Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (JARTS)
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How do management practices and farm structure impact productive performances of dairy cattle in the province of Pichincha, Ecuador
Get PDFThe combination of "ancestral knowledge" and modern agricultural techniques are increasingly used by Andes farmers, demonstrating its great importance as an ideal alternative to achieve international standards of productivity and sustainability. Pasture management has demonstrated its relevance in terms of milk volume and quality in farms located in the Ecuadorian highlands, showing a wide range of types of forage resource use, in its constant search for better animal yields from the occupancy rate. However, while inclination of land has a clear impact on energy expenditure of grazing animals, there are no reports on the influence of the diversity in management practices and their consequences on animal performance, considering the slope of pastures animals are grazing. The objective of the present investigation was to document management practices in dairy systems in the tropical highlands of central Ecuador and to understand the influence of the slope of pastures on those practices. A survey was carried out in the rural area of the province of Pichincha in 42 dairy farms using a questionnaire to identify the productive and management activities in the herds and to evaluate the average slope of the pastures of the farms based on GIS data. Results showed that farms had an average acreage of 40 ha, the herds were composed of 60 ± 63 cows in milk, predominantly Holstein (65 %), and the daily production of individual milking cows reached 15.1 ± 3.4 kg. Highest productivity was found on farms with the highest re-population rates using rotatory grazing with high intensity of instantaneous grazing with very short occupation times (12 h) and a flat topography of the pastures (p 0.05). The daily production of individual cows was negatively correlated (r = −0.323, p = 0.037) with the average slope of the farms. It is concluded that the use of rotational grazing with very short occupation times seems relevant to maximize individual yields. More research should clarify whether the specific pasture design and the rotation system can contribute to reducing the observed negative impact of high slopes on individual milk production
Competitiveness of sea buckthorn farming in Mongolia: A policy analysis matrix
Get PDFThe perennial shrub sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) provides multiple products that are beneficial to human health. In addition, the plant can also be used to combat desertification. In contrast to the vast ecological, agronomic and nutritional literature on this species, little is known about its economic and marketing aspects, particularly in Central Asia. We therefore analysed the private and social competitiveness of sea buckthorn farming in 21 households of Bulgan county of Khovd province in Mongolia. The results show that half of the interviewed sea buckthorn farmers are privately competitive. We found that social competitiveness exceeded private competitiveness because while private output prices are supported by government policies, which increases private profits, input prices are also supported, which reduces the competitiveness. The net effect of supports to input and output prices taxes producers and reduces private competitiveness. In our study area the most competitive households had larger land sizes, fenced wild sea buckthorn areas, and were more experienced than others. The competitiveness of sea buckthorn farming increased from 2012 to 2013, which may be due to a government subsidy programme. Given the social and environmental benefits of sea buckthorn production, future government programmes should consider supporting the production through subsidies to make private households more competitive
Does the non-farm sector affect production efficiency of the Vietnamese agricultural sector? A stochastic frontier production approach
Get PDFThis study examines the impact of the non-farm sector on farm value-added and production efficiency in the Vietnamese agricultural sector by using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2012. Production function and stochastic frontier production analysis is used to determine the impact, and the instrumental variables method is applied to address endogeneity. We find that the Vietnamese non-farm sector has a positive effect on both farm value-added and efficiency. This result indicates that income from non-farm activities relaxes liquidity constraints and farmers can reinvest this capital in agricultural production. Our result provides evidence of the important role played by the non-farm sector in relaxing credit constraints and enhancing agricultural production efficiency for developing countries
