Welcome to our special focus issue of Growing Africa dedicated to carbon management in Africa’s agro ecosystems. 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! With this occasion in mind, we opened a call for submissions to help us assemble the latest knowledge on soil carbon dynamics and carbon management strategies in African agricultural production systems. We extend our thanks to our contributors who provided us with interesting range of topics from across the Continent. Of course, we are only scratching the surface on this subject and given its importance you can expect more from us on this theme in future issues.
Regarding the specific stories within this issue, we first feature a unique biomass assessment study that is aiding our ability to predict, and valorize, carbon cycling within rainfed olive systems in Morocco. Also from Morocco is a study detailing the carbon stabilization potential of different forage mixes under the such arid-saline soil environments. Research from Madagascar describes the impact of improved forage species on soil carbon storage and forage production in cattle grazing lands. A long-term Kenyan study provides some lessons on adequate fertilizer-farmyard manure combinations to sustain both maize yields and oil organic carbon. From Zimbabwe, we learn about soil organic carbon storage potential and the net climate benefit of conservation agriculture….as well as a study examining the value of manure and phosphorus applications in unlocking immobilized soil P and establishing a system of sustainable intensification for maize.
In this issue we also provide an update on our returning photo contest plus you can get the latest updates on the 3rdAfrican Conference on Precision Agriculture (AfCPA). This December AfCPA is centered in Kigali, Rwanda, but it also has nine other regional satellite sites operating across North, West, and East Africa. Get all the details at http://paafrica.org.
Thank you for your continued interest in Growing Africa. As a valued reader we invite you to participate in one of our forums whether it be through a shared photo, or a question submitted to our staff of experts. We also extend an invitation to contribute and article from your research program to reach our audience of individuals with a direct influence on extending agricultural knowledge to farmers. You can review our guide for authors at https://growingafrica.pub/about and/or contact us for more details on the publication process.
Sincerely yours,
Gavin Sulewski
Senior Editor | Communications Manager, APNI
