#agroforestry in Kenya
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1,300 Kenyan Farmers Graduate After Four Years of First-of-its-Kind Sustainable Agroforestry and Climate Action Training Program
Discover how over 1,300 farmers in Homa Bay, Kenya, are transforming their livelihoods and restoring the environment through Trees for the Future’s Forest Garden Program, a sustainable agroforestry initiative. Learn how agroforestry techniques like composting, crop rotation, and tree planting are empowering farmers in Kenya to combat climate change, increase food security, and boost…
#agroforestry in Kenya#agroforestry income generation#agroforestry projects#biodiversity conservation#biodiversity enhancement#carbon offset projects#carbon sequestration#climate change Solutions#composting techniques#crop rotation#crop yields#deforestation reversal#entrepreneurial farming#environmental sustainability#farmer training#farmer-to-farmer learning#Food security#Forest Garden Program#green jobs in agriculture.#Homa Bay agroforestry#integrated pest management#reforestation#smallholder farmers#soil carbon improvements#soil restoration#Sustainable agroforestry#sustainable farming practices#tree biomass#tree planting#women in agriculture
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Sugarcane is a widely grown crop in the Nile Basin, but its destructive effects on soils, water resources and biodiversity have become increasingly apparent.
As the thirsty crop draws down water resources, aquatic species like the critically endangered Nubian flapshell turtle suffer a loss of habitat, forage and nesting sites.
In an effort to revive soils, diversify diets and incomes, and boost water levels that many animals rely on, communities are implementing agroforestry projects in lieu of monocultures.
The resulting “food forests” attract an array of wildlife while refilling wetlands and river systems where the culturally important flapshell turtles swim.
#good news#nile river#africa#kenya#nubian flapshell turtle#food forest#restoration#turtles#agroforestry#environmentalism#science#environment#nature#animals#conservation#sugarcane
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Land Restoration, Reclamation or Rehabilitation: Agroforestry comes to play
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#Agroforestry#Kenya#Land Reclamation#Land Rehabilitation#land restoration#multipurpose agroforestry trees#pioneer species
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Neha Wadekar in Baringo county, Kenya
Susan Chomba glares out the window of the Prado Land Cruiser at dozens of motorcycles speeding in the opposite direction. Each motorcycle carries at least five bags of charcoal and for every bag, at least three medium-sized acacia trees must be chopped down and burned. Charcoal production is banned in Kenya, but is still widely used for domestic heat and cooking.
Chomba loves trees. She can rattle off the scientific and local names of countless species and detail their ideal growing conditions. She holds a PhD in forest governance and master’s degrees in agriculture development and agroforestry. She is director of food, land and water programs, continent-wide, at the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global environmental research non-profit. She manages a portfolio of $20m and a staff of 100.
She is a rarity.
Roughly 12% of the world’s top climate scientists are women and fewer than one percent are from Africa – a continent hard hit by climate change. “If you look at the way the world operates, it’s almost blind to the fact that women bear the biggest burden and brunt of climate change,” Chomba says. That Chomba is an African woman in such a key role is potentially revolutionary, especially because she goes out of her way to solicit the views of those most affected and often most unheard – local farmers, community elders and, notably, women.
“The way climate is seen in the world, it’s seen very much from a masculine perspective,” Chomba says. For example, while male climate scientists focus heavily on developing renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuels like oil and gas, Chomba believes they pay far less attention to the hundreds of millions of women worldwide who are burning wood for tasks like cooking. Incorporating the perspectives of women – particularly poor, rural women – would better ensure comprehensive solutions, she says.
Chomba is 40 years old but still remembers the hunger pangs she suffered as a child when the land failed to yield enough food for her family. More people, most likely women and children, will suffer the same fate, or worse, if wise and profound changes aren’t made soon.
