Wiederverwendung, Verringerung und Wiederverwertung von Reisrückständen für eine klimafreundliche Landwirtschaft und die Bodengesundheit in Reisanbausystemen in Ostafrika

Food insecurity is a major challenge in East Africa, and can be aggravated by climate change and frequent drought which causes frequent crop failures and famines. Enhancement of productivity of major staples like rice and maize is critical to meet food demands. In Kenya and Uganda, Rice farming faces various challenges, including the high cost of inputs, inadequate infrastructure for irrigation, and post-harvest losses. Rice straws and residues from milling can pose an environmental hazard due to slow decomposition. In conventional paddy-fields anaerobic conditions thrive the release of methane and poor absorption of nitrogen-based fertilizers, often overused by farmers, leads to nitrous oxide emissions. While climate change may strongly reduce rice yields there is room to improve rice productivity through climate smart soil, nutrient and management practices. The 3Rs_4Rice-ESA project will evaluate the contribution of rice residues and organic additions (Biochar, vermicompost, husks) and legume-rice rotation on soil health, water use and rice productivity and its relevance for climate change mitigation in smallholder rice farming systems in Kenya and Uganda. The project will use extensive socio-economic and biophysical data available from Kilimo Trust-Egerton University (IKEA Foundation funded project recently concluded). The actual management practices involving integration of rice residues and organic manure sources including legume-rice integration with system of rice intensification (SRI) using different rice varieties will be investigated. Soils and plant tissues from a subset of farms will be collected for analysis both in Kenya and Austria for chemical, physical and biological parameters, including C-sequestration, together with agronomic and yield data. This will provide a baseline of smallholder rice-farming systems and will further allow to asses the effects of management practices. The project approach also involves a gender perspective with focus on youth and women and capacity building and dissemination components. We expect that the project will substantially improve our understanding of smallholder rice-farming systems towards long-term sustainable soil and water management, and overall contribute to reduced food insecurity and poverty in East Africa countries.