Soil Fertility Constraints Faced by Smallholder Farmers in Southern Africa

by Dr. Jude J.O Odhiambo University of Venda, South Africa

Abstract: Smallholder farmers play a very critical role in ensuring food security, especially at household level. In south Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa in general, smallholder farmers face several soil fertility challenges which are exacerbated by climate change. In south Africa, the smallholder farms are generally located in areas with highly degraded soils (historical as a result of apartheid policies) and due to little or no inputs to the soil coupled with lack of sufficient knowledge on good soil fertility management practices, crop yield are often very low. To help alleviate these challenges and improve crop yield, appropriate interventions are necessary. These will ensure the sustainable use of soil as a natural resource as well as food security. This talk will highlight the soil fertility challenges faced by the farmers, some of the research conducted to attempt to address these challenges and suggest some recommendations to ensure continued appropriate soil fertility management and sustainable use of soil for efficient crop production.

in person & 

https://fiu.zoom.us/j/96553974173?pwd=S0tnaFJpWUp2UU9tRk9oZ FFLVmowdz09 Meeting ID: 965 5397 4173 Passcode: x4ypq