Rice grows on the banks of a river in the Dogon country of Mali.Credit: Lynne Smit
Agronomic practices such as soil and plant nutrition, weed control, and water management, combined with moderate cropland expansion could increase rice production in Africa, and help achieve self-sufficiency, a new study has found. Currently, domestic rice production only fulfils 60% of Africa’s demand in Africa, which is expected to more than double in the next 25 years.
The new study, published in Nature Communications, shows that the average yield represents less than half of the potential that could be achieved through better agronomic practices.
Led by researchers at the Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan in collaboration with Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in Côte d’Ivoire, the study used extensive data collection across 15 rice-producing countries that collectively account for 80% of total rice production in Africa. A process-based crop simulation modelling approach, combined with local weather, soil, and management datasets, assessed the scope for improving rice production through crop intensification, using a new crop modelling approach to estimate the difference between yield potential and the farmers’ average yields. It found that soil and plant nutrition, weed control, and water management can close the exploitable yield gap by 50% by 2050.
They used the process-based crop simulation model based on long-term weather, dominant soil types, and local crop calendars, and account for differences in water supply in each system.
The study identified regions with the largest room for increasing yield at regional, national, and subnational levels. Egypt and Senegal were shown to achieve yields close to yield potential, while East Africa exhibited the largest exploitable yield gap for irrigated rice. Shen Yuan, the lead author, says implementing the approach can enhance food security, increase farmer incomes, and reduce environmental impacts.
