Figures (3)  Tables (1)

    • Figure 1. 

      Steps used in literature search for the current review paper.

    • Figure 2. 

      Soil water (moisture) percentage in the topsoil as influenced by the Rubber-Plantain intercropping system options. (a) Ellembelle, (b) Jomoro, (P, R, PR, PPR, and PPPP are sole plantain, sole rubber, low-density plantain, medium density plantain, and high-density plantain respectively in the Rubber-Plantain intercropping system) Adapted from Tetteh et al.[66].

    • Figure 3. 

      Soil moisture over time through the soil profile as influenced by pigeon pea-yam cropping system. Adapted from Owusu Danquah[67]. (a) PA-yam in alley of pigeon pea; (b) PB-yam with pigeon pea as border; (c) Sole yam.

    • Climate-smart practice Study area Major findings Ref.
      Conservation tillage and soil moisture Agronomy and soil No-till with organic biomass on the soil surface improved soil moisture retention, carbon sequestration potential and better enhanced soil productivity [36,38,39]
      Crop diversification Cropping systems Crop diversification improves suppression to weeds, pest and diseases in cropping systems. It improves the overall productivity of the system and improves resilience to climate change [46,48,50]
      Adapted crops and varieties Breeding and crop improvement Breeding for fast yielding varieties and as such harsh climate escaping varieties or climate change tolerate varieties would improve resilience and productivity [55,53,57]
      Agroforestry and soil moisture conservation Tree-Crop interaction Integration of agroforestry trees into cropping systems improves soil moisture retention and nutrition. This improves the systems productivity and adaptation to climate change [65,66,67]
      Indigenous water harvesting approaches Sociology Traditional ecological knowledge practiced by smallholder farmers and handed over to their generations such as planting in pits (Zai and half-moon), intentional residue on the field etc improved soil moisture availability for crop productivity [69,72]

      Table 1. 

      Selected list of climate-smart research with major findings.