Summary
This narrative review synthesises evidence on physical soil management strategies suited to Africa's diverse agroecological zones, with particular attention to how techniques such as soil and water conservation, organic amendments, and agroforestry can improve the structural resilience of specific soil types under climate change. The authors draw on long-term study data to demonstrate the relevance and effectiveness of these approaches across varied African contexts. The review contributes a soil-type-specific framework for understanding and applying resilience-enhancing management in sub-Saharan and broader African agricultural systems.
UK applicability
The findings are primarily relevant to African agroecological conditions and soil types not commonly found in the UK; however, the principles underpinning soil structure improvement through organic amendments and agroforestry have broader applicability and may inform UK debates on soil resilience and climate adaptation, particularly in the context of Sustainable Farming Incentive policy development.
Key measures
Soil structure; water retention and conservation; organic matter content; soil resilience indicators across soil types (Luvisols, Lixisols, Ferralsols, Nitisols, Vertisols, Cambisols, Arenosols)
Outcomes reported
The review examines the effectiveness of soil and water conservation techniques, organic amendments, and agroforestry in improving soil structural resilience across diverse African agroecological zones and soil types. It reports on how these physical management strategies perform under climate change conditions, drawing on evidence from long-term field studies.
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