Adapting agriculture in Africa to climate change by Jens B. Aune Department of International Environment and Development Studies Noragric Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Soil organic matter - a key to adaptation to climate change Increase soil water holding capacity Improves infiltration of water Reduce soil temperatures Improves soils ability to store nutrients Aeration Provides media for soil micro- organsims

Message from World Congress of Conservation Agriculture (2009) in India: 2,5 tonn of organic matter should be recycled every year

Why is it difficult to recycle enough organic materials? Biomass production is low, often below 1 t/ha The biomass production is used for other purposes (fodder, builing materials). Low recycling of soil organic matter. Plouging reduces the soil organic matter

How to increase biomass production? early sowing good quality seeds correct spacing appropriate varieties water harvesting/irrigation Integrated plant protection Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Trees on farm land

Seed priming: Soaking of seed for 8 hours in water Facilitates crop establishment Yield increase % Feasible in pearl millet, sorghum, cowpea, groundnuts, maize and sesam

ControlPriming Priming + fertilizer (0.3g) Yields kg/ha Gross margin (US$/ha) Value Cost Ratio Effect of seed priming and micro-dosing on sorghum yields and economic return Average for 53 farmers in Kordofan State, Sudan (Dryland Coordination Group)

Seed priming and micro-dosing in Mali. Non -primed Primed Primed + micro-fertilsation Photo A. Coulibaly

TreatmentYield kg/ha Control320 Crop residues700 N + P fertilizer900 Crop residues + N P fertilizer1510 Effect of crop residues and fertiliser on pearl millet grain yields Average of 9 years experiment, Niamey, ICRISAT Yamoha, Bationo 2002

TreatmentYield kg/haStraw yield Control Crop residues N + P fertilizer Crop residues + N P fertilizer Effect of crop residues and fertiliser on millet grain and straw yields Average of 9 years experiment, Niamey, ICRISAT Yamoha, Bationo 2002

Effect on fertilisation and crop residue management on pearl millet yield, Niamey, 13 years experiment Source: Bationo and Buerkert 2002

TreatmentOrganic matter g/kg Control1,7 Crop residues2,1 N + P fertilizer2,0 Crop residues + N P fertilizer 3,3 Changes in soil organic carbon in top-soil after 13 years of different soil management

Breaking the vicisous cercle low yield and decling soil organic matter content Ensure good agronomy Use micro-dosing of fertiliser and seed priming Use mulch, particularly in drought prone areas Minimise ploughing

Permanent soil cover in conservation agriculture

How to retain mulch in dryland is a challenge Increase biomass Increase fodder production Demonstrate Integrated Plant Nutrition Management and conservation agriculture Development of other types of renewable energy Improved grazing management Build local institution for land-use management

Integration of trees into the farmland Source: Chris Reij

‘Hypothesis of Hope’ Schematic Framework. ICRISAT 2009