The traditional marce & ntilde;o is a dry-season agroecosystem practiced in swamps dominated by popal (Thalia geniculata) in the seasonally flooded lowlands of Tabasco, Mexico. Given the early seasonal dryness and local hydrology, maize farming in the marce & ntilde;o begins in March. This study aimed to evaluate the current local agronomic practices of the marce & ntilde;o in seven municipalities of Tabasco through semi-structured interviews and participatory research. We measured popal and maize plant biomass, described farmers' seed-selection criteria, and evaluated the farming stages of the agroecosystem. Productivity of the local maize variety mej & eacute;n in swamps (6-8 months of flooding, S plots) and in flooded areas (15-30 days of flooding, F plots) was compared. We analyzed 14 morphological traits of 37 maize cob accessions of mej & eacute;n, criollo, and hybrid maize through cluster analysis. The economic costs of marce & ntilde;o farming were calculated. Popal and mej & eacute;n stubble contributed 19.6 and 8 Mg ha(-1) to the soil, respectively. In S plots, mej & eacute;n was similar to 3.17 m tall and produced its first cob at similar to 1.9 m, which protected ears from flooding if harvest had not occurred when the wet season began. Productivity in S and F plots was 3.5 and 3.05 Mg ha(-1) of dry grain, respectively. Farmers preferred mej & eacute;n for its tolerance to flooding, dough flavor, and overall adaptability. Seed selection relied on a thin rachis (similar to 2 cm in diameter) and ease of shelling. Pre-sowing treatments, two weedings (one while still flooded), and maize sowing followed by reseeding enabled mej & eacute;n seedlings to withstand drought and excess moisture during the highly unpredictable rainy-dry transition. Cluster analysis revealed wide variability and dispersion of morphological traits among municipalities. A framework must be established to design strategies that preserve this highly productive traditional maize system, protect popal-dominated areas, and manage flooding.
Agriculture and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are threatened by extreme weather and widespread soil degradation, yet the value of improved soil management has not been emphasized in the region. This study examines the critical linkages between soil health management and sustainable crop production, focusing on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) as a scalable framework for enhancing food security and climate resilience, and discusses pathways to overcome barriers to sustainable crop production in SSA. For this, we synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of ISFM practices, including cover cropping, agroforestry, conservation tillage, and integrated nutrient management, on improving soil structure, water retention, and carbon sequestration. Adoption of ISFM remains limited in SSA due to high input costs, water and labor trade-offs, seed accessibility constraints, and weak extension services. Therefore, scaling ISFM requires complementary, deliberate strategies to overcome these constraints: policy and institutional reforms that use evidence-based financial instruments; transformation of knowledge systems through pluralistic, digital-enabled extension; and gender-responsive research that co-designs context-specific innovations. By integrating these actionable strategies into farming practices and policies, SSA can achieve long-term agricultural sustainability, food security, and resilience in a changing climate.