Drivers of farmers market participation in southeast Nigeria
Get PDFThe objective of this paper was to investigate the drivers of farmers’ participation in the output market for yellow pepper using a sample of 420 randomly selected producers from 8,500 farmers in selected markets in southeast Nigeria. The heterogeneity of smallholder market participation was modelled with quantile regression. The variables that affected all the quantiles (i.e. for subsistence, semi-subsistence, intermediate, semi-commercial and commercially oriented farms) are the distance to the trading centre and the level of poultry manure applied. The estimated coefficients of poultry manure were statistically significant and directly related to commercialisation of pepper, while the distance to market was negatively correlated. The estimated coefficients for land size, age of household head, fertiliser and agrochemicals use, were positive and significant while income from other sources and asphalt road were negative and significant. It could be deduced from the results that specialisation and commercialisation in yellow pepper production in southeast Nigeria triggers the production of other commercial crops (i.e. cassava, maize, tomatoes, and garden eggs, groundnut, okra, fluted pumpkin, amaranth, and sweet potatoes). The findings showed that volume of pepper sold and total farm production and consumption were indicators for household food security and income. These suggest that smallholder market participation in West Africa could be driven by policies aimed at improving the commercial crops that are highly marketable, rural road infrastructure, market information systems, asset accumulation, human capital and promotion of farmer organisations
Forage biomass availability, species diversity and seasonal variation in grazing behaviour of cattle in the outskirts of Ouagadougou
Get PDFIn order to determine the exploitation of grazing areas in the outskirts of Ouagadougou by cattle herds, the grazing behaviour of cows was monitored in five villages in these during three distinct seasons, namely wet, cool dry and hot dry season. A vegetation study including a census of the woody and herbaceous stratum of grazing areas allowed for an assessment of the pasture biomass availability during the wet season. Results of the monitoring of cattle herds showed that the land type grazed by cattle in the outskirts of the city varied depending on the season. While fallows and post-harvest fields constituted the main land type grazed by cattle in the wet and cool dry season, respectively, cattle herds exploited a variety of land types in the hot dry season. Consequently, cows travelled longer distances and spent more time on walking and browsing and less time on grazing in the hot dry season than in the cool dry and wet season. The pastoral value of grazing areas during the wet season, an important indicator for the quality of the grazing areas being based on the pastoral composition and the global quality index, was estimated at 61.1 %. The biomass was mainly dominated by annual grasses and legumes. The total annual above-ground biomass produced amounted to 575 kg DM ha-1, equivalent to a qualified forage production of 324 kg DM ha-1 and a carrying capacity of 0.084 TLU ha-1. In total, over 100 different herbaceous and 48 woody species were identified, each belonging to 20 families. Despite a high diversity of woody and herbaceous species, it is recommended to reduce the grazing pressure of cattle herds in the outskirts of Ouagadougou by addressing alternative feeding strategies
Impact of agroecological practices on soil organic carbon sequestration using synchronic and diachronic approaches in Madagascar
