Scientists find that evergreen agriculture boosts crop yields

[phantom power]

Speaking today at The Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change, Dr. Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, said that evergreen agriculture—or the integration of fertilizer trees into crop and livestock-holding farms—is rapidly emerging as an affordable and accessible solution to improving production on Africa's farms.

"Doubling food production by mid-century, particularly in Africa, will require nonconventional approaches, particularly since so many of the continent's soils are depleted, and farmers are faced with a changing climate," Garrity said. "We need to reinvent agriculture in a sustainable and affordable way, so that it can reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases and be adapted to climate change."

Garrity spoke to leading agriculture and climate scientists, policymakers, development experts, and private sector representatives from around the world gathered at The Hague to develop a concrete action plan for linking agriculture-related investments, policies, and measures to transition agriculture to lower carbon-emitting, climate-resilient growth.

In a recent article in Food Security, Garrity and co-authors highlighted how evergreen agriculture has already provided benefits to several million farmers in Zambia, Malawi, Niger and Burkina Faso. Fertilizer trees draw nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil through their roots and leaf litter, replenishing exhausted soils with rich sources of organic nutrients. The trees bolster nutrient supply, increase food crop yields, and enhance the production of fodder, fuel and timber. These systems also provide additional income to farmers from tree products, while at the same time storing much greater amounts of carbon than other agricultural systems.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-scientists-evergreen-agriculture-boosts-crop.html

[xchrom]

1. fascinating. nt

[hunter]

2. I'd guess there are many sorts of "fertilizer tree" relationships...

... some lost with the indigenous cultures that practiced them, and many unknown.

Studying ancient agricultural practices and natural nitrogen cycles might reduce our dependence upon synthetic fertilizers.

[GliderGuider]

3. How will we ever find enough fuel to feed this growing fire?

I've had about enough growth, I think. We've just about done that one to death - our own and everything else in the biosphere.

Is saying "OK, enough" really all that hard?

[phantom power]

4. I knew you would come.

It's true. I said "I bet GG will take exception to this, as just more enabling."

What that proves is, I spend too much time here.
:toast:

PS, the answer to your question is "yes."
:shrug:

[GliderGuider]

6. You spend too much time here,

And I'm too fucking predictable :-)
:hi:

[Dead_Parrot]

7. If they are crimes...

...we're all in trouble. :)

[NNadir]

5. That is one fascinating article. Thanx. n/t