Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa
Abstract Soybean production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing as its demand for food, feed, cash, and soil fertility improvement soars. Yet, the difference between the smallholder farmers’ yield and either the attainable or the potential is large. Here, we assessed the contribution of variou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Series: | npj Sustainable Agriculture |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00039-9 |
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| author | John Okoth Omondi Mazvita Sheila Chiduwa Stephen Kyei-Boahen Patricia Masikati Isaiah Nyagumbo |
| author_facet | John Okoth Omondi Mazvita Sheila Chiduwa Stephen Kyei-Boahen Patricia Masikati Isaiah Nyagumbo |
| author_sort | John Okoth Omondi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Soybean production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing as its demand for food, feed, cash, and soil fertility improvement soars. Yet, the difference between the smallholder farmers’ yield and either the attainable or the potential is large. Here, we assessed the contribution of various crop management practices to yield gap, and the major factors limiting soybean yield increase per unit area. This study showed that besides soil nutrients and plant nutrition, soybean variety is the most limiting factor in Malawi and Zambia, whereas, in Mozambique, seed rate is significant. Overall, in the Southern Africa region (Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique) the major soybean yield gap contributors are: variety (63.9%), seed rate (49.7%), and disease damage (36.3%), especially soybean rust. An indication that through yield gap decomposition, interventions could be prioritized to target the most yield-limiting factors with the minimum resources available to smallholder farmers and immensely narrow the yield gap. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-97b59f85d5f14c56a0d0ddb7d3d6bd37 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-9202 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Sustainable Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-97b59f85d5f14c56a0d0ddb7d3d6bd372025-02-02T12:38:05ZengNature Portfolionpj Sustainable Agriculture2731-92022024-12-012111110.1038/s44264-024-00039-9Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern AfricaJohn Okoth Omondi0Mazvita Sheila Chiduwa1Stephen Kyei-Boahen2Patricia Masikati3Isaiah Nyagumbo4International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Chitedze Research StationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Chitedze Research StationInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Av. FPLM via CorraneWorld Agroforestry (ICRAF), St. Eugene Office Park, 39 P Lake Road KabulongaInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Chitedze Research StationAbstract Soybean production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing as its demand for food, feed, cash, and soil fertility improvement soars. Yet, the difference between the smallholder farmers’ yield and either the attainable or the potential is large. Here, we assessed the contribution of various crop management practices to yield gap, and the major factors limiting soybean yield increase per unit area. This study showed that besides soil nutrients and plant nutrition, soybean variety is the most limiting factor in Malawi and Zambia, whereas, in Mozambique, seed rate is significant. Overall, in the Southern Africa region (Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique) the major soybean yield gap contributors are: variety (63.9%), seed rate (49.7%), and disease damage (36.3%), especially soybean rust. An indication that through yield gap decomposition, interventions could be prioritized to target the most yield-limiting factors with the minimum resources available to smallholder farmers and immensely narrow the yield gap.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00039-9 |
| spellingShingle | John Okoth Omondi Mazvita Sheila Chiduwa Stephen Kyei-Boahen Patricia Masikati Isaiah Nyagumbo Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa npj Sustainable Agriculture |
| title | Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa |
| title_full | Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa |
| title_fullStr | Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa |
| title_short | Yield gap decomposition: quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa |
| title_sort | yield gap decomposition quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in southern africa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00039-9 |
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