Today, she is traveling with a team of WRI experts from Nairobi to Baringo county in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, home to mountainous forests that supply 75% of Kenya’s water. But the expansion of agriculture into previously natural environments, deforestation for charcoal and logging, urbanization and climate change have ravaged the land, leaving it thirsty and bare. Locals say they haven’t had a yield of maize or beans, their staple crops, in three years.
Chomba and her team visit a giant gully that has split the ground into two in the middle of the farmland. The area has been overharvested and overgrazed, with few natural grasses or indigenous trees left to hold the soil together. That, combined with climate change and an intense dry season, has left the earth looking like parched, cracked skin.
An elderly farmer points to a tree and says cooking oil can be extracted from the native species.
“How can we do this through the Terrafund?” Chomba asks her team, referring to the WRI’s lending program to support businesses addressing land degradation and restoration. “We have a muze [an elder] with knowledge, a fund that wants to invest and a place that needs seedlings.”
There’s an urgent need for community-driven ideas, but hasty, half-baked “solutions” can exacerbate harm, Chomba argues on the drive to Baringo county. At the end of last year, for example, Kenya’s newly-elected president, William Ruto, announced his intention to plant 15bn trees in Kenya by 2032. But Chomba says the plan fails to specify which species will be planted (native or foreign), where they will be planted (forest reserves or communal farms), why they will be planted (for timber, carbon, fruit, or soil fertility), and who will actually grow them.
“The devil is in the details, and that’s lacking,” Chomba says. “If you don’t address deforestation causes, forget about your tree planting. It’s useless.”
Chomba grew up in Kirinyaga county in central Kenya, where her mother cultivated a small plot of land owned by a step-uncle. Chomba’s mother grew capsicum and french beans and formed cooperatives with other farmers so they could pool their products for export. Because her mother was a single parent and was always working, Chomba was largely raised by her grandmother.
“She used to tell me that if she could have gone to school, she would have studied so much that knowledge would be smoking out of her nostrils,” Chomba says. “She made sure that I knew that education was my only path out of poverty, out of the life we had back then.”
When Chomba was nine, her mother wanted to send her to a local boarding school, but the admissions staff in Kirinyaga took one look at her shabby clothes and turned her down.
“I’m not ashamed of my childhood poverty,” Chomba says today. “It’s what propelled me back then and what makes me sensitive to-date.”
Instead, Chomba traveled alone on a bus to a different boarding school in Western Kenya. A few years later, when Chomba’s mother ran out of money, Chomba returned to the provincial high school in Kirinyaga. Each student was given their own small patch of land to farm, and Chomba grew cabbage because they thrived in Kirinyaga’s cold climate. She experimented with organic farming, opting to use garlic and blackjack instead of chemical pesticides.
Chomba flashes a broad smile: “My cabbages were absolutely massive.”
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Kenyans were pushing back against the dictator Daniel Arap Moi, Wangari Maathai was pressing for forest conservation and fighting for multiparty democracy. Maathai, the first African woman to win a Nobel peace prize, inspired a generation of young, female Kenyan environmentalists.
“We just admired Professor Wangari,” Chomba says. “She taught us that nature belongs to all of us.”
Chomba wanted to study law, but she missed the university cut off by a single point. Her second choice was agricultural economics, but by a strange twist of fate, she was placed in a forestry course. It wasn’t until her third year, when Chomba took an agroforestry class, that she realized she had found her calling.
“The gods chose my life for me,” she says.
While Maathai was protesting in the streets, Chomba chose another path more aligned to her strengths – research.
“I have a lot of respect for activism, I think we need activism,” Chomba says. But she opted instead for a job that relies on evidence-based data as the basis to change systemic structures.
Chomba joined the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and led an eight-country land restoration program, called “Regreening Africa,” which restored one million hectares of Africa’s degraded lands. By now a single parent, Chomba had to leave her son at home with her mother to pursue dual master’s degrees in Europe.
