Application of the GYGA approach to Uganda. C. Kayuki Kaizzi

Transcription

1 Application of the GYGA approach to Uganda C. Kayuki Kaizzi

2 Introduction About 4 million households in Uganda survive on agriculture and a significant proportion live below the poverty line and suffer chronic food insecurity Land degradation due to soil erosion and nutrient depletion is widespread resulting in declining productivity, increasing food and nutrition insecurity and poverty. Fertilizer usage rate is estimated at 0.23 kg ha -1 is partly due to the high nutrient price to produce farm-gate price (C:P) ratio and other socio-economic factors.

3 Introduction Inorganic fertilizers and manure were applied on only 1.0% and 6.8% of the parcels of agricultural land, respectively (Uganda National Household Survey). Only 2% of smallholders use inorganic fertilizer, with about 24% applying organic inputs mostly on perennial crops. UBOS (Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2006). Of the estimated 5.13 Mha of land owned, only 4.42 Mha arable, and only about 58% of the total arable land was under crop production in 2008

4 SOILS IN UGANDA Soils are very old and deeply weathered; About 10% of the total land area had soils with a productivity rating above medium, > 25% had soils rated as unproductive, hence leaving about 50% the land surface with soils rated as medium. A medium rating implies that the soils will only yield good crops under good management through the use of organic manures or inorganic fertilizer during the cropping phase, practicing crop rotation, controlling soil erosion through soil and water conservation and resting the land. MOYO KAABONG KOBOKOYUMBE NYADRI KITGUM ADJUMANI ARUA GULU KOTIDO PADER AMORO MOROTO NEBBI OYAM BULIISA MASINDI APAC LIRA DOKOLO District Boundary AMURIA AMURIAKATAKWI ACRIC FERRALSOLS NAKAPIRIPIRIT KIBAALE BUNDIBUGYO KABAROLE KYENJOJO JINJA MITYANAWAKISO KAMPALA IBANDA KIRUHURALYANTONDE MASAKA BUSHENYI ISINGIRO MUKONO BUGIRI MAYUGE GLEYSOLS HISTIC ANDOSOLS HISTOSOLS LEPTIC ANDOSOLS LUVIC ANDOSOLS LUVISOLS LUVISOLS ACRIC FERRALSOLS KALANGALA RAKAI GLEYIC ARENOSOLS LIXIC FERRALSOLS SEMBABULE RUKUNGIRI KANUNGU NTUNGAMO EUTRIC REGOSOLS LEPTOSOLS MPIGI MBARARA EUTRIC GLEYSOLS LAKE BUSIA KAMWENGE KASESE KISOROKABALE DYSTRIC REGOSOLS KUMI BUKEDEAKAPCHORWA NAKASONGOLA BUKWA SIRONKO PALLISA NAKASEKE BUDAKA BUDUDA KAMULI KALIRO KIBOGA MBALE KAYUNGA NAMUTUMBABUTALEJAMANAFWA LUWEERO IGANGA TORORO MUBENDE ARENOSOLS CALCISOLS KABERAMAIDO AMOLOTAR SOROTI HOIMA Legend MELANIC ANDOSOLS NITISOLS PETRIC PLINTHOSOLS(Acric) PLANOSOLS SKELETIC ANDOSOLS VERTISOLS

5 Climate zonation for Uganda

6 Characteristics of Smallholder agriculture in Uganda Mainly rain fed Little fertilizer use Fertilizer use is costly to buy often requires 15 to 20 kg grain to buy 1 kg N for comparison, it requires ~6 kg in US Low yield and nutrient removal in harvest but Negative nutrient balances

7 Soil Fertility depletion and land degradation Average nutrient depletion rates in selected agroecological zones of Uganda (Source Kaizzi et al., 2004)

8 Major food crops Maize - over 90% of Uganda s maize is produced by smallholders. Finger millet is the second most important after maize. Up to 65% country s acreage is the northern and eastern Uganda. Grain sorghum is the third most important cereal crop and an important food security crop and a staple in much of eastern and northern Uganda

9 Major food crops Rice is grown in many parts of the country but the principal areas are northern, eastern and mid-western. Rice is second to none in economic returns to the smallholder farmer on the basis of labor per man-day per ha Lowland rice id dominant but upland rice is currently being promoted Wheat is mainly produced in the districts of eastern, south western and western highlands

10 Production Statistics Average yield per region Crop Central Eastern Northern Western Uganda Average yield t/ha Maize Sorghum Rice

11 Potential yield (from breeders) Maize Ùpland rice Sorghum OPV Hybrids Variety Yield t/ha Variety Yield t/ha Variety Yield t/ha VPMax 5 SUPARICA 1 5 SESO Longe 1 and 5 4 SUPARICA 2 5 SESO Longe 1 5 NERICA 4 5 EPURIPUR 2.5 Ssalongo 8 NERICA SEKEDO 4 Longe 7H 8 Longe 10H 7 Wanak 9

12 Methodology: Data sources and their use Harvested area and actual yields District-level data on annual actual yields were retrieved from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Actual yield data from 2008 to calculate average actual yields per buffer zone.

13 Soil data Soil data have been derived by ISRIC from the Africa Soil profile data base (

14 Weather data and reference weather stations Historical daily weather data from the Uganda Department of Meteorology. Weather sets are available for 30 locations in Uganda and contain ten or more years of data. Weather data were derived from weather propagation as based on historical weather data, and from NASA-POWER (

15 Crop and management information Management practices for each RWS buffer zone included: dominant crop rotations and their proportions of the total harvested area, planting dates, dominant cultivar name and maturity, and actual and optimal plant population density.

16 RESULTS Mean country values for the potential, water limited and actual yields (air dry), and the yield gaps for the main grain crops and the actual cropping intensity and the harvested area per crop Country Uganda Yield Watlim or Pot. (ton/ha) Idem CV of Yield Wat-lim or Pot (%) Idem Yield actual (ton/ha) Idem Yield gap (ton/ha) Idem Actual cropping intensity Idem Harvested area (10 3 ha) Maize Maize Sorghum Millet Wheat Wheat Rice Rice Irrigated Rainfed Rainfed Rainfed Irrigateted Rainfed Irriga- Rainfed n.a. n.a. n.a n.a. n.a. n.a n.a. n.a. n.a n.a. n.a. n.a n.a. n.a. n.a n.a. n.a. n.a. 87.0

17 Implication The data clearly shows that there is a potential to increase yield of the selected cereals through irrigation, hence food and income security for farmers Govt. should invest in irrigation facilities (small, medium and large scale) to increase from the current 15% of irrigation potential to close the yield gap Research is required to improve water use efficiency

18 Research and development Addressing low and declining soil fertility through ISFM, increased fertilizer use, area specific fertilizer recommendations, etc. Increased awareness of potential of fertilizers (organic and inorganic) to increase crop yield Availability and accessibility of good quality fertilizers Right fertilizer formulation (balance crop nutrition) quality food

19 USE OF GYGA DATABASE Awareness creation for policy makers through policy briefs and communication material, Defining or recommending interventions required at different levels to close the yield gap Guide breeding programs to attain higher yields