Agricultural success from Africa: the case of fertilizer tree systems in southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe)
- 1 February 2011
- journal article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
- Vol. 9 (1), 129-136
- https://doi.org/10.3763/ijas.2010.0554
Abstract
In response to the declining soil fertility in southern Africa and the negative effects that this leads to, such as food insecurity besides other developmental challenges, fertilizer tree systems (FTS) were developed as technological innovation to help smallholder farmers to build soil organic matter and fertility in a sustainable manner. In this paper, we trace the historical background and highlight the developmental phases and outcomes of the technology. The synthesis shows that FTS are inexpensive technologies that significantly raise crop yields, reduce food insecurity and enhance environmental services and resilience of agro-ecologies. Many of the achievements recorded with FTS can be traced to some key factors: the availability of a suite of technological options that are appropriate in a range of different household and ecological circumstances, partnership between multiple institutions and disciplines in the development of the technology, active encouragement of farmer innovations in the adaptation process and proactive engagement of several consortia of partner institutions to scale up the technology in farming communities. It is recommended that smallholder farmers would benefit if rural development planners emphasize the merits of different fertility replenishment approaches and taking advantage of the synergy between FTS and mineral fertilizers rather than focusing on ‘organic vs. inorganic’ debates.Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Fertiliser trees for sustainable food security in the maize-based production systems of East and Southern Africa. A reviewAgronomy for Sustainable Development, 2010
- Labour inputs and financial profitability of conventional and agroforestry-based soil fertility management practices in ZambiaAgrekon, 2009
- Adoption of renewable soil fertility replenishment technologies in the southern African region: Lessons learnt and the way forwardNatural Resources Forum, 2007
- User Acceptability of Sustainable Soil Fertility Technologies: Lessons from Farmers' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Southern AfricaJournal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2007
- Synergistic effect of inorganic N and P fertilizers and organic inputs from Gliricidia sepium on productivity of intercropped maize in Southern MalawiPlant and Soil, 2007
- World Agroforestry Centre. Impacts of improved tree fallow technology in Zambia.Published by CABI Publishing ,2007
- Soil water dynamics in cropping systems containing Gliricidia sepium, pigeonpea and maize in southern MalawiAgroforestry Systems, 2006
- SUBSOIL NITROGEN DYNAMICS AS AFFECTED BY PLANTED COPPICING TREE LEGUME FALLOWS IN EASTERN ZAMBIAExperimental Agriculture, 2004
- Tree root architecture.Published by CABI Publishing ,2004
- Implications of local policies and institutions on the adoption of improved fallows in eastern ZambiaAgroforestry Systems, 2003