Isotopic Technique Helps Benin Farmers Triple Yields and Improve Livelihoods

The use of isotopic and nuclear derived techniques to measure and properly increase the amount of nitrogen - necessary for plant growth - the crops take up (see Nitrogen uptake from the air). Legumes such as soybean and peanuts are able to take up nitrogen from the air, which they then deposit in the soil, making it more fertile also for the maize crop that farmers plant in the next season, explained Pascal Houngnandan, Vice President of the National University of Agriculture and Director of Soil Microbiology at the University of Abomey-Calavi, the country’s main research institution just outside the capital Cotonou. This intercropping of maize and legumes results in an increase in the yields of both crops. Depending on the soil type, it also means no or little commercial fertilizer is required, saving farmers the additional expense.

The IAEA, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has supported the project by providing expert advice and helping Houngnandan and his team interpret the data. The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also provided much needed equipment and training that allow the researchers not only to conduct the experiments, but to also produce the bacteria required for the legumes to take up even more nitrogen from the air.

Scientists in 70 countries benefit from such assistance, including support to customize the method to their particular crops and soil types, said Joseph Adu-Gyamfi, soil fertility management specialist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

To read more please visit: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/isotopic-technique-helps-benin-farmers-triple-yields-and-improve-livelihoods

Source: IAEA