“[S]he had to really fight,” says Tom Vandenbosch, one of Chomba’s first mentors at ICRAF. “Her having a young son when she had to move to Europe to finish her studies – that’s not something which is so easy to do.”
Chomba returned to ICRAF as a climate change researcher advising some of the brightest diplomatic minds in Africa convened to tackle climate change at the Conference of Peoples (COP). Chomba called it “the most humbling space I ever occupied as a young researcher,” and says the job “touched the social justice part of my soul.”
This experience convinced Chomba to get her PhD at the University of Copenhagen.
Chomba married her husband in 2009 and gave birth to their son in 2010. Both her sons seem interested in the environment, but “kids never do what their parents want them to do”, Chomba admits.
Chomba's team pulls up to the Baringo county government offices after a five-hour drive, enters a tiny office and crams around a table occupied by local officials. She will need their staff, resources and approval to operate in the county.
She strategically mentions budget numbers for Terrafund and as she utters the amount set aside for the Greater Rift Valley region – $6m – the officials straighten up, their interest piqued.
But challenges remain. Chomba broaches the issue of illegal charcoal production. One government official waives aside her concerns, citing Kenya’s struggling economy. “They are selling charcoal because they have no other option,” he says.
Chomba rolls her eyes.
The following morning, Chomba spends hours in the stifling heat speaking with women who are part of a grassroots gender-empowerment cooperative. Florence Lomariwo fled her home as a child to escape female genital cutting and child marriage and became a college-educated teacher. She describes how the drought is causing armed clashes between male herders, who are ranging farther from home to graze and water their livestock. Left alone, women are bearing the brunt of this.
“Most of the women are suffering deaths because of lack of water,” Lomariwo says. “For our family to survive, a woman [must] travel, even if it is 100km.”
Monicah Aluku, a 37-year-old widow, speaks up.
“Feel our pain,” she says. “There is no water. Women are walking so far to get water that they are miscarrying. There is no healthcare system. Kids are drinking dirty water and getting typhoid. We are really suffering.”
Chomba leans forward. She nods intently with a serious, steady gaze. Chomba and her team were scheduled to head back to Nairobi around 1pm, but they don’t leave until hours later. And only after Chomba has heard from every woman in the room.
This story was produced by the Fuller Project, a global newsroom dedicated to groundbreaking reporting that catalyzes positive change for women
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Every year, “millions of dollars” are spent on reforesting landscapes, according to Lalisa Duguma of World Agroforestry, an international research agency in Nairobi, Kenya. Yet “there are few success stories.” Typically only a minority of seedlings survive, he says, because the wrong trees are planted in the wrong places, and many are left untended, in part because ownership and management of trees is not handed over to local communities.
this article had me thinking about those "carbon offset" credits you can buy from airlines that i believe normally go into tree planting initiatives like this.
good to know about the legitimacy of things like this, it's a reminder that "carbon offsetting" can't actually replace putting less carbon into the air.
#climate change#climate science#its pretty sad#maybe i'll see if i can find a positive article later#hope is just as important as information
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Empowering Women in Agriculture: Catalysts for Global Change
For centuries, agriculture has been seen as a male-dominated field, but this narrative is swiftly changing. Women are emerging as key players in the global agricultural landscape, driving food security, economic growth, and sustainable development.
The Vital Role of Women in Agriculture
Women account for about 43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, with this figure rising to as much as 70% in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They shoulder essential tasks like planting, weeding, harvesting, and processing crops. Additionally, they manage livestock care, food preservation, and small-scale farms. Despite these significant contributions, women in agriculture face numerous challenges, including limited access to land, credit, training, and technology.
BreakingBarriers:Education and Training
Empowering women through education and training is crucial for enhancing their productivity and ensuring their equal participation in agriculture. Various programs and initiatives have been launched to provide women with the knowledge and skills needed to adopt modern farming practices, improve crop yields, and manage their farms more effectively.
For example, the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) In India,has trained over 50,000 women farmers, equipping them with modern farming techniques and facilitating access to credit and markets.
