Farming systems potentate sustainable soil management and crop production in Africa

Sustainable crop production depends on several factors, including soil productivity, which is influenced by the type of farming system practiced. This review examined the contribution of farming systems to sustainable soil management and crop production in Africa based on a bibliometric approach. The literature was searched using the keywords “Soil” and “Farming system*” AND “Crop Production”, and metadata were extracted for the period of 1990–2024. In total, metadata from 66 documents from 17 countries were included in this study. The progression of the metadata was evaluated using Mann–Kendall tests, while key contribution linkages were visualised using Vosviewer software (version 1.6.17). The results showed a significant (p<0.01) positive increase in the literature on the role played by farming systems in sustaining soil and crop productivity. Farming systems were proven to be potentates of soil fertility determinants since they influenced soil microbe activity and nutrient dynamics. Predominantly, mixed-cropping and agroforestry systems sustained stable nutrient levels in the soil, especially of nitrogen, in addition to enhancing the diversity of soil microflora. Modifications in farming systems' climate were mainly driven by climate change and the need to ensure food security. Therefore, research into crop agroecosystems in Africa was tailored to three areas: i) optimizing the efficient use of nutrients from external inputs, ii) the intensification of farming systems to ensure soil biodiversity and environmental quality, and iii) utilizing integrated farming systems to optimize crop yields with the advent of climate change.