Nutrients on the Move: Soil fertility dynamics in African farming systems

The last decade has witnessed rising concern over the extent to which soils in Africa are becoming degraded and the threat that this poses to agricultural production, livelihoods and the environment. However, while studies of soil fertility at national level present negative nutrient balances, the picture is more varied at field and farm level where households have developed a wide range of management strategies. Measures to support better soil husbandry need to consider what is actually happening at farm and field level, how the management of soil fertility varies between different fields, farmers and locations, and the implications of this diversity for design of interventions aimed at improving the management of soil fertility. This book presents a series of case studies on soil fertility management strategies from six African countries.