Editorial: Sustainable cropping systems for small grain crops for smallholder farmers

Abstract

Climate change has negatively impacted the smallholder farmers in Africa, leading to variability in rainfall and weather conditions that have reduced crop yields (e.g maize to below 1.5 t ha-1). These farmers lack sufficient adaptive capacity and cannot adopt mitigation interventions. Small grains such as sorghum, millet, and finger millet are resilient to climate but they are not widely adopted due to the high labor demands of their production, restricted market access, weak policy support, and consumer preferences. Additionally, these crops are often grown on poor soils with low input, which leads to reduced yields. Solutions to low yields include conservation agriculture, intercropping with legumes, agroforestry, and better pest, water, and nutrient management. Increasing productivity requires improved agronomic management, high-yielding varieties, post-harvest handling, and linkage to markets. Overcoming these issues can enhance food security and resilience among smallholder farmers.