Anticipatory cash for climate resilience
Bedru Balana, Research Fellow, IFPRI, presented these slides at the AAAE2023 Conference, Durban, South Africa, 18-21 September 2023. The authors acknowledged the contributions of CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies, Google, the International Rescue Committee, IFPRI, and USAID.
Exploiting crop genotype-specific root-soil interactions to enhance agronomic efficiency
Challenges of soil degradation and changing climate pose major threats to food security in many parts of the world, and new approaches are required to close yield and nutrition gaps through enhanced agronomic efficiency. Combined use of mineral fertilizers, organic inputs, improved germplasm and adaptation of these practices to local contexts through improved agronomy can promote efficiency whilst building stocks of soil organic matter (SOM).
Harnessing indigenous knowledge and practices for effective adaptation in the Sahel
The Sahel region of West Africa has experienced some of the most severe multidecadal rainfall variability over the past 50 years. Based on recollections of the past and observations of the present, local communities in the Sahel have developed extensive knowledge and understanding of their environment and climate that enables them to harness ecosystem services to support their livelihoods and survive environmental changes.
Spatially differentiated nitrogen supply is key in a global food–fertilizer price crisis
A regional geopolitical conflict and sudden massive supply disruptions have revealed vulnerabilities in our global fuel–fertilizer–food nexus. As nitrogen (N) fertilizer price spikes threaten food security, differentiated responses are required to maintain staple cereal yields across over- and underfertilized agricultural systems. Through integrated management of organic and inorganic N sources in high- to low-input cereal production systems, we estimate potential total N-fertilizer savings of 11% in India, 49% in Ethiopia and 44% in Malawi.
Analysis of adoption of conservation agriculture practices in southern Africa: mixed-methods approach
In southern Africa, conservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted to address low agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and land degradation. However, despite significant experimental evidence on the agronomic and economic benefits of CA and large scale investments by the donor community and national governments, adoption rates among smallholders remain below expectation. The main objective of this research project was thus to investigate why previous efforts and investments to scale CA technologies and practices in southern Africa have not led to widespread adoption.
Carbon farming in India: Case studies from Maharashtra and Telangana
This research brief comprises two case studies about carbon farming projects which are currently running in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Telangana.
Digital Innovations for the Coffee Value Chain in Honduras and Guatemala: A scoping study
This work offers a synthesis of the current digital technologies available for coffee that are relevant to the context of Honduras and
Guatemala. It results from desk research considering current literature (grey and academic) and interviews with actors selling
Precise irrigation water and nitrogen management improve water and nitrogen use efficiencies under conservation agriculture in the maize-wheat systems
A 3-year field experiment was setup to address the threat of underground water depletion and sustainability of agrifood systems. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system combined with nitrogen management under conservation agriculture-based (CA) maize-wheat system (MWS) effects on crop yields, irrigation water productivity (WPi), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and profitability. Grain yields of maize, wheat, and MWS in the SDI with 100% recommended N were significantly higher by 15.8%, 5.2% and 11.2%, respectively, than conventional furrow/flood irrigation (CT-FI) system.
Genetic gains in tropical maize hybrids across moisture regimes with multi-trait-based index selection
Unpredictable weather vagaries in the Asian tropics often increase the risk of a series of abiotic stresses in maize-growing areas, hindering the efforts to reach the projected demands. Breeding climate-resilient maize hybrids with a cross-tolerance to drought and waterlogging is necessary yet challenging because of the presence of genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) and the lack of an efficient multi-trait-based selection technique.
The fate of nitrogen during agricultural intensification in East Africa: nitrogen budgets in contrasting agroecosystems
The intensification of agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is necessary to reduce poverty and improve food security, but increased nutrient applications in smallholder systems could have negative consequences for water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and air quality.