ABSTRACT
Crop productivity in Southern Africa remains low, although substantial increases have been observed in countries such as Malawi and Zambia, likely driven by significant increases in fertilizer use. Agriculture based on soil nutrient mining is not sustainable since continuous mining can result in substantial soil fertility degradation or even non-responsiveness. Interventions aiming at reversing these common trends are best aligned to the principles of Sustainable Intensification (SI) for economic and environmental reasons. In fact, soil fertility status is fully intertwined with SI and one could argue that the latter cannot happen if soil fertility is poor. Interventions to increase crop productivity also need to take into account existing heterogeneity in smallholder production systems. Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) aims at maximizing the use efficiency of applied fertilizer through the correct application of fertilizer in combination with other amendments that are required to facilitate the recovery of applied fertilizer nutrients and to address non-nutrient related constraints to crop growth. Cropping systems in Southern Africa can benefit from ISFM interventions, but these happen best in the context of enabling conditions, supported by the right policy environment since ISFM requires investment in agro-inputs. New data tools and analytics and information and communication technology can equally assist in taking knowledge-intensive ISFM interventions to scale.
