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Sustainable intensification options for smallholder maize-based farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Klaus J. Droppelmann

    (PICOTEAM)

  • Sieglinde S. Snapp

    (Michigan State University)

  • Stephen R. Waddington

Abstract

Appropriate sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture is required in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet the rising demand for food and protect resources. Agroforestry and green manures, diversification with grain legumes, conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient management with mineral and organic fertilizers are SI options widely promoted for maize-based African smallholder systems. To assess the potential of SI options to contribute to multiple ecosystem services in these systems, we evaluated 17 published multi-year and site studies, using radar charts to systematically measure provisioning services (annualized maize grain and protein yields) and supporting services (vegetative biomass, rain productivity and agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer) among the studies and across technologies. We frequently observed trade-offs amongst provisioning and supporting ecosystem services, especially in rotational systems where the addition of a grain legume increased maize response to fertilizer but reduced annualized maize grain yields. Consistent gains in maize grain yield and vegetative biomass, and protein yield and rain productivity were obtained with the application of N fertilizer across the studies. More efficient use of N fertilizer was associated with legume diversification, particularly intercrop systems, with large incremental yield gains (30–80 kg grain kg−1 N fertilizer) at low fertilizer rates (

Suggested Citation

  • Klaus J. Droppelmann & Sieglinde S. Snapp & Stephen R. Waddington, 2017. "Sustainable intensification options for smallholder maize-based farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(1), pages 133-150, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:9:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s12571-016-0636-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-016-0636-0
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    1. Kim, Jongwoo & Mason, Nicole M. & Snapp ,Sieglinde, 2017. "Does Sustainable Intensification of Maize Production Enhance Child Nutrition? Evidence from Rural Tanzania," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 265406, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    2. Hambulo Ngoma, 2018. "Does minimum tillage improve the livelihood outcomes of smallholder farmers in Zambia?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 381-396, April.
    3. Gathala, Mahesh K. & Laing, Alison M. & Tiwari, Thakur P. & Timsina, Jagadish & Rola-Rubzen, Fay & Islam, Saiful & Maharjan, Sofina & Brown, Peter R. & Das, Kalyan K. & Pradhan, Kausik & Chowdhury, Ap, 2021. "Improving smallholder farmers’ gross margins and labor-use efficiency across a range of cropping systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    4. Snapp, Sieglinde S. & Grabowski, Philip & Chikowo, Regis & Smith, Alex & Anders, Erin & Sirrine, Dorothy & Chimonyo, Vimbayi & Bekunda, Mateete, 2018. "Maize yield and profitability tradeoffs with social, human and environmental performance: Is sustainable intensification feasible?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 77-88.
    5. Malan, Mandy & Berkhout, Ezra & Duchoslav, Jan & Voors, Maarten & van der Esch, Stefan, 2022. "Socioeconomic impacts of land restoration in agriculture: A systematic review," Ruhr Economic Papers 951, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Dong-Gill Kim & Elisa Grieco & Antonio Bombelli & Jonathan E. Hickman & Alberto Sanz-Cobena, 2021. "Challenges and opportunities for enhancing food security and greenhouse gas mitigation in smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa. A review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(2), pages 457-476, April.
    7. Richardson, Robert B. & Olabisi, Laura Schmitt & Waldman, Kurt B. & Sakana, Naomi & Brugnone, Nathan G., 2021. "Modeling interventions to reduce deforestation in Zambia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    8. Jindo, Keiji & Schut, Antonius G.T. & Langeveld, Johannes W.A., 2020. "Sustainable intensification in Western Kenya: Who will benefit?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    9. Frank Davenport & Chris Funk & Gideon Galu, 2018. "How will East African maize yields respond to climate change and can agricultural development mitigate this response?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 491-506, April.
    10. Kabwe Harnadih Mubanga & Willem Ferguson, 2017. "Threats to food sufficiency among smallholder farmers in Choma, Zambia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(4), pages 745-758, August.
    11. Srinivas Goli & Anu Rammohan & Sri Priya Reddy, 2021. "The interaction of household agricultural landholding and Caste on food security in rural Uttar Pradesh, India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 219-237, February.
    12. Komarek, Adam M. & Koo, Jawoo & Wood-Sichra, Ulrike & You, Liangzhi, 2018. "Spatially-explicit effects of seed and fertilizer intensification for maize in Tanzania," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 158-165.
    13. Prem S. Bindraban & Christian O. Dimkpa & Scott Angle & Rudy Rabbinge, 2018. "Unlocking the multiple public good services from balanced fertilizers," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 273-285, April.
    14. Ayala Wineman & C. Leigh Anderson & Travis W. Reynolds & Pierre Biscaye, 2019. "Methods of crop yield measurement on multi-cropped plots: Examples from Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(6), pages 1257-1273, December.
    15. Oyinbo, O. & Maertens, M. & Chamberlin, J. & Vanlauwe, B. & Craufurd, P. & Kamara, A., 2018. "Maize Farmers Preferences for ICT-based extension services: Evidence from a Choice Experiment in Nigeria," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277328, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

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