Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (JARTS)
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Bud development, flowering and fruit set of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Horseradish Tree) as affected by various irrigation levels
Get PDFMoringa oleifera is becoming increasingly popular as an industrial crop due to its multitude of useful attributes as water purifier, nutritional supplement and biofuel feedstock. Given its tolerance to sub-optimal growing conditions, most of the current and anticipated cultivation areas are in medium to low rainfall areas. This study aimed to assess the effect of various irrigation levels on floral initiation, flowering and fruit set. Three treatments namely, a 900 mm (900IT), 600 mm (600IT) and 300 mm (300IT) per annum irrigation treatment were administered through drip irrigation, simulating three total annual rainfall amounts. Individual inflorescences from each treatment were tagged during floral initiation and monitored throughout until fruit set. Flower bud initiation was highest at the 300IT and lowest at the 900IT for two consecutive growing seasons. Fruit set on the other hand, decreased with the decrease in irrigation treatment. Floral abortion, reduced pollen viability as well as moisture stress in the style were contributing factors to the reduction in fruiting/yield observed at the 300IT. Moderate water stress prior to floral initiation could stimulate flower initiation, however, this should be followed by sufficient irrigation to ensure good pollination, fruit set and yield
Assessing adaptation – Climate change and indigenous livelihood in the Andes of Bolivia
Get PDFBased on a case study of Charazani – Bolivia, this article outlines the understanding of adaptive strategies to cope with climate change and its impact on environmental and socioeconomic conditions that are affecting rural livelihoods. Mainly qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data following the framework for vulnerability assessments of a socio-ecological system. Climate data reveals an increase of precipitation and temperature during the last decades. Furthermore the occurrence of extreme weather events, particularly drought, frost, hailstorms and consequently landslides and fire are increasing. Local testimonies highlight these events as the principle reasons for agricultural losses. This climatic variability and simultaneous social changes were identified as the drivers of vulnerability. Yet, several adaptive measures were identified at household, community and external levels in order to cope with such vulnerability; e.g. traditional techniques in agriculture and risk management. Gradually, farmers complement these activities with contemporary practices in agriculture, like intensification of land use, diversification of irrigation system and use of artificial fertilizers. As part of a recent trend community members are forced to search for new off-farm alternatives beyond agriculture for subsistence. Despite there is a correspondingly large array of possible adaptation measures that families are implementing, local testimonies point out, that farmers often do not have the capacity and neither the economical resources to mitigate the risk in agricultural production. Although several actions are already considered to promote further adaptive capacity, the current target is to improve existing livelihood strategies by reducing vulnerability to hazards induced by climate change
Hermann Alfred Jürgen Pohlan & Dennis José Salazar Centeno (2012): Manual - Diagnóstico, monitoreo y auditoría de las buenas prácticas agrícolas en cafetales a través del sistema de semáforo
Get PDFDie Anwendung guter fachlicher (agronomischer) Praxis ist ein Muss zur Sicherung der Qualität eines erzeugten Produkts. Viel differenzierter ist allerdings die richtige Benennung dieser Praktiken. Pohlan Salazar setzen auf ihre lange Erfahrung und wählen in ihrem Handbuch für die Kaffeeerzeugung in Nicaragua 50 Kriterien oder Kontrollpunkte aus, die sie zu 13 Rubriken gruppieren. Um den richtigen Umgang mit dem Kriterien zu verdeutlichen, wird von den Autoren eine Symbolik auf Basis der Ampel benutzt.Die 13 Rubriken leiten sich aus den verschiedenen Abschnitten des Kaffeeanbaus ab. Einbezogen sind dabei auch der Einfluss der natürlichen Umweltbedingungen und die Einbindung in das soziale Umfeld. Erklärtes Ziel ist es, eine Standort bezogene, mit beruflicher, unternehmerischer und ökologischer Verantwortung gepaarte Bewirtschaftung des Kaffeeanbaus sicherzustellen.Im Bereich der 50 einzelnen Kriterien stellt sich eine Gruppe von 11 Kriterien als absolute Ausschlusskriterien (rote Ampel) für den internationalen Marktzugang (zumindest für die EU) dar. Neben den zu erwartenden Barrieren bei unsachgemäßem Einsatz von Pestiziden, können auch Mängel in der Betriebsdokumentation und bei verschiedenen Analysen einen Marktausschluss hervorrufen. Besonders wichtig für die soziale Einordnung: Kinderarbeit ist vollkommen unzulässig.Weitere 15 Kriterien (gelbe Ampel) signalisieren bei Nichtbeachtung eine Gefahr für die Sicherung der guten fachlichen Praxis. Sie sind aber zunächst keine Ausschlusskriterien für den Marktzugang. In ihrer Mehrzahl beziehen sie sich auf Fehler im Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz bei den Arbeitskräften. Sie beinhalten aber auch Fehler im Bodenschutz und bei der Qualitätssicherung des verwendeten Pflanzmaterials.Es verbleiben schließlich 24 