Integrated soil fertility
Practical Action
Important issue for consideration
The most important thing in soil fertility improvement is to get the plant to use the nutrients
that are applied. The key is to ensure that we have good growing conditions so that the crop
can take up and make use of the applied nutrients. It means that we must have a productive
crop variety suited to that area, planting must be properly done, pests, weeds and diseases
must be controlled, in fact, all operations must be done properly. One important aspect of
proper conditions is balanced nutrition. There must be an adequate supply of all of the other
nutrients if the crop is to make use of the applied nutrients.
Conclusion
Investing in soil fertility management using this method is necessary to help households
mitigate many of the characteristics of poverty, for example by improving the quantity and
quality of food, income, and resilience of soil productive capacity.
However, there seems to be some confusion as to how this yield increase can be achieved. In
many parts of the world, there is an incessant search for new high yielding crop varieties.
These new varieties often fail to increase crop production. Why? High crop yields needs the
same three things; good crop producing machine (the variety), a good supply of raw materials
(nutrients, water, sunlight, air) and a good manager (the farmer) to make sure things run
smoothly.
Further information
Dead Level Contours Practical Action Technical Brief
The A Frame Practical Action Technical Brief
Sand Dams Practical Action Technical Brief
Micro Irrigation Practical Action Technical Brief
"Policies for soil fertility management in Africa" Ian Scoones & Camilla Toulmin IDS
Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Key Sheet 7 ODI
Crops, People and Irrigation G Diemer & F Huibers Practical Action Publishing 1996
Author: Douglas Gumbo: Practical Action Southern Africa
Practical Action Southern Africa
Number 4 Ludlow Road (off Enterprise Road)
Newlands
Harare, Zimbabwe
T +263 (4) 776631-3, 776107, 2936857-60
F +263 (4) 788157
practicalaction@practicalactionzw.org
Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre
Bourton-on-Dunsmore
Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1926 634400
Fax: +44 (0)1926 634401
E-mail: inforserv@practicalaction.org.uk
Website: http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers/
Practical Action is a development charity with a difference. We know the simplest ideas can have the
most profound, life-changing effect on poor people across the world. For over 40 years, we have been
working closely with some of the world’s poorest people - using simple technology to fight poverty and
transform their lives for the better. We currently work in 15 countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin
America.
4