Browsing by Author "Lal, Rattan"

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    Climate change and multi-dimensional sustainability in African agriculture
    (Springer International Publishing AG, 2016) Lal, Rattan; Singh, Bal Ram; Kraybill, David; Mosogoya, Theodosy; Hansen, David O.; Eik, Lars Olav
    Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States who held office from 1954–1961, stated during an address at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, on September 26, 1956 that “farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you are a thousand miles from a cornfield.” While Eisenhower might not have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the challenges facing small landholders and resource-poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), his remarks are even more relevant now than ever. Among the principal environmental-sustainability chal- lenges in SSA are: (1) providing food security to 250 million hungry people (1 in 4 people) in Africa; (2) reducing soil degradation; (3) preserving forests and improving soil and ecosystem C pools; (4) adapting to and mitigating the causes of changing and uncertain climate events; (5) eliminating poverty; and (6) alleviating drought. Drought is the single most natural-disaster in SSA, with strong adverse impacts on crop yield, animal productivity and human wellbeing. It is aggravated by anthropogenic factors and constrains agricultural production in SSA. The risks of drought are likely to be further exacerbated by projected climate changes, including ever increasing temperatures. In SSA, 95 % of agriculture is rain-fed, leaving it highly susceptible to drought. There are 6 types of drought (Fig. 1.1). Pedologic and agronomic droughts, in particular, are strongly aggravated by soil degradation and desertification and adversely impact crop growth and agronomic productivity.
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    Climate Impacts on Agricultural and Natural Resource Sustainability in Africa
    (Springer, 2020) Singh, Bal Ram; Safalaoh, Andy; Amuri, Nyambilila A; Eik, Lars Olav; Sitaula, Bishal K; Lal, Rattan
    The major challenge related to sustainable management of natural resources, agricultural and livestock production, and the assessment of innovative technologies and policies is to identify solutions for these problems. Soil degradation, a serious problem in sub-Saharan Africa, is affected by climate change through emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Thus, restoration and sustainable management of soil to minimize risks of soil degradation are important to adaptation and mitigation of climate change and to advancing sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Livestock is a source of animal proteins for humans on the one hand and a source of nutrients and energy (biogas) on the other. However, livestock is vulnerable to many climate change-induced disasters such as prolonged droughts and floods, resulting in loss of animals and feed resources. In order to fully benefit from livestock, the targeted interventions needed include adoption of feed preservation technologies, including hay and silage for use during lean periods, controlled planning and management of com- munal grazing areas, rehabilitation of degraded communal grazing areas, and range- lands as a way of improving pasture availability. Research and development priorities and emerging issues include conservation agriculture (CA), use of legume-based crop- ping systems, integrated nutrient management (INM), climate-resilient livestock and feed systems, value addition policies, and adoption of innovative technologies.