The superior agronomic and human nutritional properties of grain legumes (pulses) make them an ideal foundation for future sustainable agriculture. Legume-based farming is particularly important in Africa, where small-scale agricultural systems dominate the food production landscape. Legumes provide an inexpensive source of protein and nutrients to African households as well as natural fertilization for the soil. Although the consumption of traditionally grown legumes has started to decline, the production of soybeans (Glycine max Merr.) is spreading fast, especially across southern Africa. Predictions of future land-use allocation and production show that the soybean is poised to dominate future production across Africa. Land use models project an expansion of harvest area, whereas crop models project possible yield increases. Moreover, a seed change in farming strategy is underway. This is being driven largely by the combined cash crop value of products such as oils and the high nutritional benefits of soybean as an animal feed. Intensification of soybean production has the potential to reduce the dependence of Africa on soybean imports. However, a successful "soybean bonanza" across Africa necessitates an intensive research, development, extension, and policy agenda to ensure that soybean genetic improvements and production technology meet future demands for sustainable production.
1.Univ Leeds, Fac Biol Sci, Ctr Plant Sci, Leeds LS2 9JT, W Yorkshire, England 2.Univ Western Australia, Sch Mol Sci, Perth, WA, Australia 3.Univ Western Australia, UWA Inst Agr, Perth, WA, Australia 4.Univ Western Australia, Sch Agr & Environm, Perth, WA, Australia 5.Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Earth Syst Sci Programme, Shatin, Hong Kong, Peoples R China 6.Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Ctr Soybean Res, State Key Lab Agrobiotechnol, Shatin, Hong Kong, Peoples R China 7.Univ Alberta, Dept Resource Econ & Environm Sociol, Edmonton, AB, Canada 8.Hungarian Acad Sci, Ctr Agr Res, Agr Inst, Martonvasar, Hungary 9.Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Sch Life Sci, Shatin, Hong Kong, Peoples R China 10.Univ Western Cape, NRF Ctr Excellence Food Secur, Dept Biotechnol & DST, Bellville, South Africa 11.Univ Southampton, Biol Sci, Southampton, Hants, England 12.Univ Queensland, Sch Agr & Food Sci, Ctr Integrat Legume Res, Brisbane, Qld, Australia 13.Dept Primary Ind & Reg Dev, S Perth, WA, Australia 14.Ludwig Maximilians Univ Munchen, Munich, Germany 15.Kansas State Univ, Coll Agr, Dept Agron, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA 16.Int Crops Res Inst Semi Arid Trop, Ctr Excellence Genom & Syst Biol, Hyderabad, Telangana, India 17.Univ Missouri, Div Plant Sci, Columbia, MO USA 18.Univ Missouri, Natl Ctr Soybean Biotechnol, Columbia, MO USA
Recommended Citation:
Foyer, Christine H.,Siddique, Kadambot H. M.,Tai, Amos P. K.,et al. Modelling predicts that soybean is poised to dominate crop production across Africa[J]. PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT,2019-01-01,42(1):373-385