Are all three components of conservation agriculture necessary for soil conservation in the Sudan Savanna?

ABSTRACT

Conservation agriculture (CA) as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations consists of three components: minimum soil disturbance, soil cover, and crop rotation/association. CA was expected to become an effective countermeasure against water erosion in the Sudan Savanna, but it has not been adopted by local smallholder farmers. As markets for grain legumes (including cowpea) have not been developed in the Sudan Savanna, crop rotation/association should be considered impractical for these farmers. Therefore, we examined whether legume intercropping as a crop rotation/association component is necessary for preventing soil erosion in the Sudan Savanna. Three-year field experiments were conducted in runoff plots at Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research Saria station. The four treatments were conventional practice (full tillage, no sorghum residue mulching, and no intercropping), two-component CA (minimum tillage (MT) and sorghum residue mulching without intercropping), and three-component CA with velvet bean (VB) or pigeon pea (PP) intercropping. It was revealed that: (1) MT and sorghum residue mulching (without intercropping) effectively reduced the annual soil loss by 54% mainly due to the improvement of soil permeability by the boring of termites and wolf spiders found under the sorghum stover mulch; (2) intercropping in combination with MT and crop residue mulching had no effect on soil erosion control mainly because: (a) PP did not survive the long dry season; (b) VB did not serve effectively as a cover crop since soil loss was concentrated at the beginning of the rainy season when VB was still too small; (c) unexpectedly, in combination with MT and crop residue mulching, intercropping with VB did not increase mulch biomass, especially sorghum biomass which prompts the boring of termites and wolf spiders. These results demonstrate that the third component of CA, namely legume intercropping, is not always necessary; rather, the two remaining components – minimum soil disturbance and soil cover – are sufficient for soil conservation in the Sudan Savanna. This finding lightens the burden of adopting CA and thus facilitates its future promotion to the smallholder farmers in the Sudan Savanna.     

2000-2010年非洲耕地利用格局变化及其生态环境背景分析

【目的】科学探明世界第二大洲--非洲的耕地资源禀赋、准确揭示2000-2010年耕地动态变化规律和过程,服务全球粮食安全。【方法】采用全球首套30 m空间分辨率地表覆盖数据GlobeLand30 的 2000年和 2010年耕地数据产品,在不同分析指标和空间尺度上分析10年间非洲耕地利用格局的总体变化、地理差异特征及其生态环境背景。【结果】2000-2010 年,非洲耕地总面积增加了1 540.63×10⁴ hm²,变化率为 7.42%;5个区域10年间耕地面积变化率从大到小依次是：中非（10.42%）、东非（9.49%）、西非（7.55%）、北非（6.74%）和南部非洲（4.86%）;耕地面积数量增加排在前10位的国家是尼日利亚、坦桑尼亚、苏丹、肯尼亚、莫桑比克、乍得、阿尔及利亚、赞比亚、津巴布韦和布基纳法索;耕地面积数量减少排在前10位的国家是科特迪瓦、马里、安哥拉、加纳、马拉维、突尼斯、布隆迪、卢旺达、刚果（金）和南非。2010年,非洲耕地复种指数为98.11%,10年间变化率为13.54%;2010年,5个区域的复种指数从大到小依次是西非（163.75%）、中非（148.01%）、东非（76.64%）、北非（75.20%）和南部非洲（57.56%）。耕地空间格局变化区域差异明显,耕地在各经纬度带上以增加为主,以东半球和北半球面积增加较多;新增耕地主要由林地、草地和灌木地等植被类型开发利用转入,分别占转出总量的 15.19%、66.37%和 11.20%,减少耕地主要转成为林地、草地和灌木地,转出面积分别占转出总量的 21.15%、61.19%和11.78%,新增的耕地面积远大于减少的面积。从耕地变化与生态环境因子之间的关系来看,耕地增减变化主要发生在年均温度为20-30℃区域和年均降水为600-1 200 mm的区域,以及500-1 000 m高原区间和坡度小于2°的平缓地带。【结论】2000-2010年,非洲耕地面积数量和空间变化剧烈,不同区域和国家的耕地变化存在明显差异。研究结果揭示了非洲耕地空间分布及时空变化特征,不仅可为分析全球耕地空间分布格局、揭示其地域差异和时空波动规律提供重要基础参考,也可为耕地增减变化比较集中的区域的政策导向、土地产权制度调整提供科学依据,服务全球粮食安全问题解决。     

Response of Ugandan common bean varieties to Pseudocercospora griseola and Angular leaf spot disease development in varietal mixtures

Angular leaf spot (ALS) is one of the most economically important bean diseases in Africa. One promising control option for the disease is the use of mixtures of resistant and susceptible varieties. This research evaluated (1) the reaction of farmer preferred bean varieties to ALS in the screenhouse and on-station and (2) the effect of different spatial arrangements of resistant and susceptible bean varieties on ALS disease development. For the latter, five mixture combinations and two controls were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design having three replicates. Analysis of variance and least significant differences (LSDs) were used to compare disease levels in both studies above. Varietal screening showed significant differences in varietal reaction to ALS. Screenhouse disease scores ranged between 0 and 5, compared to 0.7–3.9 in the field. For the varietal mixture trial, the lowest disease levels and the highest mixture efficiencies were observed for the combination of equal proportions of the susceptible and resistant varieties randomly mixed (even mixture) prior to planting. We conclude that even mixtures reduce the amount of ALS disease that develops in the season.     