Similarly, the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) program has been working to strengthen the research and leadership skills of African women scientists, ensuring they can contribute to the continent’s agricultural growth.
Spotlight on Influential Women in Agriculture
Dr. Vandana Shiva (India)
Dr. Vandana Shiva has tirelessly advocated for sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty in India, founding Navdanya,, a national movement to protect indigenous seeds and promote organic farming.Her work has empowered countless women farmers in India to reclaim their rights over seeds and promote organic farming.
Wanjira Mathai (Kenya)
Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, continues her mother’s legacy through her work in environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture. As the chair of the Green Belt Movement, she has been instrumental in advocating for agroforestry and empowering women in rural Kenya to plant trees and grow food sustainably. Mathai's work has not only improved food security but also addressed climate change and land degradation.
Leah Penniman (United States)
Leah Penniman is the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-Indigenous centred community farm in New York. She is a leader in the food justice movement and has dedicated her life to ending racism in the food system. Penniman’s work focuses on training the next generation of Black and Brown farmers, promoting regenerative farming practices, and advocating for policies that support small-scale farmers of colour.
Fatou Batta (Burkina Faso)
Fatou Batta is a leading advocate for women’s rights in agriculture and a prominent figure in promoting sustainable agriculture in West Africa. As a key partner with Groundswell International, she has dedicated her efforts to empowering rural women through education, access to credit, and the adoption of ecological farming practices. Batta’s work has significantly improved the lives of thousands of women farmers in Burkina Faso and beyond, helping them to increase their agricultural productivity and achieve greater financial independence.
Women’s Cooperatives: A Path to Economic Empowerment
Women's cooperatives have become a powerful tool for economic empowerment in agriculture. By pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and collectively negotiating prices, these cooperatives allow women to overcome the barriers they face individually. Cooperatives also provide a platform for women to participate in decision-making and leadership roles.
In Kenya, the Kilimanjaro Women Coffee Growers Cooperative has transformed the lives of over 500 women, increasing their income by 40% and reinvesting profits into essential community projects like schools and healthcare.
The Future of Women in Agriculture
The future of agriculture, and indeed the sustainability of our planet, depends on the full inclusion of women. As global challenges like climate change, food insecurity, and population growth intensify, women’s participation in agriculture will be pivotal in achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. To make this a reality, organizations and governments must prioritize policies that promote gender equality in agriculture. This includes ensuring women have equal access to land and resources, providing tailored agricultural extension services, and creating environments where women can thrive as leaders and innovators.
Conclusion
Women are the backbone of agriculture, yet their contributions often go unrecognized. By breaking down the barriers they face and empowering them with the tools and opportunities they need, we can ensure that women continue to drive agricultural growth and development worldwide. The future of global food security depends on harnessing the full potential of women in agriculture.
Spotlight on Women in Agricultural Technology at AgriNext Awards,Conference & Expo 2024
At the upcoming AgriNext Awards, Conference & Expo 2024, the spotlight will shine on 'Women in Agricultural Technology,' where industry leaders will showcase their groundbreaking innovations that are revolutionizing the future of farming.
Women Leading the Charge in Agri-Tech
AgriNext Awards, Conference & Expo 2024 has curated an impressive lineup of women who are at the forefront of technological advancements in agriculture.
Meet some of the leaders who are pushing the boundaries in their respective fields and inspiring others through their commitment to innovation and sustainable practices:
Gilwoo Lee (South Korea) - CEO of Zordi
Nadine Benchaffai - Venture Builder Director at Dana Global
Dr. Hansa Shingrakhia (India) - Co-Founder of AgriGuru Online
Dr. Christina Timi Igono (Nigeria) - Founder and CEO of Eight Orbit Urban Farms
The "Women in Agricultural Technology" session at AgriNext 2024 is a testament to the growing influence of women in the agri-tech sector. As Gilwoo Lee, Nadine Benchaffi, and other trailblazers take the stage, they will not only share their groundbreaking work but also pave the way for a future where agriculture is more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable.
