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From AgProfessional:

An international plant study could lead to the reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Although the researchers encouraged the idea of ending the need for all fertilizers and pesticides, in reality, that result is many years away.

The study helps to explain how microbial communities (microbiomes) living in and on plant roots can boost plant health, growth and defense against pests. By focusing on the microbiomes, researchers discovered that microbiome helps shuttle nutrients and information into and out of the roots within the soil matrix.

The research was led by the University of North Carolina, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and included the University of Queensland in Australia.

The findings suggest that plant health could be boosted in the microbiome by plant probiotics that could eventually replace fertilizers and pesticides. Co-author Susannah Tringe, head of DOE JGI's Metagenome Program, said the microbiome can be viewed as an extension of the plant's genome.

Read more here. You can also learn more about this research here.

From Business Green:

"British scientists have secured a $10m grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop genetically modified corn, wheat, and rice that requires no fertiliser.

The work at the John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich is aiming to improve the lives of subsistence farmers in Africa, many of whom can not afford the fertilisers currently required to boost yields.

But the centre said there could also be associated environmentalbenefits, as  making and applying fertiliser contributes half the carbon footprint of agriculture and can cause pollution via run off into water sources.

The research will try to engineer cereal crops that can fix nitrogen from the air in the manner of legumes such as peas and beans, vastly reducing the need for additional chemical agents.

If it is found to work, farmers would be able to pass on the technology simply by sharing seeds, potentially revolutionising agriculture across the continent."

 Read more here.

From Southwest Farm Press:

"Band fertilizer placement may cause non-uniform distribution in the soil.

Why does this matter? Because when fertilizer is unevenly distributed, it may not be possible to use traditional sampling strategies to measure whole-field fertility, said assistant professor of crop sciences Fabian Fernandez."

Read more here.

We have seen success stories of mobile technology application in African microfinance. Now we are seeing similar successes in agriculture. From Kenya, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and more in the pipeline- farmers have started using mobile services to get the latest market price for their crop, to get application advice, and even to buy and sell on the platform in some markets. This is important as right fertilizer application and access to markets with equitable pricing will greatly improve farm economics.

Mobile usage is high in most developing countries and is the quickest way for anyone to communicate and access information. Many organizations have leveraged the technology to give farmers free market information via SMS. A  BBC report visually shows the impact of a service run by aid agency Rongead. Cashew farmers in the Ivory Coast where Rongead operates now get pricing and price movement information via SMS for free. They can then decide whether to sell or hold for a higher price thereby maximing returns.

M-farm in Kenya, run by a private corporation, not only offers market information but also helps farmers buy and sell their products using SMS. They aggregate farmers needs or orders and connect them with farm input suppliers. They also enable farmers to sell collectively and connect them with a ready market. This aggregation gives farmers more leverage in the marketplace.

Makerere University under the wings of Prof Moses Tenywa, has for the last two years provided timely and relevant information on markets, fertilizer application, right plant spacing, timely planting, diseases like potato blight and other important farm related information, to farmers in Uganda.

Proper farming techniques such knowing the right inputs and applying the right fertilizer significantly improves yields. Getting access to capital and having the market to support farmers is a different story. While not the be all and end all to improve the market structure in Africa, mobile technology provides at the very least some transparency- a key ingredient to an efficient market.

You can find more case studies on the IFA website. If you have more stories, please reach out to the writer Carmen Feliciano at cnpf@irm.com