Achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a multidimensional challenge. SSA reliance on food imports is expected to grow in the coming decades to meet the population's demand, projected to double to over 2 billion people by 2050. In addition, climate change is already affecting food production and supply chains across the region. Addressing these multiple food security challenges will necessitate rapid enhancements in agricultural productivity, which is influenced by a host of demographic, agronomic, and climatic factors. We use statistical approaches to examine rainfed maize in Kenya, where maize cultivation and consumption are widespread and central to livelihoods and national food security. We find that improving a suite of agronomic factors, such as applying fertilizer, planting certified seeds, and extension services, will have a greater effect on rainfed maize productivity than demographics and can offset the effects of climate change. These findings could also offer insights into similar challenges for other crops in Kenya and other SSA countries.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19286-2 | DOI Listing |
Front Plant Sci
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, India.
Maize ( L.) is an important cereal crop grown in arid and semiarid regions of the world. During the reproductive phase, it is more frequently exposed to drought stress, resulting in lower grain yield due to oxidative damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Orange maize genotypes are sources of provitamin A (PVA) carotenoids, which are precursors of vitamin A. PVA deficiency and drought constitute major challenges causing increasing food and nutritional insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Breeding of drought-tolerant provitamin A hybrid maize can mitigate these challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal.
Rhizosphere microorganisms, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), play a vital role in enhancing sustainable maize production. However, uncertainty persist regarding the influence of climate variables and soil properties on mycorrhizal colonization (MC) of maize and the abundance of AM fungal spores in the field. This study aimed to explore the environmental factors such as site climate variables, soil physicochemical properties and topography and vegetation variable, affecting the natural MC of maize and the density of AMF spores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
November 2024
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Estado de México, Texcoco, Mexico.
Sci Total Environ
December 2024
College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China. Electronic address:
Plastic film mulching can effectively increase soil temperature, retain moisture, and enhance crop yield and quality. However, long-term application might pose risks of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and residual film pollution. Biodegradable film provides a crucial solution to alleviate farmland plastic pollution, but it remains unclear whether biodegradable film can simultaneously enhance crop yields and reduce GHG emissions.
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