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CONSULTANCY CLIMATE RESILIENT AGROFORESTRY VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS 2024 - WORLD VISION KENYA
WORLD VISION KENYA TENDER JULY 2024 TENDER NOTICE World Vision Kenya (WVK) is a Christian, relief, advocacy and development organization that is committed to improving the well-being of children, fam-ilies and communities in Kenya through projects in most parts of the country. We hereby invite tenders from all qualified and reputable Consultants in Climate Resilient Agroforestry Value Chain…
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DR. ASTER GEBREKIRSTOS // SCIENTIST
“She is a Ethiopian senior scientist, leader of the Dendrochronology Laboratory at the Center for International Forestry Research and a professor of agroforestry at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). As a dendrochronologist, she established dendrochronology laboratory in Ethiopia in 2009, the dendrochronology laboratory at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources in 2010, and the World Agroforestry Centre's dendrochronology laboratory in Kenya in 2013.”
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Microsoft signs deal to remove 350,000 tonnes of carbon through agroforestry
Read the full story from ESG Today. Microsoft and climate finance company Catona Climate announced today that they have signed a new 6-year offtake agreement, with Microsoft purchasing 350,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits generated through agroforestry projects in Kenya, and marking the latest in a series of large-scale nature-based carbon removal deals for the tech giant.
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Mukau will put cash in your pocket and food on the table Melia volkensii is indigenous to Africa’s arid and semi-arid lands. Common in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania, it is sometimes referred to as the African mahogany because of its hard and expensive wood.
#Jica#Melia volkensii#mukau#Tim Wanyonyi#Useful Trees and Shrubs for Kenya#World Agroforestry Centre
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A Sustainable Solution to Flood-Ravaged Kenyan Communities: Chinese-funded Bamboo Agroforestry Initiative
Discover how bamboo farming along Kenya’s Nzoia River is helping farmers prevent floods, restore degraded land, and create new income sources through eco-friendly products. Learn how a China-funded bamboo agroforestry project is empowering Kenyan farmers to protect against floods, improve food security, and boost livelihoods with sustainable practices. Explore how bamboo cultivation is…
#bamboo farming#bamboo products#bamboo technology#Chinese Academy of Sciences#climate change adaptation#Climate resilience#eco-friendly income#environmental conservation#flood prevention#Food security#Kenya agroforestry#kenyan farmers#Local livelihoods#Nzoia River#riverbank stabilization#Sino-Africa cooperation#soil restoration#sustainable agriculture#sustainable livelihoods#UNEP-IEMP
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Planting trees with with Dan at his gorgeous Organic Farm in Munyaka! This soil is so incredibly rich and free from dangerous chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Dan is using Maasai dung, fermented cow urine and compost tea for additives! Patrick, our Sistema.bio agent is a passionate mobilizer who drove us to meet Dan- this is one of the most beautiful places we have visited here in Kenya-so grateful for this day to Plant fruit trees on a Farm where we know the fruits will be served in their natural form with no dangerous chemicals! Check out that mountain view! . . . . . . . . #nochemical #tree #biocraftreforestationproject #biocrafting #farmorganically #agroforestry #lovelyday #mountainview #hydropower #geothermal #protectmountains #cleanenergy #solar #edicate #collaborate #connect #network #newfriends #munyaka #kenya #eastafrica #monomono #asanti #hakunamatata #feelathome @repage3 (at Munyaka, Gathara) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6FKlRqlKmD/?igshid=gyljbs9aqw02
#nochemical#tree#biocraftreforestationproject#biocrafting#farmorganically#agroforestry#lovelyday#mountainview#hydropower#geothermal#protectmountains#cleanenergy#solar#edicate#collaborate#connect#network#newfriends#munyaka#kenya#eastafrica#monomono#asanti#hakunamatata#feelathome
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Driving a Healthy Coastline Ecosystem through Mangrove Restoration
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#Agroforestry#blue economy#Ceriops#Florida Department of Environmental Protection#Kenya Marine Conservation#Mangrove Restoration#TIFS-Kilifi
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Iris Publishers - World Journal of Agriculture and Soil Science (WJASS)
Soil Restoration: Drought Resistance, Soil Health Improvement, Toxin Sequestration and Worms
Authored by Leonard Sonnenschein
Land and water systems are on the verge of a collapse due to various failed schemes [1]. The ecological impact on water/land use along with dilutive residues of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and over-use of soil and waterways have led to an inability for land and water systems to be sustainably managed.
