Evaluating the Impact of Soil Fertility Heterogeneity on Maize Nutrient Requirement and Productivity in Smallholder Farming Systems

In smallholder farming areas in sub-Saharan Africa, site-specific nutrient management recommendations are important to enhance efficient use of scarce nutrient resources on smallholder farms, taking into account that considerable variability in soil fertility exists within and between farms.

In smallholder farming areas in sub-Saharan Africa, site-specific nutrient management recommendations are important to enhance efficient use of scarce nutrient resources, taking into account that considerable variability in soil fertility exists within and between farms.

Strategic targeting of nutrient resources by smallholder farmers on different field types for optimized resource use efficiencies has remained poor, resulting in sub-economic returns to investments. This study investigated efficient strategies for use of nutrient resources to narrow the exploitable yield gap in maize production on heterogeneous coarse-textured soils under rainfed conditions in eastern Zimbabwe.

In smallholder farming areas in sub-Saharan Africa, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) recommendations are important to enhance efficient use of scarce nutrient resources, taking into account considerable variability in soil fertility exists within and between farms.

Small-holder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa are characterized by large variability in soil fertility at both farm and landscape levels, leading to variable crop productivity and crop response to additions of fertilizer. Consequently, large yield gaps arise from soil fertility differences between fields due to a combination of inherent and management factors.