Termite mound soils are reportedly utilized as an alternative to NPK fertilizers by cash constrained smallholder farmers in some parts of Southern Africa. However, there is limited knowledge regarding their mineral nutritional value. The intention of this work was therefore to investigate the macro and micronutrient composition of different sections of the termite mounds; top, base and neighboring areas. The study approach involved physical and chemical analysis of 36 sites across Pemba and Choma districts in Southern Zambia through collection of soil samples in triplicate at 0–20 cm depth, using a soil auger. Findings revealed that the soil pH had elevated levels in the base segments of the termite mounds compared with the top and the neighbouring soils. However, elevated N, P and K levels were recorded in the top sections with significant differences (P < 0.05) in clay and silt composition observed. Additionally, metallic micronutrients, Cu and Zn were also found to be elevated in termite mounds in contrast to surrounding soils. We concluded that top termite mound soil should be considered as part of an integrated nutrient management strategy by financially challenged smallholder farmers cultivating in light textured soils of southern Africa.

Soil fertility management has been described by many scholars as fundamental and a major hindrance to food production amongst smallholder farmers in the developing world. To counteract this challenge, some farmers have been reported to use anthill soil as analternative fertilizer to improve soil fertility for supporting crop growth. Against this background, a study was undertaken with the aim of ascertaining the effect of anthill soil application alone, cattle manure, and/or their combination with commercially available NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield parameters of three maize varieties under field conditions involving conventional (CONV) and conservation agriculture (CA) tillage systems. Results revealed that anthill soil alone (5000 kg/ha) or in combination with either manure (10,000 kg/ha) or half rate of commercially available fertilizer (NPKS: 10% N, 20% P₂O₅, 10% K₂O, 6% S at 100 kg/ha) competed favourably in terms of response to growth parameters. Furthermore, pH and P levels changed significantly (p < 0.05) at harvest. We conclude that resource-constrained smallholder farmers in less developed countries utilizing anthill soil for fertility improvement purposes should judiciously apply it in CA planting basin structures compared with conventional methods, which appeared to be less effective and leads to sub-optimal yields.

Community Radio Stations (CRS) play an important role in information dissemination at local and context-specific levels. This study aimed to analyze the point data distribution of the CRS and their role in promoting climate change adaptation measures in agriculture in times of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The study’s methodological approach included the geospatial mapping of point data of CRS in Arc GIS 10.3, surveys and interviews with thirty-nine (39) experts. In addition, the interview data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 for frequency and descriptive analysis and excel for graphical outputs. The study found 19 operational CRS in 13 districts, and their radii completely cover the Southern Province of Zambia. Out of the time allocated to agricultural programs, an average of 47% is on climate change adaptation measures in local languages. However, the CRS have limited access to experts to provide information and program sponsorship. This study has established that CRS have the potential to disseminate climate change adaptation measures. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the CRS noticed an increase in the demand for agricultural programs during the COVID-19 era, with the rapid growth of CRS. The study recommends stakeholders’ collaboration to provide appropriate information to enhance the agricultural climate programmes on CRS and address the challenges of limited access to experts and associated costs.