SASSCAL 2.0 – Subproject: SUSTAIN - Sustainable Food Security and Woodland Utilization for Drought-Prone Communal Areas under Climate Change in SADC Countries

Project description

Low soil fertility, soil water availability, and crop yields are general problems in most smallholder farming systems in dry sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Soils in the Kavango and Omusati region of Namibia are sandy and contain low contents of organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N). Climate change and decreasing rainfall are threatening smallholder agricultural harvests.

To improve soil fertility and soil water availability, legume cultivation and conservation agriculture (CA) are seen as promising tools. Legumes can improve soil N status and organic matter in the soil. CA can restore soil fertility and reduce negative impacts of climate change in terms of soil water availability through reduced tillage, mulching and crop diversification. This can improve the availability of `green water` by improving infiltration of rain into the soil or by conserving soil moisture through mulching in rainfed agriculture systems.

The project will investigate the impact of CA and legumes on soil quality and soil water balance.

Staff at Institute of Soil Science

Prof. Dr. Annette Eschenbach
Dr. Joscha Becker
Simran Sekhri (Doctoral Researcher)
Elisa Toth (Doctoral Researcher)
Annika Naumann (Technical Staff)
Sumita Rui (Technical Staff)

Collaboration partners

• Prof. Dr. Barbara Reinhold-Hurek (Project coordination), Universität Bremen (UHB)
• Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneider, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Michael Köhl, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Simon Angombe, University of Namibia (UNAM)
• Prof. Dr. Percy M Chimwamurombe, Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST)
• Prof. Flora Pule-Meulenberg, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)
• Prof. Piet Kenabatho, University of Botswana (UBOT)
• André Loução Bongo, Universidare Jose des Santos (UJES)
   

Theses

• Bachelor Thesis, Jacob Kohn: "Einfluss verschiedener Mulchvarianten auf die Wasserverfügbarkeit und Evaporationsrate in sandigen Böden Nord-Namibias", 2024
• Master Thesis, Erik Lübeck: "Analysis of soil properties and hydrological characteristics in the Kalahari dune landscape, Kavango-East, Namibia", 2024