The effects of climate change have further marginalized Land and Sea productivity due to change in soil and water conditions and relative cropping/water use equations [2].
Effluents from farm fields are toxifying streams and residues are being built up in adjoined waterways in the form of new eutrophic zones (dead zones); often the result of fertilizers being used to heavily increase agricultural production without consideration of the land and water ecosystem resource impact.
Discussion
The effects of agricultural runoff: nitrogen and phosphates
The agricultural sector is primarily responsible for excess nitrogen in the form of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, phosphorus, pesticides, and pathogen pollution of water bodies in agricultural zones. Nitrogen and phosphorous are causal to eutrophication in water bodies and affecting aquatic life [3]. In maize production region of Uasin Gishu County, which is Kenya’s food basket, Ontumbi et al. [4] established that River Sosiani was stressed by nutrients (nitrates and phosphorous) originating from agricultural activities resulting in loss of biodiversity [5] and algal blooms. In Zimbabwe, Nyamangara et al. [6] reported that anthropogenic activities within the Upper Manyame Catchment Area (UMCA) were the major sources of nitrate and phosphate pollution in the three rivers and were a serious threat to the environmental sustainability of the rivers and lakes downstream. A study conducted in central Tanzania region of Singida on soils and water resources revealed that nitrate levels in water in the selected locations in Singida Urban District ranges from 105 mg/L to 476 mg/L, the values which are above the maximum recommended standard of 50 mg/L as described by WHO [7] and of 20 mg/L as per TBS [8], thus long term consumption by human beings and animals without treatment to reduce levels of nitrates may result in health problems in human and animals in the area. High levels of nitrates in water in the study area resulted from human activities particularly waste disposal, the use of natural agricultural inputs (animal manure) and crop residuals [9]. Concentration of nitrate in groundwater in many parts of Tanzania is above the background level of 10 mg/l and in some places exceeds WHO maximum recommended levels for drinking water. Highest values were observed in urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Tanga where the concentration of nitrate in some aquifers was higher than 400 mg/l. Generally, in urban areas, concentration of nitrate in groundwater samples decreased as one moved from densely populated areas to sparsely populated areas probably due to decreasing density of sanitation facilities. In rural settings, elevated nitrate concentration in the groundwater probably was contributed by excessive use of fertilizers (inorganic fertilizers and animal manure) [10].
Restoring plant health
Plant health can be affected by lack of either or both macro and micronutrients, disease and pests’ infestations and physiological disorders. Nutrient deficiencies can be as a result of lack or excess of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium or boron, copper, zinc etc. Most croplands of Tanzania have low fertility and nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient [11]. Soil phosphorus availability is commonly low. There are occasional indications of localized Cu, Zn and Mn deficiencies [12].
• Nitrogen deficiency: Low or high pH soils make the problem worse as do sandy and light soils because leaching takes place with the nutrients draining away through the soil too easily.
• Phosphorous (P): Acidic and very alkaline soils worsen the plant health. Crops with poorly developed root systems struggle without enough phosphorous.
• Potassium (K): Drought conditions and high rainfall or heavy irrigation are equally problematic when the balances of potassium are important for healthy green foliage and ensures optimal root growth.
