Objective African farmers operate under the deleterious effects of a rapidly degrading resource base, particularly from nutrient depletion and soil erosion. Soil organic matter plays a key role in crop sustainability primarily through its interactions with soil chemical and physical properties in relation to nutrient release, cation retention and maintenance of soil structure. By improved management of organic resources, soil erosion is reduced, soil fertility is more sustainable, farm productivity is increased and the quality of life of farmers is enhanced. The principal objective of this proposal is to develop and test an innovative methodology for modification and improvement of the indigenous soil fertility management practices of smallholder farmers in four countries in East and Southern Africa, by increasing the efficiency of use of organic and inorganic resources. Simultaneously, the project aims to enhance the capability of research institutions in these four countries to conduct farmer participatory research in resource management. The research approach involves three phases, which will be conducted in case-study sites in each of the four countries: Kenya, Tanzania, zambia, and zimbabwe. In the first phase, a multi-disciplinary team of social, soil, and biological scientists will work with farmers to identify research priorities, formulate hypotheses, and characterise available resources for their potential in alleviating the primary constraints limiting productivity in key components of the agroecosystems. In the second phase, soil biological process studies will be conducted on-station and on-farm to test strategies for modifications to indigenous soil fertilitv management practices to improve resource use efficiency. In the third phase, spatial models will be constructed in order to determine the applicability of extrapolation of improved management practices to wider areas. The project builds on the experimental approach, methodologies and African research network of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility programme Fields of science social sciencessociologydemographyfertilitysocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivityagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and management Programme(s) FP3-STD 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the life sciences and technologies for developing countries, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator BBSRC Institute of Arable Crops Research EU contribution No data Address Rothamsted Experimental Station AL5 2JQ Harpenden United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération (ORSTOM) France EU contribution No data Address 70-74 route d'Aulnay 93143 Bondy See on map Total cost No data Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Kenya EU contribution No data Address Nairobi See on map Total cost No data Misamfu Research Station Zambia EU contribution No data Address Kasama See on map Total cost No data Sokoine University of Agriculture Tanzania EU contribution No data Address Morogoro See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID Spain EU contribution No data Address Isaac Peral 28040 MADRID See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN Denmark EU contribution No data Address 83,Solvgade 83 H 1307 KOEBENHAVN K/COPENHAEGEN See on map Total cost No data University of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe EU contribution No data Address MP 167 Harare See on map Total cost No data