Examining Human Perception of Elephants and Large Trees for Insights Into Conservation of an African Savanna Ecosystem

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and large trees have ecological and human value, but elephant impact on large trees may influence conservation strategies. We used a self-administered questionnaire to examine perceptions of elephants, large trees, and elephant management endeavors among tourists and residents in the Associated Private Nature Reserves, South Africa to inform management approaches. The questionnaire included photographs of different elephant types and of vegetation with varying degrees of elephant-impact. Respondents reported high attractiveness rankings for all elephant types, but they scored non-impacted trees higher than photos of trees with visible elephant impact. Results also revealed a significant positive correlation between elephant types known to cause high tree impact and attractiveness of non-impacted trees. Residents favored more intrusive elephant management methods, with environmental manipulation representing the most supported and balanced option for both interest groups. Respondents advocated management that focuses on ecosystem functioning more so than elephant population control.     

我国援非农业技术示范中心可持续发展战略初探

自2006年11月中非合作论坛北京峰会后,中国援非农业技术示范中心工程项目相继竣工。国家将对示范中心提供建成后头3年的运行经费,之后将以企业运行方式实现可持续发展。充分认识和利用当地的自然资源、引入精耕细作种植模式、解决非洲粮食危机、关注小农利益、授人以渔及加强交流等是未来实现示范中心可持续发展的重要方法。     

非洲主要林业国家木材资源概况

概述了非洲森林资源及木材加工现状,并对非洲主要的8个森林资源大国的森林资源分布、主要树种、珍贵木材、出口等方面做了介绍。非洲森林资源丰富,类型多样,经济价值高,木材径级及蓄积量大,在我国木材进口市场中的地位日渐凸显。     

Pest status and control of blister beetles in West Africa

Abstract

During recent years, blister beetles have gained importance in species diversity and as pests of food crops in West Africa. Among the 97 species reported, Psalydolytta fusca Oliv, and P. vestita Duf. are economically important beetle species. Beetle abundance is generally associated with the flowering of crops in a region. Regular intensive weeding and early crop establishment are recommended for pest management in food crops. Global pest control strategies are discussed in the context of subsistence agriculture.     

Thieves,bats and fruit flies: local ecological knowledge on the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda in relation to three ‘invisible’ intruders in orchards in Guinea

We held interviews with 100 mango and cashew growers in Guinea, West Africa. Fewer than 20 questions dealing with the tree-inhabiting weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda were developed, based on local context and related research conducted on farmers' knowledge in other countries. More than half of the growers reported that ants protect their orchard from thieves. Apart from deterring snakes, about 46% of the growers mentioned that weaver ants reduce damage by fruit-eating bats; some reported that bats do dislike the smell of weaver ants. Whereas the relationship between ants and humans or conspicuous fruit bats is well understood, a quantitative appreciation of the effect of Oecophylla on small insect pests, such as fruit flies, is more complex. Despite the fact that 57% of the growers reported that Oecophylla had a positive effect on mango fruit quality, many classified Oecophylla as a pest due to its nuisance during harvest, and they requested the plant protection staff to help them with pesticides. Strategies to strengthen local ecological knowledge are discussed.     

Smallholder cotton production in sub-Saharan Africa: An assessment of the way forward

Abstract

The benefits of growing organic cotton were advocated in a recent contribution to this Forum. While welcoming a debate on this subject, we advocate a closer look at the history of cotton in Africa, whereby for decades farmers did grow cotton without insecticides. We believe that while there may be a market for ‘organic’ cotton production, it would be a retrograde step to ignore the technological advances that enable much higher yields to be obtained economically. What is needed is improved training and extension services backed up by an on-going research programme for IPM/ICM utilising the most appropriate technologies. Continuing research is needed to integrate new technology of benefit to the small-scale farmer, whether aiming at organic production or higher yields by integrating rational use of biotechnology and pesticides.     

Plant Disease Control

Abstract

Experiments have been carried out in the Ivory Coast to assess the performance of a prototype rapid release system to apply larvicides for the control of S. damnosum, the vector of onchocerciasis. The equipment was fitted to a Pilatus Porter aircraft and was used to apply Abate larvicide to a large river during conditions of low water level. It was shown that the equipment could accurately deliver volumes of larvicide between one and 50 l and that these quantities could be placed exactly along chosen points in the river, provided the aircraft was flown along the direction of the watercourse. Satisfactory control of S. damnosum larvae was achieved at three sites using a dosage rate of 0.05 ppm/10 min of waterflow. However, it was recommended that a dosage of 0.1 ppm/10 min be adopted in future work because some of the more extensive sites treated were underdosed. It was not possible to assess the biological effectiveness of the equipment for treating small rivers, but physical tests were carried out which suggest that the system should be suitable for applying larvicide to rivers as narrow as five metres width. Recommendations were made to improve the reliability of the equipment for use in an operational onchocerciasis programme.