Rights statement: Copyright by the Ecological Society of America . Front Ecol Environ 2016; 14(2): 71–76, doi:10.1002/fee.1226
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Indigenous African soil enrichment as climate-smart sustainable agriculture alternative
AU - Solomon, Dawit
AU - Lehmann, Johannes
AU - Fraser, James Angus
AU - Leach, Melissa
AU - Amanor, Kojo
AU - Frausin Bustamante, Victoria
AU - Kristiansen, Søren
AU - Millimouno, Dominique
AU - Fairhead, James
N1 - Copyright by the Ecological Society of America . Front Ecol Environ 2016; 14(2): 71–76, doi:10.1002/fee.1226
PY - 2016/3/31
Y1 - 2016/3/31
N2 - We report on an ancient-yet-extant indigenous soil management system in West Africa wherein targeted waste deposition transforms highly-weathered, nutrient- and carbon-poor tropical soils into enduringly fertile, carbon-rich black soils. These “African Dark Earths (AfDE)”, store 200-300% more organic carbon with 2-26 times greater pyrogenic carbon (PyC) that persists much longer in soil than other organic carbon, and therefore important for long-term soil fertility and carbon storage. Compared to strongly acidic (pH 4.3-5.3) adjacent soils (AS), AfDE exhibit higher pH (5.6-6.4) ideal for plant growth, 1.4-3.6 times higher plant nutrient retention and exchange capacity, and 1.3-2.2 and 5-270 times more plant-available nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Despite limited areas, AfDE make disproportionately high contributions (24%) to total farm household income. 14C radiocarbon ages of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) indicate recent development (115-692 years BP). AfDE are an appropriate “climate-smart” agricultural alternative to conventional agriculture to tackle the “trilemma of soil degradation and food security and climate change challenges” in resource-poor, highly food-insecure regions of the world.
AB - We report on an ancient-yet-extant indigenous soil management system in West Africa wherein targeted waste deposition transforms highly-weathered, nutrient- and carbon-poor tropical soils into enduringly fertile, carbon-rich black soils. These “African Dark Earths (AfDE)”, store 200-300% more organic carbon with 2-26 times greater pyrogenic carbon (PyC) that persists much longer in soil than other organic carbon, and therefore important for long-term soil fertility and carbon storage. Compared to strongly acidic (pH 4.3-5.3) adjacent soils (AS), AfDE exhibit higher pH (5.6-6.4) ideal for plant growth, 1.4-3.6 times higher plant nutrient retention and exchange capacity, and 1.3-2.2 and 5-270 times more plant-available nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Despite limited areas, AfDE make disproportionately high contributions (24%) to total farm household income. 14C radiocarbon ages of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) indicate recent development (115-692 years BP). AfDE are an appropriate “climate-smart” agricultural alternative to conventional agriculture to tackle the “trilemma of soil degradation and food security and climate change challenges” in resource-poor, highly food-insecure regions of the world.
U2 - 10.1002/fee.1226
DO - 10.1002/fee.1226
M3 - Journal article
VL - 14
SP - 71
EP - 76
JO - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
JF - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
SN - 1540-9295
IS - 2
ER -