Crop residues are an important livestock feed resource and as such they are linking crop and animal production in West Africa. They are the second largest feed source for livestock after grazing, especially in the dry season in the savannas.
Soyabean is one of the most promising grain legume crops for improving both human and livestock nutrition in northern Ghana due to its high protein content. Although the crop has been promoted during the past decade by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, amongst others, it is rarely consumed by households.
The prevalence of malnutrition in terms of stunting and wasting is high in rural Northern Ghana. Agriculture plays an important role in access to food, as agriculture represents the population’s main livelihood activity in the area. Hence, multiple programs (including N2Africa) aim to address malnutrition by increasing agricultural production. The position of women is one of the pathways through which agriculture affects children’s dietary nutrient adequacy and nutritional status, as women tend to prioritize the nutrition and health of their children.
We investigated how household production diversity is correlated with dietary diversity and nutrition of infants and young children living in rural farming communities in northern Ghana.
In Podcaster 34 of last year, we reported on progress on our data flows. As an example of how fast data turnover enables timely learning, we presented results of a 2015 climbing bean diagnostic trial in Uganda. Two figures showed the average effects of different inputs and the variation in those effects across different districts.
Centre for Rhizobium Studies published manual "Working with Rhizobia".
The 17th African Association of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (AABNF) conference
The Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) organizes the 17th African Association of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (AABNF) conference to be held in Gaborone, Botswana from 17 – 21 October 2016.
During the N2Africa Field Visits 2016 in Zimbabwe, we visited the inoculant factory in Marondera. The Soil Productivity Research Laboratory (SPRL) in Marondera, Zimbabwe hosts the government-owned inoculant factory of Zimbabwe. It is the sole facility in the country and was opened in 1962 (Corby, 2011)1. In the early days, the inoculant factory produced inoculants for pasture legumes, mainly lucerne and clover species. Production of soyabean inoculants commenced in 1967.
The IITA Bulletin 2319 published articles how N2Africa helps farmers in Nigeria and Borno State gain access to mar