Environmental Performance Of Smallholder Organic And Conventional Cotton Production Systems In Meatu, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is among the most important export crops in Tanzania, contributing directly to peoples‘ livelihood and economic development. Cotton is grown under both conventional and organic farming systems and both farming systems are characterised by low cotton yield. Low fertilizer input use and low fertility contributes to such low yields. A quick solution to address the low cotton yield seems to be enhanced use of fertilizer and pesticide, which is also challenging on how to simultaneously sustain natural resources conservation and the supply of cotton fibre. Inappropriate use of fertilizer is linked to increased greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. One of these gases is nitrous oxide (N2O), and nearly 2/3 of the anthropogenic N2O emission originates from agricultural activities. However, there are limited studies involving in-situ measurement of N2O in smllhoder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The use of organic and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can also change the soil environment and hence microbial activity and soil quality. To address the problem of low cotton productivity, adequate information on the soil status and its suitability for cotton production is important. However, availability and acquisition of such information related to soil qualities in the study area is limited.