Farmers in Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Uruguay are increasing crop yields and enhancing the fertility and quality of the soil in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective way – thanks to the results of an IAEA coordinated research project recently concluded in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“We are making the most of our resources while addressing the challenges posed by food scarcity and climate change,” said Setiyo Hadi Waluyo, a scientist at the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) in Indonesia.
The work is based on a simple concept: that crop yields can be maximized through an integrated cropping-livestock production system that recycles the nutrients present in both animal manure and crop residues. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers that release large quantities of greenhouse gases and thereby contribute to climate change. Isotopic techniques are used to measure the amount of fertilizer in the soil and therefore the effectiveness of the concept.
Commercial farming operations are often based on monoculture practices, in which the same crop is grown on the same plot year after year. Monoculture over time results in lower so fertility, so excessive amounts of synthetic fertilizer are required to replenish the nutrients taken up and used by the crops.
In integrated cropping-livestock systems, which have been increasingly used over the last five years, livestock may either graze the field crops directly or may be fed the crop after harvesting. Farmers then collect the manure from the livestock and use it as fertilizer, thereby returning many of the nutrients to the soil.
“This process enriches the soil with carbon and other essential plant nutrients, drastically reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers,” said Mohammad Zaman, a soil scientist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. “They also improve the soil’s structure, so its capacity to absorb water and conserve nutrients increases, leading to higher crop yields and to reduced greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.”
The use of integrated cropping-livestock systems, enhanced through this coordinated research project, is likely to extend far beyond the countries that participate in this project.
“What is especially encouraging about integrated crop-livestock practices is that they are not limited to certain geographical areas or climates. If the land is suitable for crop cultivation, it’s suitable for integrated crop-livestock practices,” Zaman said.
Original source: IAEA
Published on 11 July 2018
