Originating in South America, cassava is now grown in over 100 countries around the world. It is the third most important source of calories in the tropics after rice and maize. Its caloric value, as well as its ability to tolerate dry conditions and poor soils, makes it a key food security crop in developing countries, particularly in Africa. As demand for food grows, there is an urgent need to increase yields in the face of such challenges as climate change, threats from pests and diseases and the need to make cultivation more resource-efficient and sustainable.

Drawing on an...

Soil fertility management is crucial for sustainable crop production and for food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This book describes the various paradigms underlying soil science and soil fertility research in SSA over the last fifty years. It provides examples of important innovations generated and assesses the position of research within the research-for-development (RforD) community, including how innovations have been validated with the intended beneficiaries.

Using the experience of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as a case study, the authors...