A new type of agriculture practice could restore the beleaguered soils of Africa and help the continent feed itself in the coming decades, soil scientists say. Writing in Nature, Washington State University researcher John Reganold and colleagues say a system of \"perenniation,\" which mixes food crops with trees and perennial plants that live for two years or more, can lead to increased yields and sustainability. Thousands of farmers are already practicing variations of perenniation, reducing the need for artificial inputs while improving soil, and in some cases dramatically increasing yields, a WSU release reported Wednesday. One-fourth of the world\'s undernourished population lives in sub-Saharan Africa, where nutrient-poor soils have yields that are one-tenth of the U.S. Midwest, the researchers said. \"Of the various factors needing urgent attention to increase agricultural productivity, scientists from the region have identified soil quality as a top priority,\" the researchers wrote. Perenniation research should be supported at the same level as research into mineral fertilizers and seed development, they wrote while acknowledging such research could run to tens of millions of dollars. \"Yet such numbers pale in comparison to the losses of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium from sub-Saharan farm fields each year,\" the researchers said, saying the losses are the equivalent of billions of dollars of fertilizer.
GMT 11:16 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Oil slick off China coast trebles in sizeGMT 12:29 2018 Sunday ,21 January
Spotted hyena returns to Gabon park after 20 yearsGMT 11:18 2018 Friday ,19 January
China says air quality 'improved' in 2017GMT 23:57 2018 Thursday ,18 January
for Great Barrier Reef rescue ideasGMT 23:50 2018 Thursday ,18 January
1.5 C climate goal 'very unlikely' but doableGMT 12:18 2018 Thursday ,18 January
Worst-case global warming scenarios not credible: studyGMT 10:44 2018 Thursday ,18 January
Second giant panda cub born in MalaysiaGMT 08:06 2018 Tuesday ,16 January
Oil tanker's sinking off China raises environmental fears

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor