Presentation by Abdoulaye Mando at the May 15, 2013 event "Natural Resource Management and Food Security for a Growing Population". For more information visit: http://www.wri.org/event/2013/05/natural-resource-management-and-food-security-growing-population

1. IFDC
The Role of Integrated Soil Fertility
Management in Increasing
Agricultural Productivity
A. Mando and D. Hellums
IFDC

2. IFDC
Agriculture in Africa: challenges
 Poor soil fertility, drought
 Low productivity
 Fertilizer use: lowest in the world
 High transport costs
 Small markets
 Food imports (SSA, bln $)
240 million people
live on less
than US$ 1
per day;
vast majority active
in agriculture

3. IFDC
Where are the drylands?
Aridity index <
0.65
RF < 800, CV 25%

4. IFDC
And fertilizer use in the region
remains low (kg nutrients/ha)

5. IFDC
This has resulted in nutrient mining on agricultural
lands
1995–97 2002–04

6. IFDC
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
Mt/Ha
Cereal Yields (Mt/Ha)
Developed
Countries
Asia
Developing
Latin America
& Carribean
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Cereal yields (Mt/ha) in different regions

7. IFDC
SSA has chiefly relied on area expansion to
achieve gains in production

8. IFDC
Changes in Tropical Soil Fertility Management
Paradigms over the Past Five Decades
Period Approach
Role of
Fertilizer
Role of
Organic
Resources Lessons
1960-
1997
External input Major focus Minimal - Low adoption
- Soil degradation
1980 Organic input Little focus Key source of
nutrients
- Low adoption
- Soil degradation
1990 Combined use
of fertilizer and
Organic
Resources
Fertilizer to
top organic
input
- Localized
adaption
- Intensification not
reached
2000 Integrated Soil
Fertility
Management
(ISFM)
Major entry
point
Increase
fertilize use
efficiency
- Goal of large-
scale adoption
- Prospect of
sustainable
management

9. IFDC
Now: Integrated Soil Fertility Management
A set of soil fertility management practices that
necessarily include the use of fertilizer, organic
inputs, targeted interventions to improve soil
“hospitability” (drought, acidity) and improved
germplasm combined with the knowledge on how
to adapt these practices to local conditions, aiming
at optimizing agronomic use efficiency of the
applied nutrients and improving crop productivity.
All inputs need to be managed following sound
agronomic and economic principles.

10. IFDC
Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)
Optimal use of:
 Soil nutrients
 Locally available soil
amendments
 Mineral fertilizers
 Improve soil “hospitability”
Improve crop productivity, while
maintaining or improving soil
fertility

11. IFDC
Participatory Learning / TrainingSite Specific Fertilizer Recommendation
Plots N P K
0N, +P, +K 0 + +
0P, +N, +K + 0 +
0K, +N, +P + + 0
+N, +P, +K + + +

12. IFDC
Environmental
Benefits
Improved
Agronomic efficiency
Improved Resource
Use efficiency
Modify Release Mechanism
- Polycoating, Reactive
layer, Absorbed technology
Nano-material
Inhibitors
- Urease (NBTPT -
Agrotain), Nitrification
(DCD, Neem, DMPP)
Site
Specific
Improved
NUE
Slow Mineralization
Urea formaldehydes,
Urea Polymers,
Nitamin, NFusion
LowHangingFruits
Methods&Management
New and Modified Nutrient Sources
Fertilizer-Sphere
- bio-coating
- nutrient retention
Improved Internal Use
Efficiency
- more grain/nutrient
uptake, better
nutrient partitioning
High Nutrient Density
Grain
New Application
Tools
-LCC, Green Seeker
Site and Crop Specific
Application
UDP:
-Machinery
- Multi-nutrient
Integrated
Management
- Cropping Systems
- Amendments
New Plant Type for
Maximum Uptake
-more rooting & uptake
- reduced losses
Improved Yields
Increased Income
Improved Nutrition,
Health, and Education
Organic
/Biofertilizers
BNF Promoters
- Soil based, Foliar
(TWINN)
PlantTypes
Benefits
Improved
Livelihood
Microbiology
Rhizosphere
Chemistry
Smart Fertilizers
- Host specific
-Climate-driven
Improved
knowledge

13. IFDC
Selected ISFM Options

14. IFDC
ISFM works for maize-based systems
5.6
3.3
3.2
0
2000
4000
6000
Kasaï Kuleni BH140
Grainyield(kgha
-1
)
without fertilizer with fertilizer
SED* (variety effect)
SED** (fertilizer)
5.6
3.3
3.2
0
2000
4000
6000
Kasaï Kuleni BH140 BH5
Grainyield(kgha
-1
)
without fertilizer with fertilizer
SED* (variety effect)
SED** (fertilizer)
Maize
yield in
East DR
Congo
Local
Improved
ISFM is technically sound

15. IFDC
Pearl Millet Total DMY
vs.
Management
Practices, Sadore,
Niger
Source: Bationo, 1998.
ISFM is technically sound

16. IFDC
Sorghum Grain Yield as Affected by
Mineral Fertilizers and Manure in the
Sudanian Zone of West Africa
Source: Sedogo, 1993.

17. IFDC
Fertilizer N application (kg ha-1)
0 20 40 60 80 100
Maizegrainyield(tha-1)
0
1
2
3
4
5
infields
outfields
www.ifdc.org
Added benefits obtained on infields and
outfields, northern Togo, 2001

18. IFDC
Mais en association avec Acacia auriculiformis
Années
0 1 2 3
Rendementdemais(tha-1)
0
1
2
3
No fert.
No trees
Fert.
No trees
Fert.
Trees
No fert.
Trees
www.ifdc.org
Effect of Acacia litter and mineral
fertilizer on maize yield, Benin

19. IFDC
Select Options
Test
Evaluate
Development and Dissemination of ISFM
Diagnose

20. IFDC
DEVELOPMENT AND
DISSEMINATION OF ISFM
 Testing of soil fertility
management options
 Testing organizational
arrangements to facilitate
access to input, collective
work for GRN and output
markets
 Villages become learning
and ultimately knowledge
centers
 Farmer to farmer training

21. IFDC
Farmers are describing their crops Results
Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers
Through Participatory Learning

22. IFDC
K deficiency in
K
deficiency in
P
N deficiency
Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers
Good field
Some Indicators of Maize Performance

23. IFDC
Grounding ISFM Within Knowledge Centers
Evaluation by the Learning Group

24. IFDC
www.ifdc.org
Farmer – to – Farmer Extension
Pilot village
Neighboring
village
Neighboring
village
Neighboring
village
First generation innovations
Adaptations by other farmers Comments
Scaling out through farmer-to-
farmer

25. IFDC
Scaling out through Innovation Platform
Policy
NGOs
FBO
CBO
Industries
Input
markets
ExtensionFarmers
Output
markets
Research
Innovation is the outcome of networking and interactions among many
actors to make things happen

26. IFDC
Public Evaluation of ISFM
(Knowledge sharing)
Good Farm Bad Farm – K Deficiency

27. IFDC
Farmers led rural workshop on ISFM – Southern Togo
400 participants
Scaling Up Through Knowledge Sharing with all
stakholders

28. IFDC
Number of Households Reached
From 2006 to 2010
West Africa—SAADA
Source: IFDC, 2011

29. IFDC
Changes in Yield of Four Major
Crops From 2006 to 2010
West Africa—SAADA
Source: IFDC, 2011.

30. IFDC
Revenue Generated by Four Major
Crops Per Hectare, 2006-2010
West Africa—SAADA
Source: IFDC, 2011.

31. IFDC
Additional Land Area Under Sustainable
Use, 2006-2010 (in hectares)
West Africa—SAADA
Source: IFDC, 2011.

32. IFDC
Trend of Annual Additional Agricultural
Production in Cereal Equivalents (mt)
West Africa—SAADA
Source: IFDC, 2011.

33. IFDC
Farmer Cluster Participation and
ISFM Adoption by Country and Year
Central Africa—CATALIST
Source: IFDC, 2012.

34. IFDC
Summary of Yield Increases by
Hectare (ha) Per Harvest
Central Africa—CATALIST
Source: IFDC, 2012.

35. IFDC
Strong commitment at various level for action on
Soil Health
 Abuja Declaration on the Uniquely African Green Revolution and on
Inputs
 NEPAD and its CAADP, offers a framework for consensual policies
and priorities for all stakeholders.
 National and Regional Investment programs
 Various conventional and non conventional donors commitment to
soil health
 2008 food crisis
This commitment needs to be backed with
science based principles
www.ifdc.org
Concluding Remarks

36. IFDC
For ISFM to fulfill the promises in SSA the following are
essential:
 Innovation systems, extensions tools and systems to be
established
 Increased farmers access to inputs (fertilizer, seed, organic
resources, etc.…)
 Capacity building of R&D staff and institutions to address diversity,
complexity and emerging global issues
 Technological and processes innovations to improve nutrient use
and water use
Concluding Remarks

37. IFDC
Thank you