Effects of Different Types of Litters and Fertilizer Application on Growth and Productivity of Maize (Zea mays L. var. Across 86 Pool 16) in Senegal

Abstract

Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge not only for developing nations, but also for the developed world. In the 1996 Rome Declaration on World Food Security, food security is defined as: food that is available at all times, to which all persons have means of access; that is nutritionally adequate in terms of quantity, quality, and variety; and is acceptable within a given culture (Madeley, 2002). Therefore, food insecurity is not simply a failure of agriculture to produce sufficient food at the national level, but instead a failure of livelihoods to guarantee access to sufficient food at the household level. Thus, availability, access, and affordability are all elements of food security. Food security is affected by a complexity of factors. The root cause in developing countries, Africa in general and Sub–Saharan Africa in particular, is the inability of people to gain access to food due to poverty (IAC, 2004). The major challenge for Africa in terms of food security is its underdeveloped agricultural sector that is characterized by over–reliance on primary agriculture, low soil fertility, minimal use of external farm inputs, environmental degradation, significant food crop loss both pre– and post–harvest, minimal value addition and product differentiation, and inadequate food storage and preservation that results in significant commodity price fluctuation. In Senegal, as in all other West–African countries, the food situation is far from being satisfactory, and more than 32% of households live under the poverty line (Daps, 1990). Ninety five percent of the food in Sub–Saharan Africa is grown under rain fed agriculture (IAC, 2004). Hence, food production is vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. Since the 70’s, agriculture in the Sahelian area has been characterized by erratic rainfalls (Davis–Carter, 1989). There is an overall decline in farm input investment including fertilizers, seeds, and the adoption of technology. The soils continue to degrade leading to the reduction of farm productivity. Other factors that negatively affect agriculture in Africa include the decline in the use and length of fallow periods, the expansion of agricultural production into marginal and fragile areas, the removal of vegetation through over grazing, the rapid population growth leading to land pressure, the limited access to agriculture– related technical assistance, and the lack of knowledge Effects of Different Types of Litters and Fertilizer Application on Growth and Productivity of Maize (Zea mays L. var. Across 86 Pool 16) in Senegal