Viewpoint Will Trees Alleviate Hunger in Africa? Frank M. Place he challenges in food production and crop yields are strikingly different across the globe. Here in Africa, the continent with the highest proportion of people in poverty, yields of many staple food crops are far below the potential of even currently available crop germplasm. For example, good stands of maize grow throughout eastern and southern Africa, although in some locations, their occurrence is confined to a few well-managed farms. The major biophysical challenges for boosting yields are improving soil and water management. Recent developments in what are called fertilizer tree systems are showing robust promise on the first of these challenges. Although there is still much to be done and although improvements in water management will be essential, the progress is raising hopes that expanding food production in Africa is within reach. Although soil management in many parts of the world consists of soil conservation and the use of mineral fertilizer, these have historically not been sufficiently applied on African soils. Soil health restoration in Africa once relied significantly on the practice of fallowing (periodically leaving fields unplanted), but because of ever-increasing rural populations, the practice has all
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Will Trees Alleviate Hunger in Africa?
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, Volume 62 (2)
University of California Press – Feb 1, 2012
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