Integrated Soil Fertility and Water Management Practices for Enhanced Agricultural Productivity

Declining agricultural productivity has been a challenge worldwide and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Low agricultural productivity has been attributed to factors such as poor farm management practices, soil moisture stress, soil infertility, and soil degradation, among others. The nations in the SSA are prone to insufficient crop yields due to their inadequate capacity to adapt to good agricultural practices that support crop productivity such as integrated soil fertility and water management (ISFWM) practices. This lowers the farmers' capacity to improve crop productivity, thus contributing in jeopardizing the food and nutritional security in SSA. Past research has shown that ISFWM strategies have not been properly adopted probably due to the lack of adequate awareness among the farmers about them. In addition, there is limited documentation on the importance of ISFWM in enhancement of soil fertility, water use efficiency, and sustainable crop production in SSA. This paper discusses some of the key ISFWM options that have the potential to enhance soil fertility, improve water use efficiency, and consequently increase agricultural productivity. The practices include intercropping, use of tied ridges, minimum tillage, mulching, and combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers.