Yield gap analysis towards meeting future rice demand

Kazuki Saito, Pepijn van Oort, Ibnou Dieng, Jean-Martial Johnson, Abibou Niang, Kokou Ahouanton and Amakoe Delali Alognon, Africa Rice Center, Benin; Atsuko Tanaka, JICA and Africa Rice Center, Benin; Kalimuthu Senthilkumar and Elke Vandamme, Africa Rice Center, Tanzania; Cyriaque Akakpo, INRAB, Benin; Zacharie Segda, CNRST/INERA, Burkina Faso; Ibrahim Bassoro and Delphine Mapiemfu Lamare, IRAD, Cameroon; Moundibaye D. Allarangaye, ITRAD, Chad; Henri Gbakatchetche, CNRA, Côte d’Ivoire; Belay A. Bayuh, EIAR, Ethiopia; Famara Jaiteh, NARI, The Gambia; Ralph K. Bam, CSIR-CRI; Wilson Dogbe, CSIR-SARI, Ghana; Keita Sékou, IRAG, Guinea; Raymond Rabeson, FOFIFA, Madagascar; Nianankoro Kamissoko, IER, Mali; Illiassou Maïga Mossi, INRAN, Niger; Oladele S. Bakare, NCRI, Nigeria; Fanny L. Mabone, INERA, DR Congo; Elie R. Gasore, RAB, Rwanda; Idriss Baggie, SLARI, Sierra Leone; Geophrey J. Kajiru, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania; Komlan A. Ablede, ITRA, Togo; and David Nanfumba, NARO, Uganda

Chapter synopsis: Rice provides 20% of the world’s food energy, and increased rice production owing to growing demand needs to be derived mainly from existing agricultural land. This requires reducing the ‘yield gap’, which is defined as the difference between potential yield and average on-farm yield obtained by farmers. In this chapter, we provide case studies of yield gap analyses using different benchmarks (potential yield, experimental yield and best farmers’ yield) for estimating yield gaps. We start with studies focusing on the quantification of yield gaps and then describe studies with a focus on identification of the causes of yield gaps. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges to achieving better quantification of yield gaps and their causes, and the implications of yield gap studies for sustainable agricultural development to meet future rice demand.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2016.0003.26