Kriterien, deren Einhaltung an und für sich die gute agronomische Praxis im Kaffeeanbau ausmachen. Fehler werden extern nicht sanktioniert, wirken sich aber durch zu erwartende Einbußen in Qualität und Quantität des erzeugten Kaffees aus.Was kann dieses Handbuch? Zunächst unterstützt es das Lernen, was wohl auch das erste Ziel bei der Herausgabe war. Doch richtig eingesetzt, ermöglicht es jedem Anwender seinen Betrieb zu analysieren, so dass Fehler und Probleme eindeutig benannt sind. Im Resultat lässt sich ein Vorgehen zur Fehlerbehebung und -vorbeugung mit konkreten Maßnahmen ableiten. Die gute fachliche Praxis hält also, je nachWunsch und Ausprägung, Einzug im Betrieb. Sie kann als Grundlage für ein internes Qualitätsmanagement eingesetzt werden.Einigen sich Produzentengruppen, Vermarktungsorganisationen und Käufer auf die Gültigkeit der dargestellten Kriterien (Kontrollpunkte) so ist auch eine externe Prüfung der angewendeten guten fachlichen Praxis möglich. Damit wird das Qualitätsmanagement regional und sogar national anwendbar. Eine Stärkung der vielen kleinen Erzeuger ist sicherlich das Ergebnis.Aus diesen Aspekten heraus ist das Handbuch von Pohlan Salazar nicht nur für den Kaffeeanbau empfehlenswert. Sicher können andere Erzeugnisgruppen sich an dem gezeigten Vorgehen orientieren. Pohlan Salazar legen einen weiteren Grundstein für ein gezieltes Qualitätsmanagement in der Landwirtschaft unter tropischen Bedingungen.Sollte eine neue Ausgabe geplant werden, könnten auch die kleinen Unzulänglichkeiten im Text sicherlich entfernt werden. Eine weite Verbreitung solcher Schriften unter den Erzeugern ist zu wünschen
Farmers’ perspectives with regard to arable crop production and deagrarianisation: an analysis of Nkonkobe Municipality, South Africa
No full textThis exploratory study evaluated biophysical, cultural and socio-economic factors affecting crop production and land utilisation in the Nkonkobe Municipality, South Africa. The study sought to establish what farmers in the area perceive as serious threats to crop production, drivers for land abandonment, and how best current agricultural production could be intensified. The farmers’ perspectives were assessed through interviews using semi-structured and open-ended questionnaires. The results of the study revealed declining crop productivity and increase in land abandonment in the Municipality. The biophysical drivers of land abandonment were low and erratic rainfall and land degradation while the socio-economic drivers were labour shortages due to old age and youth movement to cities, lack of farming equipment and security concerns. The most abandoned crops were maize, sorghum and wheat. This trend was attributed to the labour intensiveness of cereal production and a shift in dietary preference to purchased rice. These findings should be factored in any programmes that seek to increase land utilisation and crop productivity in the Municipality
Study of individual lactation patterns of Iranian dairy buffaloes
Get PDFThe aims of the current study were 1) to investigate the effects of some environmental factors on lactation curve traits (LCTs) including initial milk yield (A), peak yield (PY), days to attain peak yield (PD), inclining- and declining slope of lactation (B and C, respectively), persistency (Per), and 240-d milk yield, and 2) to estimate pairwise phenotypic correlations between these traits in two Iranian buffalo ecotypes (Khuzestani and Azeri buffaloes). The dataset consisted of 15396 and 9283 lactations from 6632 Khuzestani and 3558 Azeri buffaloes, respectively (collected during 1992–2009). The results revealed that almost all of the factors had significant effects on the majority of the LCTs, whereby age group, parity and season of calving had greater influence on 240-d milk yield and PY than the other LCTs in both of the ecotypes. These effects were more apparent in Khuzestani buffaloes than in Azeri buffaloes. In the Khuzestani ecotype, the LCTs were significantly correlated with each other. However, in the Azeri ecotype the 240-d milk yield showed no significant relationship with parameters B, PD and Per. In conclusion, the studied factors play an important role in determining both the shape of the lactation curve and the overal performance of Iranian dairy buffaloes
Smallholder pig production systems along a periurban-rural gradient in the Western provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Get PDFIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), pigs are raised almost exclusively by smallholders either in periurban areas of major cities such as Kinshasa or in rural villages. Unfortunately, little information is available regarding pig production in the Western part of the DRC, wherefore a survey was carried out to characterize and compare 319 pig production systems in their management and feeding strategies, along a periurban - rural gradient inWestern provinces of the DRC. Pig breeding was the main source of income (43%) and half of respondents were active in mixed pig and crop production, mainly vegetable garden. Depending on the location, smallholders owned on average 18 pigs, including four sows. Piglet mortality rate varied from 9.5 to 21.8% while average weaned age ranged between 2.2 and 2.8 months. The major causes of mortality reported by the farmers were African swine fever 98 %, swine erysipelas (60 %), erysipelas trypanosomiasis (31 %), swine worm infection (17 %), and diarrhoea (12 %). The majority of the pigs were reared in pens without free roaming and fed essentially with locally available by-products and forage plants whose nature varied according with the location of the farm. The pig production systems depended on the local environment; particularly in terms of workforces, herd structure and characteristics, production parameters, pig building materials, selling price and in feed resources. It can be concluded that an improvement of Congolese pig production systems should consider (1) a reduction of inbreeding, (2) an improvement in biosafety to reduce the incidence of African swine fever and the spread of other diseases, and (3) an improvement in feeding practices