No full textSoil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agricultural systems is a key indicator of soil fertility improvement and climate change mitigation at the global scale. In Madagascar, the effect on SOC sequestration of converting from traditional practices to agroecological ones remains unclear. The objectives of this study were (i) to assess the impact of agroecological practices, such as agroforestry (AF), tree plantation (TP) and improved farming practices (IFPs), on SOC sequestration at the field level; and (ii) to use both synchronic and diachronic approaches to quantify SOC sequestration following the adoption of agroecological practices. For the diachronic approach, two sampling years (2014 and 2018) were used to assess the annual soil carbon sequestration rates with agroecological practices. For the synchronic approach, SOC sequestration arising from agroecological practices was compared to that on reference fields, such as fallow land (FL) and traditional farming practices (TFPs). Soil sampling were carried out on 36 fields with agroecological practices and 60 reference TFP and FL fields. The diachronic approach showed that SOC sequestration rates for AF, TP and IFPs were respectively, +2.8, +1.6 and -0.9 MgC.ha-1.yr-1. The synchronic approach showed that SOC stock in AF was higher (109.4 MgC.ha-1) than in reference TFP (73.8 MgC.ha-1) and FL (67.4 MgC.ha-1) fields. The SOC stock in IFP (74.8 MgC.ha-1) and TP (69 MgC.ha-1) presented no significant difference compared to reference fields. This study provided a better understanding of soil carbon dynamics at the farm level in Madagascar when agroecological practices are adopted in place of traditional practices
Influence of stage of ripening and dietary concentration of Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) powder on broiler performance
Get PDFPhyto-additives in poultry diets enhance growth, feed eciency and product quality and minimise the possible risk of residues from chemical additives. There are reports on the use of noni (Morinda citrifolia) fruit powder as phytoadditive in poultry diets but information on the eect of fruit ripening is scanty. Hence, this study compared the eect of unripe and ripe noni fruit owder on broiler performance. A control diet without and 4 diets containing two levels (0.25 and 0.5 %) unripe and ripe fruit powder were fed to 5 replicates containing 6 Cobb500 broilers in a completely randomized design. Data collection was on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass and organ measurements. In the starter (8–21 d), feed intake (FI) reduced on 0.5% unripe powder (p 0:05) but did not dier between the control and 0.25% ripe powder (p 0:05). Nitrogen retention reduced on 0.25% unripe powder compared to the control and the ripe powder (p 0:05). Poorer dressing percentage was observed on 0.5%ripe powder (p 0:05). Breast weight was increased and thigh weight reduced on 0.25% ripe and 0.5% unripe powder (p 0:05). In conclusion, up to 0.5% noni, fruit powder has no beneficial eect on broiler growth, but the stage of ripening may influences protein digestibility and dressing percentage. We recommend more research into feed processing and diet composition
Der grüne Rettungsring, Mit vernetzter Steppenbegrünung der Klimakrise global begegnen von Lorenz Hübner
Get PDFGroßflächige Vegetation hat in heiß-trockenem Klima eine doppelte klimaschützende Wirkung: durch die Senkung des CO2-Gehalts in der Atmosphäre und als direkter lebensförderlicher Klimafaktor. Bisher kaum beachtet könnte es global für niedrigere Temperaturen und ausgeglichene Niederschläge sorgen wenn es gelingt, ausgedehnte Steppenbegrünungen in Form eines »grünen Rettungsrings« um die Wüsten der Erde zu legen. Heiße, austrocknende Winde können so abgefangen, Landwirtschaft vielerorts wieder ermöglicht werden. In diesem lesenswerten Büchlein werden erste Klimadaten von den weltgrößten Begrünungsprojekten und eine Vielzahl konkreter Maßnahmen vorgestellt, die zeigen, wie wir mit Vegetation als Makro-Klimafaktor der Klimakrise begegnen können.Lorenz Hübner, promovierter Immunbiologe, wurde schon in seiner Jugend von Bildern der Dürre und des Hungers im Sahel geprägt. Seit Mitte der 1970er-Jahre verfolgte er Wiederbewaldungs- projekte. Durch den Kontakt mit Entwicklungshelfern in Mali wurde ihm klar, wie wichtig der Austausch von Information und Praxiswissen für diese und andere Regionen ist. Um diesen zu unterstützen, hat er sich der Zusammenstellung der Ergebnisse der bereits existierenden »Great Green Walls« angenommen.Das Buch hat die 12 Kapitel: 1. Einleitung, 2. Regionaler Klimafaktor Vegetation, 3. Vernetzung stabilisiert Ökosysteme, 4. Klimaerwärmung durch zusätzlichen Wald? 5. (Wieder)Bewaldung für Regionalklima und CO2-Senkung, 6. Sahelzone, 7. Vegetation des Sahel nach der Dürre, 8. Der GGW im Sahel heute, 9. Wüstenbewaldung, 10. Globale Steppenbegrünung, 11. Politischer Wille, internationale Partnerschaft mit den GGWs,12. Zusammenfassung, Link-Sammlung, Literatur und Quellen, sowie Glossar, Abkürzungen zum Schluss. Eingeschoben ist ein Interview