A golden age for agronomy?

Transcription

1 A golden age for agronomy? Three issues 1. Is this a Golden Age for agronomy? Ken Giller Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University 2. Contested Agronomy the case of Conservation Agriculture 3. Future challenges - Agronomy in context The development spotlight shifted Grain prices 199s the dark ages? 23 Hilary Benn White Paper Agriculture and Poverty: Unlocking the Potential 25 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started their Agricultural Development Program 26 Rockefeller Foundation & BMGF started AGRA (Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa) 28 World Development Report Agriculture for Development $ Mg jan-2 jan-3 jan-4 jan-5 jan-6 jan-7 jan-8 Maize (US Gulf) Rice (Thailand) Soybean (Rotterdam) Wheat (US Gulf) jan-9 jan-1 jan-11 jan-12 jan-13 jan-14 jan-15 World&Bank& &Global&Economic&Monitor&(data&un;l&May&215)& hap://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=globall EconomicLMonitorL(GEM)LCommodi;es&l=en#& 1&

2 Global impacts Global impacts Publications on food security Students studying Plant Sciences No of publications 28 student number Students starting BSc Plant Sciences Wageningen University student number Students starting MSc Plant Sciences Wageningen University year year Scopus 5/9/215 2&

3 Three issues The problem of poor soil fertility in Africa 1. Is this a Golden Age for agronomy? Yes! 2. Contested Agronomy the case of Conservation Agriculture 3. Future challenges - Agronomy in context Potential solutions - Nitrogen fixing legumes Legume green manures Green manures on smallholder farms there are no silver bullets. Grain legumes Legume tree fallows Legume forages 3&

4 FAO Workshop 28 Investment in soil health = Conservation Agriculture Principles of Conservation Agriculture 1. Minimum or no mechanical soil disturbance 2. Permanent organic soil cover maintain crop residues to achieve >3% soil cover 3. Diversified rotations (with legumes) The heretics view Conservation agriculture promoted as a panacea Univocal promotion by international organizations, NGOs (and churches!) stifled debate e.g.. the plough is the enemy of sustainability See Two main arguments: 1. Scientific evidence to support the claims made for CA was unclear and inconsistent 2. CA did not fit within the majority of smallholder farming systems in Africa Giller, K.E., Witter, E., Corbeels, M., Tittonell, P., (29) Field Crops Research 114, DE-COMPACTION ZONE IN ZERO TILLAGE Competition for crop residues hap://conserva;onag.wordpress.com/29/12/1/kenlgillerslpaperlonlconserva;onl&& agriculture&& & 4&

5 &the&text&clearly&says& Trials'in'southern'Africa'saw'a'six3 fold'increase'in'maize'yields ;&it&does&not&claim&a&6&fold& yield&increase&for&ca&in&general && &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Theodor&Friedrich,&FAO,&21/3/11 18 Farm(er)s are not all the same! CA in Central Kenya on diverse fields Resource-rich farm Resourcepoor farm Guto, de Ridder, Pypers Vanlauwe & Giller (212) Agron. J. 14, &

6 Competition for crop residues Slide from an advisory consultancy for BMGF Second question Second question 2. Is farming (as we know it) heading for extinction? 2. Is farming (as we know it) heading for extinction? &

7 Have you brought me fertilizer? Protracted Relief Programme, 21 Zimbabwe, inputs provided for.25 ha Evidence for adoption of CA in Madagascar Area (ha) under CA Increase in the area (ha) under CA at Lac Alaotra, Madagascar - Projet BV/LAC Year Does the contestation of CA only concern less-developed countries?! No!! John Kirkegaard et al. (214) Sense and nonsense in conservation agriculture: Principles, pragmatism and productivity in Australian mixed farming systems Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 187, ! Giller et al. (215) Beyond Conservation Agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6, Article 87 &&& CA&in&Malawi ' and'some'fell'by'the'wayside...''''''''''''(tris;n&bouwman&/jens&andersson,&216)' & 7&

8 Three issues Response to P and inoculation with soybean in western Kenya 1. Is this a Golden Age for agronomy? Yes! 2. Contested Agronomy the case of Conservation Agriculture and the beat goes on 3. Future challenges agronomy in context Long term trial results in Western Kenya 21 Effect of P-fertilizer and/or Inoculant on soybean grain yield (t ha -1 ) in Nigeria, 211 and 212 Cumulative probability of economic return to use of inputs in soybean (USD ha -1 ) in Nigeria, 211 and 212 Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Ronner et al. (216) Field Crops Research, 186, Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Ronner et al. (216) Field Crops Research, 186, &

9 Potato yields on a high-tech farm in the Netherlands 5 A Golden Age for agronomy? Agronomy is in the spotlight # fields Are we ready for the Great Leap forward? Tuber yield (ton ha -1 ) Van&den&Borne&Aardappelen,&Reusel,&southern&Netherlands& &~&12&fields,&5&ha 9&