Совершенствование комплексных технологий управления почвенными ресурсами для увеличения производства сельскохозяйственных культур в Уганде/Enhancing integrated soil management technologies for increased crop production in Uganda

Развитие международного сотрудничества; достижение высоких результатов в реализации международного проекта; прогрессивные структурные изменения в сельском хозяйстве, создание новых рабочих мест; снижение экологического воздействия на природу путем внедрения энергосберегающих экологически безопасных технологий производства продуктов питания в сельском хозяйстве ресурсами и распространение передовых аграрных технологий среди угандийских фермеров. Укрепление международного сотрудничества между Россией и Угандой для будущего взаимовыгодного сотрудничества в области сельскохозяйственной науки и техники. / Background: Low crop yields remain a major threat to food security and income for millions of smallholder farmers in Uganda. This has been attributed to rapid decline in soil quality in terms of chemical, physical, biological and morphological soil properties. Decline in soil quality has affected major crops such as coffee, banana, maize, potatoes, tea and cassava, which significantly contribute to national GDP. There is need for joint efforts to enhance and develop soil management technologies that can improve soil health but also improve nutrient-use efficiency for increased soil productivity. Some of the promising technologies that have been effective in other countries can be evaluated and promoted in the context of Ugandan soils. The broad objective The main objective of this study will be to increase crop productivity by adopting improved soil management technologies for increased nutrient use efficiency and improved soil health in Uganda. In order to achieve this objective, the project will specifically: (i) Carry out an inventory of soil information available for Uganda and update current knowledge on the soils of the country (ii) Conduct An analysis of existing information on the state of soil health and nutrient use (iii) Initiate development of soil health enhancement technologies for increased crop production (iv) Implement studies on nutrient-use efficient technologies for increased uptake and use in crop production To secure sustainable intensification of land management in Uganda, the research team will maintain soil health that is required for long-term soil productivity and provide soil-related ecosystem services. The project will promote development of international cooperation, thereby achieving high-level results in the implementation of the project; there will be progressive structural changes in agriculture and creation of new jobs. There will also be reduction of ecological impact on nature by introduction of energy-saving ecologically safe technologies for food production in Uganda. The specific objectives will be reached though the following steps: a) desktop synthesis of soil, crop (coffee, banana, maize, tea, potatoes and cassava) and other benchmarking or baseline information; b) identification of technologies and practices; c) assessment of technologies through research and experimentation; d) development of up scaling and dissemination mechanisms. Conventional soil management practices will be documented in the baseline and desktop synthesis. Practices on use of fertilizers and pesticides, innovative products, soil conservation measures, management technologies, application of advanced methods of biological plant protection and stimulation of the crop growth will be promoted. Soil health will be quantitatively assessed using the concentration and availability of carbon and nitrogen in soils as well as the microbiological activity and the presence or absence of plant disease pathogens. This will be conducted for the main agricultural crops of Uganda such as cassava, banana, potatoes, corn, tea and coffee. For each crop, several study plots will be established in selected agro-ecological zones.. Short- and long-term indicators will be proposed on regional basis for each of the crops under study. The results will be disseminated among stakeholders through a series of training workshops and the Mininistry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries formal extension system.