Author: APNI Editor

Harnessing Carbon Finance to Elevate Smallholder Success in Uganda’s Coffee Sector
The Uganda Carbon Coffee Project (UCCP) tackles challenges in Uganda’s coffee sector through carbon finance, agroforestry, and sustainable practices. Currently engaging over 3,000 farmers, it enhances resilience, diversifies incomes, and promotes environmental sustainability.

Robusta Coffee Value Intensification: The Case for Good Agronomy
Optimizing value per harvested area should be a common goal but a host of factors can prevent it. At the farm-level, coffee farmers are limited by their available resources, knowledge at hand, and suitability/predictability of their growing environment.

Optimizing Split-Fertilizer Applications for Maize in Nigeria’s Mid-Belt
Researchers evaluated the effects of optimizing types and amounts of fertilizer, based on national and regional fertilizer recommendations, on soil characteristics, nutrient use efficiency, and maize production in the mid-belt region of Nigeria.

2024 Annual Photo Contest Results
Once again, it’s our pleasure to be able to announce the results of our annual photo contest! We are pleased to see the continued interest in this forum with submissions coming in from across the Continent. The contest organizers are grateful for your participation.

A 4R Framework for Climate Finance: A Pathway for Effective Climate Finance Allocation
Climate change has fundamentally transformed the global economic landscape. It is a paradigm shift, and its effects transcend all sectors, with agriculture being one of the most severely affected due to its sensitivity to climate fluctuations.

Adaptation of a Conventional Seeder to a No-tillage Seeder: A Case Study of Al Moutmir-UM6P Sustainable Agriculture Mechanization Initiative
Faced with the need for more resilient and sustainable solutions, the conversion of existing conventional seed drills into direct seeding drills seems to be an economical and pragmatic solution. This innovative approach makes direct seeding accessible to a greater number of farmers and makes the most of equipment already available in the field.

Excel Africa Award and Fellowship Recipients for 2024
Our Excel Africa initiative is aimed at fostering advancements in nutrient management and agronomic practices across the African continent. It seeks to identify, support and celebrate outstanding achievements in crop nutrition research and outreach—acknowledging the pivotal role they play in enhancing food security and sustainable agricultural practices.

Share your Snapshots: A New On-farm Experimentation Season Begins
Caroline Wawira (left) and Lucy Kinya (right) are applying diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer with calibrated dollop cups to ensure the right pre-plant fertilizer application rate is provided to give their maize crop the best start.

Inside this Issue – 2024 #1
This issue provides us with an opportunity to feature a set of carbon-themed research articles originating from invited delegates of the 9th International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter held during 26-31 May 2024, at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguérir, Morocco. Notably, this was the first time this conference was held in Africa!

A Case Study on Biomass Assessment in a Semi-Arid Olive Rainfed System in Morocco
Thanks to its potential life span of hundreds of years, olive can develop great biomass and sequester large amounts of carbon (C). It may therefore play a critical role in reducing atmospheric C and improving farmer livelihoods by providing additional revenue from C credits.