ABSTRACT
In Africa, maintaining and improving soil fertility are major factors to aatain food security, reduce poverty and address environmental degradation (Sanchez et al, 1997). Formal agricultural research has generated fundamental insights into various aspects of soil fertility management and has developed improved technologies. However, farmers’ application of the results has been below expectations. This is largely because the prevailing extension approaches did not stimulate farmers to assess technologies critically, make adaptations for their specific conditions, learn how to develop the technologies further and assist in farmer organization. Within the diverse and variable environments of rain-fed farming in Africa, farmers already have a wide body of knowledge in addressing soil fertility problems. Research and development programmes should build on these experiences and further develop farmers’ expertise. They should strengthen farmers’ decision-making and action-taking capabilities that are informed by principles and methods and are aided by instruments and tools developed through links with science.
