Rooting for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa
| Autor: | Guilpart, Nicolas, Grassini, Patricio, van Wart, Justin, Yang, Haishun, Van Ittersum, Martin Klass, van Bussel, Lenny G. J., Wolf, Joost, Claessens, Lieven, Leenaars, Johan G. B., Cassman, Kenneth G. |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Agronomie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AgroParisTech, University of Nebraska [Lincoln], University of Nebraska System, Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), Environmental Systems Analysis Group, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics [Inde] (ICRISAT), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR] (CGIAR), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Soil Geography and Landscape Group, World Soil Information (ISRIC), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
yield gap
[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] soil depth sub-saharan Africa food security water requirements PE&RC maize Bodemgeografie en Landschap Environmental Systems Analysis Plant Production Systems Plantaardige Productiesystemen Milieusysteemanalyse [SDE]Environmental Sciences Soil Geography and Landscape ISRIC - World Soil Information |
| Zdroj: | Environmental Research Letters 12 (2017) 11 Environmental Research Letters Environmental Research Letters, IOP Publishing, 2017, 12 (11), pp.1-8. ⟨10.1088/1748-9326/aa9003⟩ Environmental Research Letters 11 (12), 1-8. (2017) Environmental Research Letters, 12(11) |
| ISSN: | 1748-9326 |
| DOI: | 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9003⟩ |
| Popis: | International audience; There is a persistent narrative about the potential of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to be a 'grain breadbasket' because of large gaps between current low yields and yield potential with good management, and vast land resources with adequate rainfall. However, rigorous evaluation of the extent to which soils can support high, stable yields has been limited by lack of data on rootable soil depth of sufficient quality and spatial resolution. Here we use location-specific climate data, a robust spatial upscaling approach, and crop simulation to assess sensitivity of rainfed maize yields to root-zone water holding capacity. We find that SSA could produce a modest maize surplus but only if rootable soil depths are comparable to that of other major breadbaskets, such as the US Corn Belt and South American Pampas, which is unlikely based on currently available information. Otherwise, producing surplus grain for export will depend on expansion of crop area with the challenge of directing this expansion to regions where soil depth and rainfall are supportive of high and consistent yields, and where negative impacts on biodiversity are minimal. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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