• Magnesium (Mg): Magnesium contributes towards healthy plant development, aids with maturation process to bring forward the harvest and improves yield.
• Calcium (Ca): Calcium is important for healthy foliage and contributes to improved quality of grain and increased yields.
• Sulphur (S): S contributes to green foliage, healthy growth of the maize plant and contributes to an effective uptake of nitrogen by the crop.
• Boron (B): B is particularly important for cob and kernel development.
• Zinc (Zn): Zinc is important for good plant development early in the season and helps improve yields as well as speeds up the maturation of the plant to bring the harvest date forward.
According to Sonnenschein and Etyang [13], maize plants respond to improved soil health visually noted with increased natural moisture retention with soil becoming darker, having more worms per cubic meter of soil also indicating greater soil microbial life, with the stalks and roots being taller and thicker thus resulting in higher plant biomass in addition to doubling the cob production, pest and pathogen-free with far greater nutritional density when compared to the control plants. Clearly, micronutrients play a very important role in the life cycle of a plant.
Restoring tree productivity
Many smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa practice agroforestry. These systems have prevailed despite persistent attempts to introduce monoculture production of annual crops, which have been much less successful in Africa than elsewhere. This calls for use of low-cost option of agroforestry to replenish the lost soil nutrients. Agroforestry has been known to enhance soil fertility, improve farm income, protect water catchments, restore landscapes, conserve biodiversity and resilience against the impacts of climate change in sub Saharan Africa [14]. Soil carbon, in the form of organic matter is an indicator of soil biological activity and health. The use of diverse tree species in agroforestry systems represents alternative forms of increasing soil fertility and sustaining agricultural production [15]. Agroforestry practices have been promoted for decades both in the tropics and temperate regions of the world for their perceived benefits of not only improving soil quality, but also providing other ecosystem services [16]. Many of the environmental benefits and ecosystem services expected from agroforestry would not be materialized unless these practices improved the capacity of soils to be productive and healthy over the long term. Incorporation of trees in agroforestry enhances the Soil Organic Matter (OM) by adding litter both above and belowground. Soil OM is the energy source of soil organisms and influences both soil biodiversity and associated soil biological functions. As a result, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is one of the important indicators used in assessing soil health [17].
Agriculture practices affect fisheries productivity, coral reef restoration and water health
Lake Victoria in East Africa has been a recipient of both agricultural and urban waste resulting in an increase in phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, water hyacinth, and eradication of endemic cichlid fishes [3]. Mangroves at the Kenyan coast are under persistent pressure from human activities such as fish farming, manufacturing of salt, agriculture production and housing construction. Mangroves help in siltation of coral reefs and contributes to organic matter and nutrients productivity of the coastal ecosystems [18].
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are photosynthetic and chemosynthetic bacteria that under favorable environmental conditions produce toxic secondary metabolites (cyanotoxins) which are harmful to the environment, including humans. Harmful cyanobacteria, or CyanoHABs, are now a problem of global environmental concern and efforts are being taken to prevent, predict, minimizes, and suppress their occurrences [19]. In nearby Lake Victoria, blooms of cyanobacteria have been observed since 1980 which are associated with massive fish kills [12]. Studies by Kihwele et al., [20] and others in the United Republic of Tanzania have demonstrated the occurrence of toxin producingcyanobacteria in specific regions.
Other indicator species such as Flamingos have shown mortality from the presence of these harmful algal blooms in Tanzania is the mass fatality of Lesser Flamingos in saline lakes in Arusha and Manyara Region [21].
In order to investigate the potential for microcystin (MC) production by cyanobacteria in the Mwanza Gulf (Lake Victoria, Tanzania), nutrients, phytoplankton and microcyst ins were sampled inshore (3m depth) and offshore (18m depth) from May to August 2002. Significant differences in soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and nitrate concentrations between offshore and inshore indicated eutrophication via terrestrial run-off.
