The Role of Forages in Sustainable Intensification of Crop-Livestock Agro-ecosystems in the Face of Climate Change: The
Agro-ecosystem productivity is highly dependent on soil moisture fluxes yet climate change induces unpredictable dynamic interactions on water and nutrient resources. This study assessed on-farm seasonal productivity, runoff and soil moisture storage esti
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The Role of Forages in Sustainable Intensification of Crop-Livestock Agro-ecosystems in the Face of Climate Change: The Case for Landscapes in Babati, Northern Tanzania F. Kizito, B. Lukuyu, G. Sikumba, J. Kihara, M. Bekunda, D. Bossio, K.W. Nganga, A. Kimaro, H. Sseguya, B. Jumbo and P. Okori Abstract Agro-ecosystem productivity is highly dependent on soil moisture fluxes yet climate change induces unpredictable dynamic interactions on water and nutrient resources. This study assessed on-farm seasonal productivity, runoff and soil moisture storage estimates within forage grass and forage legume intercrops at the Long site in Babati District of Northern Tanzania and how these would be impacted by climate change. The WaterWorld model was used to ascertain the impact of climate change on temperature and moisture fluxes at landscape level within these agro-ecosystems. Study results revealed a steady increase in temperature and a projected increase in rainfall over the next 40 years to the 2050s with an average future precipitation of 1300 mm yr−1 compared to the current baseline of 960 mm yr−1. On-farm seasonal water balance estimates within forage grass–forage legume intercrops revealed that with the 645 mm of rainfall received in the 2014 rainy season, evapotranspiration (ET) was the predominant factor accounting for about 75 % of the fluxes. We demonstrate that compared to the control trials, runoff F. Kizito (&) J. Kihara D. Bossio K.W. Nganga International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), P.O. Box 823-00621, Nairobi, Kenya e-mail: [email protected] B. Lukuyu G. Sikumba International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya A. Kimaro International Center for Research in Agroforestry-World Agro-Forestry Center (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya M. Bekunda H. Sseguya International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria B. Jumbo International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan, Mexico P. Okori International Centre for Research in Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India © Springer International Publishing AG 2016 R. Lal et al. (eds.), Climate Change and Multi-Dimensional Sustainability in African Agriculture, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41238-2_22
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levels were significantly lower in areas with forage grass–legume intercrops which translated to 20 % lower runoff levels; there was higher soil moisture storage with an average of about 25 mm (30 % higher) in areas with forage grass–forage legume intercrops than the bare plot control areas. The Napier-Desmodium and Napier-Lablab combinations had about 15 % higher soil moisture storage and 30 % higher water productivity compared to the sole Napier accessions. The sole forage grasses depicted about 15–50 % higher runoff levels compared to the NapierDesmodium and Napier-Lablab combinations. In doing so, a combination of perennial forages (grasses and legumes) improves the sustainability of farming systems through erosion control and soil moisture retention beyond serving as feed resources. Usi
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