SOM 24: Advances in Soil Organic Matter for Africa’s Food Security

The 9th Symposium on Organic Matter (SOM 24) held in Benguérir, Morocco this May brought together specialists and stakeholders from across the world to address the many critical issues involved in soil organic matter (SOM) research. This was the first opportunity for Africa to host this forum and was an excellent chance for the UM6P campus to shine in its capacity as a centre for excellence. With an African nation as the host, this also allowed the Continents’s challenges for SOM and carbon management to take centre stage.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of organic matter as a driving factor towards sustainability in Africa. Healthy and productive soils are critical to ensuring its food security, and most regions are highly vulnerable to shocks induced by a varying climate and a history of soil degrading farming practices. Here we briefly delve into some of the key insights extracted from the symposium, focusing on SOM management solutions for Africa, their importance for food security, and how they connect with APNI’s efforts. ??

SOM: an African context

SOM is crucial for maintaining soil health and ensuring more sustainable forms of agricultural production. Agricultural activities form the backbone of many African economies. However, during his keynote address, APNI’s Dr. Shamie Zingore emphasized that Africa continues to face significant challenges related to soil health, primarily due to low soil organic carbon (SOC) levels.

“SOC ranges between 0 to 25 tons per hectare in African soils, much lower than the global average. “This situation is exacerbated by chronic soil nutrient depletion, poor crop management practices, and extensive land degradation.” — Dr. Shamie Zingore, Director of Research and Development

Approximately 65% of Africa's cropland is degraded, leading to low yields, non-responsive soils, expansion of agricultural production systems that aggravate climate change, and many negative environmental impacts including biodiversity loss, reduced ecosystem services, and higher risks for malnutrition and poverty.

SOM is essential to establish efficient cycling of nutrients in agricultural production systems. It also contributes to soil’s ability to retain water and maintain a good structure for crop growth. Together, these soil health traits contribute to the sustainability of soil fertility, which in turn secures higher crop yields. In Africa, where food insecurity is prevalent, improved SOM leads to higher agricultural productivity, food availability, human nutrition, and social welfare. SOM's capacity to sequester carbon also helps mitigate climate change, providing a dual benefit of enhanced agricultural resilience and environmental sustainability.

Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) of fertilizers and organic inputs plus locally adapted agronomy is recognized as way to create yield-building, SOM-accumulating package of practices that are well suited to Africa’s cropping systems. “ISFM can maximize nutrient use efficiency and improve crop productivity while maintaining soil health,” explained Dr. Kwame Frimpong, Senior Scientist, during his Keynote address. “Adapting forms of Conservation Agriculture to Africa cropping systems also provides a [much needed] focus on maintaining a permanent soil cover, minimizing soil disturbance, and promoting innovative crop rotations that all contribute to enhanced resilience and better soil quality and biodiversity.”

In combination with ISFM, APNI’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship strategy—using the right source of nutrients, at the right rate, right time, and in the right place—is an integral part of SOM and soil health improvement. This approach ensures that nutrients are applied in a way that optimizes plant uptake and minimizes environmental impact, regardless of their form. By tailoring nutrient management to specific crop needs and soil conditions, the 4R strategy helps maintain or increase SOM levels, improve crop yields, and support sustainable agricultural practices.

APNI was able to showcase various strategies to enhance SOM and improve soil health at SOM 24. For example, the benefits of integrating legumes into maize cropping systems was a topic addressed by Dr. Canon Norris Savala Engoke, Senior Scientist.“Our research shows that crop rotation diversification and intercropping with legumes is a path to soil organic matter enrichment, and soil nutrient cycling that leads to improved maize yields and long-term soil health benefits.” Research presented on residue recycling and soil moisture dynamics in arid West Africa by Dr. Kokou Adambounou, Scientist, demonstrated how integrated soil and crop management can enhance soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization and improve crop performance under variable rainfall conditions. Aboubacar Mariko, Intissar Mouamine, and Aziza Tangi presented their respective works on sustaining our management of olive landscapes through a better understanding of whole tree C sequestration and biomass accumulation, the carbon-nitrogen-water nexus within the landscape, and inclusive solutions for the protection of olive tree C stocks. Moreover, Dr. James Mutegi, Senior Scientist, discussed APNI's efforts towards developing a minimum soil health dataset framework to standardize soil health assessment and support evidence-based decision-making. It's a comprehensive approach we are leading to integrate local conditions and innovative practices—both vital for the enhancement of SOM and promotion of sustainable agricultural intensification in Africa.

The 9th Symposium on Organic Matter underscored the critical importance of enhancing soil organic matter to address Africa's longstanding agricultural challenges. By adopting integrated soil fertility management, conservation agriculture, innovative cropping systems, and 4R Nutrient Stewardship, African farmers can create a system for sustainable crop yield and soil health improvement. The efforts of APNI and its researchers in developing practical solutions and advancing our understanding of SOM management are vital in this context. Prioritizing investment in soil health, promoting research and innovation, and implementing effective policies will be key to achieving long-term agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability across the continent.

Contributors:

Sara Lamsili, Jr. Project Communications Manager

Gavin Sulewski, Sr. Editor | Communications Lead

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