E4D Fellow: Helena Ström
Biochar as a soil amendment for sustainable yam systems in West Africa (Biochar4Yam)
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Project duration: 2019-2023
Supervisor at ETH Zurich:
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Frossard (Group of Plant Nutrition)
Collaborators:
Dr. Delwende I Kiba, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina Faso
Dr. Valery K Hgaza, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS), Côte d'Ivoire
Prof. Dr. Johan Six, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Dao Daouda, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS), Côte d'Ivoire
Partner institutions:
Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina Faso
external pageCentre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS)
Further information:
external pageYAMSYS
Project description:
Yam (Dioscorea sp) is an important tuber crop for the livelihood of many people in West Africa. Besides providing food and a source of income, it also has a high cultural value for many groups. Yam is considered to require high soil fertility, and is therefore traditionally planted after a long-term fallow and usually grown without external inputs. Although it is possible to increase tuber yield, for example by applying manure and mineral fertilizers, recent research has shown that these practices result in a decline in soil organic matter content. Soil organic matter has a critical role for soil fertility and is positively correlated to yam tuber yield.
The aim of this project is to assess whether biochar application could be a strategy to halt soil organic matter decrease and therefore to improve the sustainability of yam cropping systems. The project will be carried out at one site in Burkina Faso and one site in Côte d’Ivoire. The thesis is organized in three parts:
- To assess the availability of organic wastes and the interest of actors to produce biochar.
- To analyse the effect of biochar on yam and cowpea production and soil properties.
- To assess the early adoption and acceptance of biochar production and use by farmers.