Innovative agroecological practices can restore degraded farmlands and revive crop yields

Land degradation is a major obstacle to agricultural development in Africa, where it's accentuated by poor practices and climate change effects. Restoration of degraded lands crucial prevent incursions into virgin marginal lands. A field experiment was carried out over four-year period on two sites, assess compare the effect common of: (i) burning crop residues weeds resource-poor farmers (T1) (ii) followed with application manure and/or NPK as external inputs (T2) resource-endowed (iii) an innovative agroecological package (T3) soil physical, chemical biological attributes, yields. T3 consisted rotation and/ intercropping Mucuna pruriens cover crop, grasses ( Pennisetum purpureum Setaria sphacelate ) shrubs Calliandra calothyrsus , Leucaena diversifolia ), NPK. randomized complete block design 8 10 blocks, each appearing once block, used respectively, at Mulungu Mushinga. The significantly improved plant parameters compared both sites. average plot-level aboveground biomass lower p < 0.001) T1 (11.3–17.4 t/ha) T2 (10.1–21.9) than (39.9–60.4 t/ha). Similar trends were observed for bean maize grain banana bunch When T3, mean yields increased 2.6 times (848 kg/ha against 327 kg/ha), 2.8 (2,201 792 kg/ha) 1.5 (7.4 t/ha 5.0 grains, grain, bunches, respectively. Improvements also biological, properties. decrease temperature; increases porosity, earthworm density/m 2 (1,932 0), nodules/bean (28 21) root length density (65 15.5 cm) T3. (compared T1), had acidity Al 3+ ; increase organic matter, K+, Ca+, carbon stock (26.5 5.6 thus approach that can be effectively restore abandoned farmlands.