decling soil organic matter content

• Ensure good agronomy
• Use micro-dosing of fertiliser and seed priming
• Use mulch, particularly in drought prone areas
• Minimise ploughing

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Permanent soil cover in conservation agriculture
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How to retain mulch in dryland is a challenge

• Increase biomass
• Increase fodder production
• Demonstrate Integrated Plant Nutrition Management
  and conservation agriculture
• Development of other types of renewable energy
• Improved grazing management
• Build local institution for land-use management

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Integration of trees into the farmland
Source Chris Reij
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Hypothesis of Hope Schematic Framework. ICRISAT
2009