Yield and water use gaps in cereal multicrop systems in sub-Saharan Africa under climate change

To improve the contribution of agriculture to food and nutrition security, average cereal yields in sub-Saharan Africa must reach 70%–80% of the water-limited yield potential in a sustainable manner. Within marginalized agricultural landscapes, intercropping cereals with legumes can contribute to sustainable intensification of cereal systems while contributing to nutritional security. Under increased climate variability, inefficient management of cereal–legume intercrop systems could cause deviations realized from potential crop yields: the yield gap. Information on distribution and, more importantly, the impacts of climate change on productivity is limited but vital if intercropping is to contribute to sustainable intensification of marginalized agriculture. There is a need to manage competition between species to reduce yield gaps in cereal–legume intercrop systems. Under changing climates, optimizing agronomic practices such as time of planting, plant populations, and rate of fertilizer can enhance species complementarity and total productivity; hence increase the productivity of cereal–legume intercrop systems.

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821316-2.00018-2 openalex: W3111477439 mag: 3111477439