Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition

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 in research fields or the potential from crop models is large. Most of the reaso...

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Autores principales: Omondi, J.O., Chiduwa, M.S., Kyei-Boahen, S., Masikati, P., Nyagumbo, I.
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168897
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author Omondi, J.O.
Chiduwa, M.S.
Kyei-Boahen, S.
Masikati, P.
Nyagumbo, I.
author_browse Chiduwa, M.S.
Kyei-Boahen, S.
Masikati, P.
Nyagumbo, I.
Omondi, J.O.
author_facet Omondi, J.O.
Chiduwa, M.S.
Kyei-Boahen, S.
Masikati, P.
Nyagumbo, I.
author_sort Omondi, J.O.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description 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 in research fields or the potential from crop models is large. Most of the reasons for the yield gap are known including low to non-application of appropriate fertilizers and inoculants, late planting, low plant populations, using recycled seeds, and poor crop management practices. However, quantifying them in terms of yield gap (yield gap decomposition) is a challenge. Here, we assessed the contribution of various crop management practices and inputs to yield gap, the actual potential farmer yield, and the major factors limiting soybean yield increase per unit area. This study showed that to close the soybean yield gap, besides soil nutrients and plant nutrition, soybean variety is the most limiting factor in Malawi and Zambia followed by disease damage in Malawi and seed rate in Zambia. Whereas, in Mozambique, seed rate is significant, although the seeds should have high viability, followed by the variety. 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, in that order. 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.
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spelling CGSpace1688972025-01-14T02:02:43Z Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition Omondi, J.O. Chiduwa, M.S. Kyei-Boahen, S. Masikati, P. Nyagumbo, I. yield gap sustainable agriculture intensification farming systems land management 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 in research fields or the potential from crop models is large. Most of the reasons for the yield gap are known including low to non-application of appropriate fertilizers and inoculants, late planting, low plant populations, using recycled seeds, and poor crop management practices. However, quantifying them in terms of yield gap (yield gap decomposition) is a challenge. Here, we assessed the contribution of various crop management practices and inputs to yield gap, the actual potential farmer yield, and the major factors limiting soybean yield increase per unit area. This study showed that to close the soybean yield gap, besides soil nutrients and plant nutrition, soybean variety is the most limiting factor in Malawi and Zambia followed by disease damage in Malawi and seed rate in Zambia. Whereas, in Mozambique, seed rate is significant, although the seeds should have high viability, followed by the variety. 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, in that order. 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. 2024-11 2025-01-13T11:02:24Z 2025-01-13T11:02:24Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168897 en Open Access application/pdf International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Omondi, J.O., Chiduwa, M.S., Kyei-Boahen, S., Masikati, P. & Nyagumbo, I. (2024). Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition. Nairobi, Kenya: IITA, (19 p.).
spellingShingle yield gap
sustainable agriculture
intensification
farming systems
land management
Omondi, J.O.
Chiduwa, M.S.
Kyei-Boahen, S.
Masikati, P.
Nyagumbo, I.
Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title_full Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title_fullStr Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title_full_unstemmed Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title_short Quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in Southern Africa: a yield gap decomposition
title_sort quantifying factors limiting soybean yield in southern africa a yield gap decomposition
topic yield gap
sustainable agriculture
intensification
farming systems
land management
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168897
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