Nitrogen (N) deficiency is a major constraint to the productivity of the African smallholder farming systems. Grain, green manure and forage legumes have the potential to improve the soil N fertility of smallholder farming systems through biological N2-fixation. The N2-fixation of bean (Phaseolus...
Ojiem, JO
,
Vanlauwe, Bernard
,
Ridder, N.A. de
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Niche-based assessment of contributions of legumes to the nitrogen economy of Western Kenya smallholder farms]
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Niche-based assessment of contributions of legumes to the nitrogen economy of Western Kenya smallholder farms
Manure is a key nutrient resource on smallholder farms in the tropics, especially on poorly buffered sandy soils, due to its multiple benefits for soil fertility. Farmers preferentially apply manure to fields closest to homesteads (homefields), which are more fertile than fields further away (out...
Zingore, Shamie
,
Delve, Robert J.
,
Nyamangara, Justice
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Multiple benefits of manure : The key to maintenance of soil fertility and restoration of depleted sandy soils on African smallholder farms]
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Multiple benefits of manure : The key to maintenance of soil fertility and restoration of depleted sandy soils on African smallholder farms
Smallholder farmers in the Guinea savanna practise cereal-legume intercropping to mitigate risks of crop failure in mono-cropping. The productivity of cereal-legume intercrops could be influenced by the spatial arrangement of the intercrops and the soil fertility status. Knowledge on the effect o...
Kermah, M.
,
Franke, A.C.
,
Adjei-Nsiah, Samuel
,
Ahiabor, B.D.K.
,
Abaidoo, R.C.
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Maize-grain legume intercropping for enhanced resource use efficiency and crop productivity in the Guinea savanna of northern Ghana]
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Maize-grain legume intercropping for enhanced resource use efficiency and crop productivity in the Guinea savanna of northern Ghana
Cassava yields in Africa are small and it remains unclear which factors most limit yields. Using a series of farm surveys and on-farm and on-station trials in Uganda and western Kenya, we evaluated the importance of abiotic, biotic and associated crop management constraints for cassava production...
Fermont, A.M.
,
Asten, Piet J.A. van
,
Tittonell, Pablo A.
,
Wijk, Mark T. van
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Closing the cassava yield gap: an analysis from smallholder farms in East Africa]
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Closing the cassava yield gap: an analysis from smallholder farms in East Africa
Increasing land pressure during the past three to four decades has transformed farming systems in the
mid-altitude zone of East Africa. Traditional millet-, cotton-, sugarcane- and/or banana-based farming
systems with an important fallow and/or grazing component have evolved into continuously cul...
Fermont, A.V.
,
Asten, Piet J.A. van
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Increasing land pressure in East Africa: the changing role of cassava and consequences for sustainability of farming systems]
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Increasing land pressure in East Africa: the changing role of cassava and consequences for sustainability of farming systems
The role of livestock in nitrogen cycling in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa was explored. Cattle were fed a range of diets to investigate the effects on partitioning of nitrogen between urine and faeces and on the chemical composition of the manures produced. The trade...
Delve, Robert J.
,
Cadisch, Georg
,
Tanner, J.C.
,
Thorpe, W.R.
,
Thorne, Peter J.
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Implications of livestock feeding management on soil fertility in the smallholder farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa]
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Implications of livestock feeding management on soil fertility in the smallholder farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa
Masvaya, EN
,
Nyamangara, Justice
,
Nyawasha, RW
,
Zingore, Shamie
,
Delve, Robert J.
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Effect of farmer management strategies on spatial variability of soil fertility and crop nutrient uptake in contrasting agro-ecological zones in Zimbabwe]
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Effect of farmer management strategies on spatial variability of soil fertility and crop nutrient uptake in contrasting agro-ecological zones in Zimbabwe
Intensification of agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is considered a pre-condition for alleviation of rural poverty. Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been promoted to achieve this goal, based on three principles: minimum tillage, soil surface cover, and diversified crop rotations....
Vanlauwe, Bernard
,
Wendt, J.
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
Corbeels, Marc
,
Gerard, Bruno G.
,
Nolte, C.
,
[A fourth principle is required to define conservation agriculture in subSaharan Africa: the appropriate use of fertilizer to enhance crop productivity]
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A fourth principle is required to define conservation agriculture in subSaharan Africa: the appropriate use of fertilizer to enhance crop productivity
Agricultural intensification of farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa is a prerequisite to alleviate rural poverty and improve livelihoods. Legumes have shown great potential to enhance system productivity. On-farm experiments were conducted in different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) in Western Ken...
Ojiem, J.O.
,
Franke, A.C.
,
Vanlauwe, Bernard
,
Ridder, N.A. de
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Benefits of legumemaize rotations: assessing the impact of diversity on the productivity of smallholders in Western Kenya]
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Benefits of legumemaize rotations: assessing the impact of diversity on the productivity of smallholders in Western Kenya
Rusinamhodzi, Leonard
,
Wijk, Mark T. van
,
Corbeels, Marc
,
Rufino, Mariana C.
,
Giller, Ken E.
,
[Maize crop residue uses and trade-offs on smallholder crop-livestock farms in Zimbabwe: economic implications of intensification]
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Maize crop residue uses and trade-offs on smallholder crop-livestock farms in Zimbabwe: economic implications of intensification