• Introduction

• The Specific Objectives of AfNet

• Research Highlights

• Information and Documentation

• Training and Capacity Building
  

• Membership and Network Management

• Contact

Introduction

Soil fertility degradation is perhaps the single most important constraint to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Soil fertility decline is not just a problem of nutrient deficiency but also of (1) inappropriate germplasm and cropping system, (2) pests and diseases, (3) the linkage between poverty and land degradation, (4) the often contradictory national and global policies with respect to incentives, and (5) institutional failures.

Tackling soil fertility issues thus requires a long-term perspective and holistic approach. The African Network for Soil Biology and Fertility (AfNet) of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute at CIAT is dedicated to confronting these issues.  

AfNet is TSBF’s single most important implementing agency in Africa. Its main goal is to strengthen and sustain stakeholder capacity to generate, share, and apply knowledge and skills in soil fertility and biology management to contribute to the welfare of farming communities. This mechanism facilitates and promotes collaboration in research and development among scientists in Africa, who would then be able to develop innovative and practical resource management interventions for sustainable food production. AfNet’s members include national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and universities, particularly those working with soil science, social science, agronomy, and technology exchange.

African countries participating in the network

AfNet’s Specific Objectives

• To achieve economies of scale and efficiency in soil fertility research by concentrating scarce human, financial, and other resources on key national and regional problems
• To provide increased bargaining power with external partners
• To minimize duplication
• To exchange information and combine the collective experience of professionals in the same field
• To carry out collaborative research through network experiments
• To undertake joint capacity building.

Research Highlights

As per the four TSBF research themes (Managing ecosystem services, Managing nutrient cycles, Managing below-ground biodiversity, and Empowering farmers), the following research has been carried out by 2000.

Managing ecosystem services

• The development of the Organic Resource Database (ORD)
• Combining organic/ inorganic N and P sources
• Cattle manure management
• Fertilizer equivalencies of organic materials.

Managing nutrient cycles

• Efficacy of soil organic matter fractionation methods on soils of different texture under similar management
• Maintenance of soil fertility under continuous cropping in a maize-bean rotation.

Managing below-ground biodiversity

• Diversity, abundance, and functions of soil fauna in relation to quality of organic residues
• Regional network for biological nitrogen fixation
• Soil beneficial microorganisms and sustainable agricultural production.

Empowering farmers

• An economic analysis of soil conservation on smallholder farms
• Soil fertility management in small scale farmers’ fields
• Kraal manure and inorganic fertilizer interaction.

Network trials

During this same period, network trials were established in Eastern and Southern Africa. Strong additive effect of combined inorganic N and organic material was noticed in Kabete site Kenya, whereby more than 180 percent increase of maize grain yield was obtained from a combination of urea and tithonia. As compared with a yield increase of 60 percent when the same amount of N is applied only in form of inorganic fertilizer (urea).

The fertilizer equivalency value for different organic materials was found to be dependent on the percentage N contained in the material. The higher the N content in the material, the higher the fertilizer equivalent value as it was noted in Madagascar and Malawi with the use of tephrosia and Pigeon pea respectively.

Information and Documentation

A major constraint to soil biological research faced by many national scientists is limited access to current research findings. Not only should network members have access to current research developments but also the results of their own work should be effectively disseminated. A major function of the TSBF is to publish, synthesize, and disseminate research results relevant to its program goals.

Training and Capacity Building

The availability of personnel suitably trained in the appropriate techniques is essential for sustainable agricultural development and research. Because investment in knowledge and human resources is central to sustained development, capacity building should help rehabilitate and strengthen research and higher education in Africa. The TSBF also promotes interest in soil biology among scientists by providing experience and orientation in TSBF methods through short courses, internship, and attendance at professional meetings.

Membership and Network Management

Any scientist conducting research in Africa within the framework of the TSBF research strategy can apply for membership.  Membership implies sharing objectives, principles, and research approach. Membership may be either institutional or individual.

The network is coordinated by the TSBF Institute’s Network Coordinator at CIAT’s Office in the ICRAF complex at Gigiri, Nairobi. The Coordinator is assisted by a Liaison Officer, who is elected for a 2-year term by network members.

The overall management of the network is provided by a scientific committee composed of two network members, the Liaison Officer, the Coordinator, and the Director of TSBF-CIAT.

Contact

For more information about the African Network for Soil Biology and Fertility (AfNet), please contact the Coordination Office:

Address: P.O.Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: J.Ogola@cgiar.org
Tel.: ++254 2 524755
Fax: ++254 2 524763