In Africa, using ants and termites to increase crop yields
(Read article summary)Researchers are confirming what African farmers already know: Termites and ants can be used to increase soil fertility and crop yields.
With around 1 billion hungry people globally, finding a way to improve crop production remains a challenge.
This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa faces an extraordinary soil fertility crisis, which decreases crop yield and contributes to food shortages. Local farmers report that they can no longer maintain soil fertility and that harvests are declining 15–25 percent a year. Most farmers expect that within the next five years their harvests will drop by half, and some villages are already dependent on food aid.
One way that farmers are working to increase crop yield, however, is through the use of termites and ants.
IN PHOTOS: Food security in Africa
Recent research conducted by scientists at the University of Sydney reveals that ants could also help farmers increase crop yields. The findings show that termites and ants improve soil fertility in drylands by digging tunnels that allow plants greater access to water.
