As much as 40% of the global food production comes from irrigated agriculture, but large amount of fertilisers and irrigation water is lost due to inappropriate irrigation practices. In a new doctoral thesis, Mário Chilundo put forward suggestions for sustainable agriculture with different irrigation and nitrogen fertilisers during two seasons in semi-arid loamy sandy soils in Mozambique.
To enable a sustainable crop production, it is vital to use both water and fertilizer efficiently. Today, arid and semi-arid areas sustain about 14% of the global population and about 60% of the total population in sub-Saharan Africa.
Water and fertilisers lost due to bad irrigation practices
As much as 40% of the global food production comes from irrigated agriculture today. However, a large amount of fertilisers and irrigation water is lost due to inappropriate irrigation practices. The agriculture sector therefore faces a complex series of challenges to ensure food security. Not only do we need to produce more food, but the production also needs to be sustainable, with less water per unit of output and reduced nitrogen losses through leaching.