ABSTRACT
In developing countries, drought and low soil fertility are the main sources of reduced yields for cereal crops (Heisey and Edmeades, 1999; Edmeades et al., 2001). Drought strongly affects the production of maize, sorghum, rice, wheat, and pearl millet, and poses a serious threat to the food security of households, countries, and even entire subcontinents. Globally, sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected region. FAO estimates that 44% of the land surface in sub-Saharan Africa is subject to a high risk of meteorological drought, affecting 21% of the maize area and reducing yields by 33%, on average. In the tropics where over 90% of all maize is grown under rainfed conditions, irrigation is often unavailable or not within the financial capacity of farmers. Droughts in 1992 and again in 2002 have reduced maize production in the parts of the southern African region by 50% or more.
