ABSTRACT
Although soil heterogeneity has been well documented, a lesser number of studies proposed ways to deal with heterogeneity in the realm of technical recommendations to improve crop productivity in this region. Evidence from East (e.g., Vanlauwe et al. 2006), West (e.g., Wopereis et al. 2006), and southern Africa (e.g., Zingore et al. 2007a) suggests that soil heterogeneity can greatly influence the response of crops to nutrient additions through mineral and organic fertilizers, the growth and nitrogen fixation potential of legume cover crops (e.g., Chikowo et al. 2006), or the ability of agroforestry
8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 199 8.2 Soil Spatial Heterogeneity in Smallholder Landscapes ........................................................200 8.3 Categorizing Soil Heterogeneity ...........................................................................................202 8.4 Farmers’ Perception and Management of Soil Fertility ....................................................... 210 8.5 Impact of Soil Heterogeneity on Soil Responsiveness to Interventions ............................... 214 8.6 Sensing Soil Condition through Spectral-Based Surveillance ............................................. 217
8.6.1 Surveillance Approach ............................................................................................. 218 8.6.2 Predicting Soil Responsiveness ................................................................................ 219
8.7 Concluding Remarks: Precision Agriculture and Smallholder Farming .............................. 219 References ......................................................................................................................................220
