Feed the soil, feed the crops
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="Report">Report</span>.</p><p><span word="Studies">Studies</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="farmland">farmland</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="lacking">lacking</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="nutrients">nutrients</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="combination">combination</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="farming">farming</span> <span word="methods">methods</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="help">help</span>.</p><p><span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="crisis">crisis</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="directed">directed</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="farms">farms</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="farms">farms</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="south">south</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sahara">Sahara</span> <span word="Desert">Desert</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="hectares">hectares</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="goals">goals</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="necessarily">necessarily</span> <span word="clearing">clearing</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="additional">additional</span> <span word="crops">crops</span>.</p><p><span word="American">American</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="agricultural">agricultural</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="perenniation">perenniation</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="mixes">mixes</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="crops">crops</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="perennial">perennial</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> – <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="return">return</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="Soil">Soil</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Reganold">Reganold</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="University">University</span>.</p><p><span word="JOHN">JOHN</span> <span word="REGANOLD">REGANOLD</span>: “<span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="problems">problems</span> (<span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span>) <span word="soils">soils</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="fairly">fairly</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="regions">regions</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="soils">soils</span>? <span word="There">There</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="systems">systems</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soil">soil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="improve">improve</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="yield">yield</span>.”</p><p><span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Reganold">Reganold</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="soil">soil</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="resulted">resulted</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="weathering">weathering</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="washed">washed</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="nutrients">nutrients</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="harm">harm</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="good">good</span>.</p><p><span word="JOHN">JOHN</span> <span word="REGANOLD">REGANOLD</span>: “<span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="farming">farming</span> <span word="practices">practices</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="organic">organic</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fertilizers">fertilizers</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="afford">afford</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="things">things</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="runs">runs</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soil">soil</span> <span word="down">down</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="worsening">worsening</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>.”</p>
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