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Integrated land systems for sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid to moist tropics: Stakeholder perspectives from Andhra Pradesh, India
No full textLand systems must urgently be transformed for social and environmental sustainability, which necessitates a better integration of food system and biodiversity governance. This is particularly pronounced in the south-Indian state Andhra Pradesh, where one of the largest agroecological transitions globally, namely Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), is currently underway, but involvement of conservation scientists and practitioners has been minimal and policy spheres are disjunct. Here, we report the results of a multi-stakeholder exercise to ascertain the multi-scalar and multi-institutional transformations needed for Andhra Pradesh ‘s landscapes to deliver both food and biodiversity targets. To achieve a vision of an equitable and sustainable food system and of multifunctional and nature-positive land systems, we advocate for an end to harmful subsidies, improvements in infrastructures and social organisations, dietary shifts, and creation of both supporting financial structures and sustainable and transparent value chains. We stress that approaches should be participatory and link across policy domains and scales, bridging bottom-up and top-down perspectives, and with spatial planning critical to balancing land system objectives. Specifically, we stress that the ZBNF transition needs to be better aligned with state-level conservation strategies to maximise biodiversity benefits. Top priority knowledge needs include quantifying the multidimensional performance and scaling-potential of agroecological systems, the effectiveness of different conservation interventions, and how different land system objectives trade off against each other. Our work highlights a lack of data and capacity sharing, which can be addressed through intersectoral partnerships and collaborative programmes to create effective, research-based policies and land management strategies
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for On-Station banana leaf sampling, handling, and processing for DNA extraction
No full textSouth Asia's ecosystems are a net carbon sink, but the region is a major net GHG source to the atmosphere
No full textAs part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes‐2 (RECCAP‐2) project of the Global Carbon Project, here we estimate the GHG budgets (anthropogenic and natural sources and sinks) for the South Asia (SA) region as a whole and each country (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) for the decade of 2010–2019 (2010s). Countries in the region are experiencing a rapid rise in fossil fuel consumption and demand for agricultural land, leading to increased deforestation and higher greenhouse gas emissions. This study synthesizes top‐down (TD) and bottom‐up (BU) dynamic global vegetation model results, BU GHG inventories, ground‐based observation upscaling, and direct emissions for major GHGs. The fluxes for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) analyzed include fossil fuel emissions, net biome productivity, land use change, inland waters, wetlands, and upland and submerged soils. Our analysis shows that the overall total GHG emissions contributed to a net increase of 34%– 43% during the 2010s compared to the 2000s, primarily driven by industrial activities. However, terrestrial ecosystems acted as a notable exception by serving as a CO2 sink in the 2010s, effectively sequestering atmospheric carbon. The sink was significantly smaller than overall carbon emissions. Overall, the 2010s GHG emissions based on BU and TD were 4,517 ± 639.8 and 4,532 ± 807.5 Tg CO2 eq, with CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions of 2165.2 ± 297.1, 1,404 ± 95.9, and 712 ± 466 Tg CO2 eq based on BU models 2,125 ± 515.1, 1,531 ± 205.2, and 876 ± 446.0 Tg CO2 eq based on TD models. Total emissions from SA in the 2010s accounted for approximately 8% of the global share. The terrestrial CO2 sinks estimated by the BU and TD models were 462.9 ± 195.5 and 210.0 ± 630.4 Tg CO2, respectively. Among the SA countries, India was the largest emitter contributing to 80% of the region's total GHG emissions, followed by Pakistan (10%) and Bangladesh (7%)
Control of cowpea seedling mortality in Southern Nigeria
No full textIn 12 field plantings in southern Nigeria during 1972 and 1973, four fungicides and four fungicide combinations were tested as seed dressings for the control of
seedling mortality of cowpea. The greatest and most stable control was obtained with 1, 4-dichloro-2, 5-dimethoxybenzene (chloroneb) used as a dry seed dressing at rates of 2 and 4 g/kg seed. The combination of other fungicides with chloroneb, and the use of glycerol and kaolin to coat the seed with the fungicide, did not significantly improve its performance
Herbicides in tropical soils and water
No full textIn the U. K., the amount of herbicides used on about 4.15 million hectares of agricultural land in 1973 was considered enough to provide 30 ppm if mixed evenly into the top 0.5em of the treated area (Greaves et al., 1976). How soon quantities of this kind will be used in the topics is not known. It is the responsibility of agriculturalists to maintain the productivity of the soil, and one aspect of this task is to ensure that levels of herbicides in soils and water are kept _low
Adaptation through diverse crop and livestock systems—The story of Edwin and Doreen, the adaptation pioneer farmers from Sotik, Kenya
No full textEdwin and Doreen are part of about 50 pioneer adaptation farmers that ILRI is working with in two counties to promote farmer-led local solutions to climate change in dairy. The specific aim is to increase milk yields for small holder farmers, ensure low age at first livestock calving, short calving intervals, and adaptation to climate change through improved feeding practices, diverse crop and livestock systems for multiple income streams. The pioneer adaptation farmers share locally developed solutions through farmer-led networks and peer-to-peer learning. Through this system, by the end of 2024, ILRI reached 15,000 households with knowledge about improved feeding practices and climate change adaptation
Gender roles in ruminant disease management in Uganda: Implications for the control of peste des petits ruminants and Rift Valley fever
No full textThere is a distinct division of tasks and roles between men and women in livestock management in the different ruminant production systems in Uganda. Division of roles can influence disease control and prevention. This qualitative study asks what men and women do to prevent or control diseases that affect them and their livestock and what factors influence the choice of disease control measures taken. Discussants represented three production systems (pastoral, agro-pastoral, and mixed crop livestock), selected for the high prevalence of two livestock diseases (peste des petits ruminants and Rift Valley fever). Sex-disaggregated focus group discussions with livestock keepers and key informant interviews with veterinarians and other experts were conducted in six districts in the western, northeastern, and eastern regions of Uganda. Gendered livestock management roles strategically positioned men, women, girls, and boys to observe different clinical manifestations of disease. Livestock keepers mostly reported within-farm prevention and control methods, for which they presumably had more control than between-farm or community-level methods. While livestock keepers embraced disease control options such as the use of drugs, spraying acaracides, and the use of traditional herbs, many had concerns and misconceptions about vaccination as a preventive measure. Although women had fewer concerns about vaccine side effects, they still faced constraints, such as mistrust of animal health workers, limited decision-making powers, domestic workload, and inability to access vaccination points. The study findings can guide appropriate, gender-responsive interventions tailored by production system for controlling ruminant diseases in Uganda
Building Pastoralist Resilience to Shocks and Disaster Risks: VSF Germany Experiences
No full textPresented at the Jameel Observatory drylands food security and resilience early action research and evidence dialogue, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15-16 May 202