Use of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi for improved crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

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dc.contributor.authorWaceke, J.W.
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-22T08:04:32Z
dc.date.available2014-08-22T08:04:32Z
dc.date.issued2002
dc.descriptionhttp://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jtmb.v1i1.35406en_US
dc.description.abstractSoil fertility depletion through crop removal, soil erosion and leaching is a major challenge to increased crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas nitrogen can be replenished using Rhizobium inoculants and growing leguminous crops, P is difficult to replenish. This is due to the high fixing capacity of most soils in Africa and the high cost of inorganic fertilizers. Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), endophytic fungi reputed for their ability to enhance P uptake can be used to alleviate P deficiencies and improve crop productivity. Although the technology has been used in developed countries, it has not been applied in crop production systems in Africa to any significant level. This is due to poor management of indigenous AMF populations, high cost of inoculants and challenges associated with the inoculum production and efficacy. These challenges are discussed in detail in this paper. Possible and practical ways of impacting these challenges are discussed. They include production of inoculum in farmers' fields to reduce transport costs, development of multi-agent inoculants to reduce cost of inoculum and genetic manipulation to improve the quality of the symbionts.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Tropical Microbiology Vol.1(1) 2002: 14-21en_US
dc.identifier.issn1607-4106
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/11003
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectArbuscular mycorrhiza fungien_US
dc.subjectcrop productionen_US
dc.subjectphosphorusen_US
dc.subjectsoil fertilityen_US
dc.subjectsub-Saharan Africaen_US
dc.titleUse of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi for improved crop production in sub-Saharan Africaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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