Regional scale assessment of the potential for sustainable intensification of different Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) practices in the Savannah: case study of Northern Ghana
Rainfed cereal production in northern Ghana faces substantial yield variability due to high rainfall uncertainty, soil constraints, and low-input fertility management. ISFM practices can boost productivity, but their performance varies by location and climate conditions. Using the SIMPLACE model, this study evaluates how these practices interact with sowing choices, soil depth, and future climate risks across a representative site. Simulations combined factorial combinations of sowing dates, ISFM treatments (control, inorganic, organic, combined), and contrasting soil profiles (shallow vs. deep) under historical weather series and +2.0 °C warming with >300 GCM-based climate ensembles. Kernel density estimates quantified yield and above ground biomass distributions, revealing how ISFM interacts with sowing dates to alter yield potential, stability, and risk profiles. Results indicate that the control and organic treatments show low yield potential and high stability with higher probability of achieving yields around 1 t ha⁻¹. Inorganic treatment maximized grain yield potential but showed highest instability across sowing dates; combined organic–inorganic management enhanced biomass stability and yield distributions indicating a positive effect of integrated nutrient management in a mixed crop-livestock farming system. These insights support the expansion of ISFM evaluation across diverse soil–climate settings and offer actionable guidance for scaling up integrated nutrient management as a climate resilient adaptation strategy in northern Ghana.
