AGFAX Resource - Sustainable Agriculture May 2009

Three farmers, two scientists and a journalist say what they understand by 'sustainable agriculture'. Their ideas include: being on an economic scale; putting back into natural systems; making use of fertilisers, herbicides and machinery; having proper funding; and not being environmentally destructive. Thought-provoking opinions. What's yours?

For crop farmers, the growth of fungus in their crops is often a problem - causing poor plant health and reducing yields. But some types of fungus are useful. Mycorrhiza fungi, for example, form associations with plant roots, which allow the plants to take up more nutrients and give them greater resistance to disease. Mycorrhiza can also improve soil aeration and structure. In Nigeria, scientists are now trying to use them to rehabilitate soils that have been damaged by oil spills.

A young Nigerian farmer shares lessons on how he takes care of his soil. By trial and error, with some input from radio programmes, he has learned about the importance of using fertiliser on his land, to maintain productivity. As a result he has developed a profitable farming business, and is convinced that even if he were to leave Nigeria, he would never leave farming.

When maize plants become infected with maize streak virus, the consequences for the farmer are serious. Yields can be cut by as much as 70%, and there is no way of curing the plants. Preventing plants from being infected is therefore the best strategy. At IITA in Nigeria, the virology department is developing plant varieties that can resist viruses, or not show symptoms even if they become infected.

Cassava used to be thought of as a 'poor man's crop', a necessary option for those farming in areas to dry to grow other staples, such as maize. But modern cassava breeding has produced varieties that are high yielding - up to 30 tonnes per hectare -which are the raw material for a number of booming industries. A cassava trials manager explains how this turn around in fortunes has been achieved.

Five years ago, Dr Lava Kumar was awarded an international prize as the most promising young agricultural scientist of the year. Reflecting on last year's food crisis, he urges school and college leavers to think about a career in agricultural science. With climate change and other environmental challenges, the importance of research to maintain food production is higher than ever. A new breed of young scientists is needed.

As leader of a cassava growers association, Adesiyan Bashir always encourages his fellow members to work closely with researchers. But what are the benefits of doing this? Access to new varieties of cassava has been the most important. As a result of their high yields, Bashir and other farmers are now able to afford the herbicides they need to control weeds in their fields, boosting their yields even further.

Why is there such a gap between work done in agricultural laboratories and actual benefits to farmers? Is it the lack of funding to implement scientific solutions? Are farmers resistant to scientists' ideas because they are not consulted in the research process? Are the media or extension services to blame, for not being interested in science or good at translating it into simple terms? Four participants at a conference for young agricultural scientists give their views.

Five people - a research institute director, a farmer, a scientist, a journalist and a lecturer - are asked to make three wishes for improving agricultural sustainability in Africa. Their answers include: increasing governmental priority for agriculture; giving farmers access to machinery, markets and fertilisers; preventing deforestation; and transforming Africa's transport and energy infrastructure. What would your three wishes be?