Soils in a large part of Niger's agricultural area are sandy and very low in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and organic matter. This low soil fertility combined with low and erratic rainfall constitutes a severe constraint on food cropping in the area. Although agronomists have advised chemical...

Zinc is an important nutrient for plant growth and development. Its availability is influenced by zinc solubilizing microbes (ZSM). Effects of commonly promoted agronomic practices on the abundance of ZSM are so far not well understood. In this study, we assessed the effects of farmyard manure...

Zinc deficiency persists in global food systems causing hidden hunger and disease burdens to vulnerable populations. Past research has demonstrated that agronomic bio-fortification could play a key role in averting the global disease burden associated with insufficient Zn intake. This study was...

Sustainable intensification (SI) of smallholder farms is a major pathway towards attaining food security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the rate at which farmers acquire knowledge impacts the adoption and scaling of newly introduced SI technologies. Understanding the underlying factors that...

Decades of Soviet rule have left a heritage of environmental and social problems in Central Asia. The demise of an entire ecosystem at unprecedented pace, the 'Aral Sea Syndrome', is the most prominent of the undesired outcomes of the focus on agricultural production that has dominated land and...

A wealth of research papers, reports, and newsprint demonstrate the wide international interest in the ecological deterioration in the Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia (CA). The demise of the Aral Sea is a symptom that results from intensive agricultural activities aiming at maximizing...