Inorganic fertilizer use and its association with rice yield gaps in sub-Saharan Africa

Johnson, Jean‐Martial; Ibrahim, Ali; Dossou-Yovo, Elliott Ronald; Senthilkumar, K.; Tsujimoto, Yasuhiro; Asai, Hidetoshi; Saito, Kazuki

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100708

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Furthermore, a lower yield of ratoon crop in African countries is associated with low N application rate in tropical regions. Rather than solely relying on increased inorganic N application rate, improving N use efficiency is needed in African countries as proposed by Johnson et al (2023) , Peng et al (2023), see N application method for China in 4.3) , and Saito et al (2023) . Thus, research should focus on identifying high-yielding varieties and improving agronomic practices in ratoon rice cropping in tropical regions and demonstrate scientific evidence on the potential of intensive ratoon rice cropping there.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ratoon rice research: Review and prospect for the tropics

Saito,

Dossou-Yovo,

Ibrahim

2024

Field Crops Research

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ratoon rice research: Review and prospect for the tropics

Saito,

Dossou-Yovo,

Ibrahim

2024

Field Crops Research

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“…Yang and Lin [49] pointed to the rationale of subsidizing investments in the agricultural sector as more efficient for farms and the environment than subsidies for fertilizer application. In addition, climate variability means that investments in fertilizers and crop-protection products alone may not yield the expected results [50]. This results from optimum fertilization levels which, in practice, means minimizing the fertilizer-to-yields ratio (while reducing environmental pollution).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant Protection and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Farms in a Context of Overinvestment: A Case Study from Poland

2023

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The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between plant protection and fertilizer use efficiency, on one side, and overinvestment in Polish agriculture, on the other. This is an important topic because of a number of essential issues, such as the concern for the environment, the development of sustainable agriculture, or the need to ensure food security which can only be achieved by keeping production volumes at least at the same level. Reconciling these goals often requires investment which, however, involves the risk of overinvesting, i.e., a situation where the value of assets grows without a proportional increment in labor productivity. This paper uses the author’s own method of farm classification by overinvestment level. The study revealed some differences in the cost intensity of fertilizing and using plant-protection products between investment levels. The most rational results were found in farms at optimum investment levels, whereas the greatest cost intensity was recorded in farms affected by overinvestment.

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Alternate wetting and drying: a water-saving technology for sustainable rice production in Burkina Faso?

Johnson,

Becker,

Kaboré

et al. 2024

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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With emerging water scarcity and rising fertilizer prices, optimising future water use while maintaining yield and nutrient efficiency in irrigated rice is crucial. Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying irrigation (i.e., re-irrigation when the water level reaches 15 cm below the soil surface) has proven to be an efficient water-saving technology in semi-arid zones of West Africa, reducing water inputs without yield penalty. Alternate wetting and severe soil drying (AWD30), by re-irrigating fields only when the water table reaches 30 cm below the soil surface, may further reduce water inputs compared to farmers’ irrigation practices (FP). However, acute soil drying may impair fertilizer use efficiency and reduce the bio-availability of some key nutrients. This study assessed the potentials and risks associated with AWD30 for smallholder rice farmers in the semi-arid zones of West Africa. We conducted 30 on-farm field trials over three seasons (wet and dry seasons of 2019, and dry season of 2020), in Kou Valley, Burkina Faso. We assessed yield, water productivity, nutrient uptake, and use efficiency under AWD30 and FP. In FP, farmers maintained their fields submerged as frequently as possible according to the scheme-dependent water provision schedule. With AWD30, irrigation frequency was reduced by 30%, however, soils were seldom completely dried due to a shallow groundwater table. Compared to FP, AWD30 reduced irrigation water input by 37% with no significant effects on grain yields (average of 4.5 Mg ha−1), thus increasing average water productivity by 39%. Both irrigation management practices provided comparable crop uptake of N, P, and K, and use efficiencies of applied N and P. However, the N content in straw and the P concentration in grain generally increased with total water input (rain + irrigation). We conclude that at locations with a shallow groundwater table, AWD30 can effectively save irrigation water without significantly reducing the grain yield and the use efficiency of applied mineral nutrients.

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Inorganic fertilizer use and its association with rice yield gaps in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 9 publications

References 60 publications

Ratoon rice research: Review and prospect for the tropics

Ratoon rice research: Review and prospect for the tropics

Plant Protection and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Farms in a Context of Overinvestment: A Case Study from Poland

Alternate wetting and drying: a water-saving technology for sustainable rice production in Burkina Faso?

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