mit Prof. Dr. Klaus Becker, ehemals Professor an der Universität Hohenheim, zur Bedeutung der Vegetation als Klimafaktor in heiß-trockenen Regionen.GGW „Great Green Walls“, die Lösung für die Klimakrise? Ökologie und Meteorologie sind sich darin einig, dass Vegetation generell nur einen lokal-klimatischen Effekt hat. Neben der klimatischen Rendite gibt es aber eine nicht zu unterschätzende ökonomische und soziale Rendite, die nicht nur für die jeweilige Region, sondern auch weltweit von Bedeutung ist. Es geht um die globale Temperatur, die globale Ausgeglichenheit der Niederschläge und die globale Bodenfruchtbarkeit, wir sitzen alle in einem Boot.Somit sind für die Umsetzung des Vorhabens, politischer Wille und internationale Partnerschaft, nicht nur der betroffenen Länder, gefragt. Es gibt erste Erfolge des GGW-Projektes, aber die große Umsetzung fehlt noch. Dies bedarf jahrzehntelanger Bemühungen, Projekte in Algerien und China zeigen dies. Ein Verdienst des Autors ist es, Wege dazu aufgezeichnet zu haben. Hervorzuheben ist die Widmung des Buches für Tony Rinaudo, Träger des Right Livelihood Awards 2019, der mit seiner vorbildlichen Arbeit schon vielen Menschen im Sahel die Landflucht ersparte und ein Überleben in Eigenständigkeit ermöglichte. Insgesamt ist das Buch ein Werk, dem man besonders auch auf politischer Ebene, Erfolg wünscht
Occurrence, distribution and alternative hosts of Wheat streak mosaic virus infecting ginger in Kaduna State, Nigeria
Get PDFA field survey was conducted during the 2018 rainy season (June – October) in three major ginger producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State, Nigeria to determine the occurrence and spread of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) infecting ginger. Symptomatic and asymptomatic ginger leaf samples (n=180) and weed samples (n=45) were collected from the surveyed fields and indexed against WSMV using Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA). The results obtained showed that WSMV occurred in all the LGAs surveyed but with significant (P = 0.05) variation in distribution. Jaba had the highest virus incidence (22.67\,\%) followed by Kagarko (17.67\,\%) while Kachia had the lowest virus incidence of 10.00\,\%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of WSMV infecting ginger in Nigeria. Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton and Setaria barbata (Lam.) Kunth tested positive against WSMV as alternative weed hosts of the virus. The incidence of WSMV even at lower percentage is significant as population build-up could lead to a disease outbreak. Awareness programs need to be organised for farmers on yield loss potential of WSMV on ginger crop and the role of cultural practices on the incidence and management of the virus
Are farmer perceptions among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity in Malawi? A case of Lilongwe district
Get PDFAgricultural diversity can strengthen resilience of livelihood of farmers to climate change and market uncertainties while, potentially at the same time, offering better dietary and nutritional prospects for households. Adoption of agricultural diversity in Malawi is low. Policy-makers, researchers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and extension staff need to understand dynamics of adoption of agricultural diversity in order to develop appropriate policies and interventions to promote agricultural diversification.This study was conducted in Lilongwe District of Malawi to identify factors influencing adoption of agricultural diversity and particularly to test if farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. A survey of 424 randomly sampled households was conducted in 2016 and 2017. A Tobit model, having 16 possible determinants, was run against a holistic agricultural diversity index that combined number of crop, livestock, and fruit tree species and cropping patterns.The study found that farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. Some farmers perceived that they faced problems to find seeds of preferred varieties, droughts posed problems to farming; some crops produced good yields while other crops did not. Farmers with such perceptions were less likely to practice agricultural diversification. In addition to perceptions, engagement in off-farm sources of income also negatively affected agricultural diversity. Other factors, namely farmers’ access to land and credit, irrigation farming, selling of crops, ownership of radios, and farmer group membership fostered adoption of agricultural diversity