Increasing rainwater productivity with conservation tillage

Abstract

This brief discusses the importance of increasing rainwater productivity for small scale dryland farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ways to improve rainwater productivity include reducing surface run-off and evaporation, increasing infiltration and uptake by plants, and decreasing competition from weeds. However, smallholder farmers face significant social and economic barriers to adoption of conservation tillage, despite its high rate of success in preventing crop failure. To achieve optimal yields, it is necessary to incorporate soil fertility management with conservation tillage.