Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut
Food demand in Africa continues to outstrip local supply, and the continent currently spends over US$35 billion annually on food imports to supplement local deficits. With the advances in agronomy and breeding, commercial crops like maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) in the region are under...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.990213/full |
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| author | Luxon Nhamo Garry Paterson Marjan van der Walt Mokhele Moeletsi Mokhele Moeletsi Albert Modi Richard Kunz Vimbayi Chimonyo Vimbayi Chimonyo Teboho Masupha Sylvester Mpandeli Sylvester Mpandeli Stanley Liphadzi Stanley Liphadzi Jennifer Molwantwa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi |
| author_facet | Luxon Nhamo Garry Paterson Marjan van der Walt Mokhele Moeletsi Mokhele Moeletsi Albert Modi Richard Kunz Vimbayi Chimonyo Vimbayi Chimonyo Teboho Masupha Sylvester Mpandeli Sylvester Mpandeli Stanley Liphadzi Stanley Liphadzi Jennifer Molwantwa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi |
| author_sort | Luxon Nhamo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Food demand in Africa continues to outstrip local supply, and the continent currently spends over US$35 billion annually on food imports to supplement local deficits. With the advances in agronomy and breeding, commercial crops like maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) in the region are under threat from climate change, decreasing rainfall and degraded lands. Unlike commercial crops that are generally adapted from other regions, underutilized indigenous crops are uniquely suited to local environments and are more resilient to climatic variations and tolerant to local pests and diseases. This study, done in Limpopo Province, South Africa, identifies optimal areas for cultivating Bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterannea), an indigenous crop suitable for arid and semi-arid regions. The aim is to promote the production of underutilized indigenous crops at a large scale with fewer resources, while still meeting local demand and reducing the food import budget. Suitability maps are delineated using a multicriteria decision method in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The procedure is important for diversifying farming systems, making them more resilient (to biotic and abiotic stresses and climate change) and more successful at enhancing water, food and nutritional security. With the province's limited water and land resources for agriculture expansion, promoting indigenous underutilized crops is a pathway to reduce water allocated to agriculture, thereby enhancing drought resilience and ensuring water, food and nutritional security. Large tracts of degraded agricultural land deemed unsuitable for adapted crops, and which may require costly land reclamation practices, can be used to cultivate underutilized crops that are adapted to extreme local conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:28:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb390d37f2ed40448059eb6e224f474a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:28:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb390d37f2ed40448059eb6e224f474a2022-12-22T04:29:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2022-10-01610.3389/fsufs.2022.990213990213Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnutLuxon Nhamo0Garry Paterson1Marjan van der Walt2Mokhele Moeletsi3Mokhele Moeletsi4Albert Modi5Richard Kunz6Vimbayi Chimonyo7Vimbayi Chimonyo8Teboho Masupha9Sylvester Mpandeli10Sylvester Mpandeli11Stanley Liphadzi12Stanley Liphadzi13Jennifer Molwantwa14Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi15Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi16Water Research Commission of South Africa, Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, South AfricaAgricultural Research Council—Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria, South AfricaAgricultural Research Council—Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria, South AfricaAgricultural Research Council—Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria, South AfricaRisks and Vulnerability Assessment Centre, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)-Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweAgricultural Research Council—Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria, South AfricaWater Research Commission of South Africa, Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, South AfricaFaculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South AfricaWater Research Commission of South Africa, Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, South AfricaFaculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South AfricaWater Research Commission of South Africa, Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaInternational Water Management Institute (IWMI), Pretoria, South AfricaFood demand in Africa continues to outstrip local supply, and the continent currently spends over US$35 billion annually on food imports to supplement local deficits. With the advances in agronomy and breeding, commercial crops like maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) in the region are under threat from climate change, decreasing rainfall and degraded lands. Unlike commercial crops that are generally adapted from other regions, underutilized indigenous crops are uniquely suited to local environments and are more resilient to climatic variations and tolerant to local pests and diseases. This study, done in Limpopo Province, South Africa, identifies optimal areas for cultivating Bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterannea), an indigenous crop suitable for arid and semi-arid regions. The aim is to promote the production of underutilized indigenous crops at a large scale with fewer resources, while still meeting local demand and reducing the food import budget. Suitability maps are delineated using a multicriteria decision method in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The procedure is important for diversifying farming systems, making them more resilient (to biotic and abiotic stresses and climate change) and more successful at enhancing water, food and nutritional security. With the province's limited water and land resources for agriculture expansion, promoting indigenous underutilized crops is a pathway to reduce water allocated to agriculture, thereby enhancing drought resilience and ensuring water, food and nutritional security. Large tracts of degraded agricultural land deemed unsuitable for adapted crops, and which may require costly land reclamation practices, can be used to cultivate underutilized crops that are adapted to extreme local conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.990213/fullclimate changeresiliencegeographic information systemfood and water securitydryland agricultureadaptation |
| spellingShingle | Luxon Nhamo Garry Paterson Marjan van der Walt Mokhele Moeletsi Mokhele Moeletsi Albert Modi Richard Kunz Vimbayi Chimonyo Vimbayi Chimonyo Teboho Masupha Sylvester Mpandeli Sylvester Mpandeli Stanley Liphadzi Stanley Liphadzi Jennifer Molwantwa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems climate change resilience geographic information system food and water security dryland agriculture adaptation |
| title | Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut |
| title_full | Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut |
| title_fullStr | Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut |
| title_short | Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: Focus on Bambara groundnut |
| title_sort | optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change focus on bambara groundnut |
| topic | climate change resilience geographic information system food and water security dryland agriculture adaptation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.990213/full |
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