To read more about this article: https://irispublishers.com/wjass/fulltext/soil-restoration-drought-resistance-soil-health-improvement-toxin-sequestration-and-worms.ID.000573.php
Indexing List of Iris Publishers: https://medium.com/@irispublishers/what-is-the-indexing-list-of-iris-publishers-4ace353e4eee
Iris publishers google scholar citations: https://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=irispublishers&btnG=
#journal of agriculture#Agriculture and Soil Science#Soil Science#Animal Sciences#Inter National Agriculture Science
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Save Trees | Save Earth | Tuesday Motivation | Ram Sankar | Chennai Influencer
The tree is essential:
Tree planting and welfare is one of the needs of the country today. A study article says that if ten more years, Tamil Nadu will be a desert. To prevent this, many organizations are organizing tree planting. The trees are free to grow millions of trees free of charge.
#savetrees #savewater #nature #savetheplanet #savenature #saveearth #gogreen #india #saveenvironment #environment #trees #photography #saveanimals #green #naturephotography #planttrees #love #tree #savetheearth #ecofriendly #earth #bhfyp #forest #climatechange #wwf #globalwarming #bishnoi #instagram #savewildlife #ramsankar #digitalizewithram #befocused #chennai #influencer #chennaiinfluencer #tamilandu #india
Growing a Home Tree”The phrase," There is a need to grow a tree. “Trees are the gift of nature. She is the first baby to bloom in the lap of a natural mother! Can we do it without them? Would we not be thankful for doing so? No, we must stop thinking only of ourselves and learn to think in the interests of the world and the needs of future generations.Trapped in the grip of selfishness, human society destroys nature, cuts down trees, cuts down forests, and sets fire to itself. This is to prevent such an act. It is very appropriate to contemplate the benefits and usefulness of trees at this time! Benefits of Trees:With the growth of the industry and the use of many electrical appliances, the trees are the ones to clean this polluted environment! Oxygen trees factory Yes, trees cleanse the air and provide shade. The idiom of the shade is visible in the sun. What is causing the heat? This is due to the shade we caused when we destroyed the trees. Trees are a haven for birds and animals. Trees prevent soil erosion. Helps groundwater. It is the trees that help evaporate and rain and evaporate!So trees need to grow. Trees provide us with foods such as flower, kai, fruit and lettuce. They also help you create better drugs. It also helps to ship and make a wide variety of materials ranging from woodworking to large items such as fireplaces and fireplaces.We need to grow trees that will help in many ways. We have to grow a lot of trees and create forests. These are the wealth of our country. The grandson would benefit from the grandfather planting at that time. In this time, the one who holds the tree is tempted to grieve. This is what it is today. What is impossible with science? We combine synthetic fertilizers with a beneficial method. But is it not the Silver Mountain that benefits us in the least? Why this emergency? What has become of man's patience? Where's the rest? Relax is not the main thing! So everybody should remember this.Let's go the way of nature! We grow trees, fruit plants and vines! Let’s take advantage! Let’s make Green Bharat !!
Carbon dioxide
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700 crore trees to prevent climate change: UN Plan:
The United Nations has planted 300 million trees worldwide to prevent climate change caused by global warming. The UN has decided to plant a total of 700 million trees in this process. The spokesman said.
Only trees and forests have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide. On the contrary, deforestation, man-made charcoal contributes 20% of total carbon dioxide production. Tree planting was initiated in 2006 on behalf of two organizations, the United Nations Environment Program and the World Agroforestry Center.Currently, Ethiopia is leading the planting of 72.5 crore trees, and Turkey is leading the second stage of planting 70 million trees. In this list, Mexico (47,24,04,266 trees) is in 3rd place, Kenya (13,98,93,668 trees) is in 4th place and Cuba is in 5th place with 13,74,76,771 trees. The UN has urged the world's environmental centers to focus their attention on tree planting. The ecosystem is demanding.
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