He estimates that up to two billion dollars worth of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is lost from African soil each year.
The scientist says the word perenniation defines three systems that are already used in Africa. The oldest of the three is called evergreen agriculture. This is where farmers plant trees with their crops. John Reganold says farmers in Africa have been doing this for sixty years, but it seems to be growing in popularity.
The method is gaining widespread use in countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia. The trees are planted among maize, millet or sorghum crops. They not only add nitrogen to the soil through their roots, but also through their leaves when they fall off and break down. At other times of the year, the trees can protect plants from strong sunlight.
John Reganold says he knows of one woman who has had great success with perenniation.
JOHN REGANOLD: “She’s a grandmother in her fifties. Her name is Rhoda Mang’yana and she started using this system about twenty years ago. And her yields initially were about a ton of maize. Now with a good year she gets four tons per hectare. Four times what she was getting.”
Mr. Reganold was one of three researchers who wrote a report about perenniation. It was published in the journal Nature.
And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I’m Steve Ember.
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