Biochar improves fertility of a clay soil in the Brazilian Savannah: short term effects and impact on rice yield
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to report single season effects of wood biochar (char) application coupled with N fertilization on soil chemical properties, aerobic rice growth and grain yield in a clayey Rhodic Ferralsol in the Brazilian Savannah. Char application effected an increase in soil pH, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, Mn and nitrate while decreasing Al content and potential acidity of soils. No distinct effect of char application on grain yield of aerobic rice was observed. We believe that soil properties impacted by char application were inconsequential for rice yields because neither water, low pH, nor the availability of K or P were limiting factors for rice production. Rate of char above 16 Mg ha^(−1) reduced leaf area index and total shoot dry matter by 72 days after sowing. The number of panicles infected by rice blast decreased with increasing char rate. Increased dry matter beyond the remobilization capacity of the crop, and high number of panicles infected by rice blast were the likely cause of the lower grain yield observed when more than 60 kg N ha^(−1) was applied. The optimal rate of N was 46 kg ha^(−1) and resulted in a rice grain yield above 3 Mg ha^(−1)
Urban and peri-urban agricultural production along railway tracks: a case study from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Get PDFUrban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) contributes to food security, serves as an opportunity for income generation, and provides recreational services to urban citizens. With a population of 21 Million people, of which 60 % live in slums, UPA activities can play a crucial role in supporting people’s livelihoods in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This study was conducted to characterize the railway gardens, determine their role in UPA production, and assess potential risks. It comprises a baseline survey among 38 railway gardeners across MMR characterized by different demographic, socio-economic, migratory, and labour characteristics. Soil, irrigation water, and plant samples were analyzed for nutrients, heavy metals, and microbial load. All the railway gardeners practiced agriculture as a primary source of income and cultivated seasonal vegetables such as lady’s finger (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.), and white radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) which were irrigated with waste water. This irrigation water was loaded with 7–28 mg N l^(−1), 0.3–7 mg P l^(−1), and 8–32 mg K l^(−1), but also contained heavy metals such as lead (0.02–0.06 mg Pb l^(−1)), cadmium (0.03–0.17 mg Cd l^(−1)), mercury (0.001–0.005 mg Hg l^(−1)), and pathogens such as Escherichia coli (1,100 most probable number per 100 ml). Levels of heavy metals exceeded the critical thresholds in surface soils (Cr, Ni, and Sr) and produce (Pb, Cd, and Sr). The railway garden production systems can substantially foster employment and reduce economic deprivation of urban poor particularly slum dwellers and migrant people. However this production system may also cause possible health risks to producers and consumers
Smallholder farmers’ access to credit in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Get PDFProvision of credit has being identified as an important instrument for improving the welfare of smallholder farmers directly and for enhancing productive capacity through financing investment by the farmers in their human and physical capital. This study investigated the individual and household characteristics that influence credit market access in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, using a cross sectional data from smallholder farmers’ household survey. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the households’ level socio-economic characteristics, not only because they influence household’s demand for credit but also due to the fact that potential lenders are most likely to base their assessment of borrowers’ creditworthiness on such characteristics. The results of the logistic regression suggest that credit market access was significantly influenced by variables such as gender, education, households’ income, value of assets, savings, dependency ratio, repayment capacity and social capital. Implications for rural credit delivery are discussed
Reciprocal and wage labour in rural Ecuador. A quantitative analysis
Get PDFThis paper analyses the determinants for rural Ecuadorian households to participate in community works, to exchange labour, and to use paid labour. The results show that participation in community work is more common among indigenous peoples who are more committed with community and live in areas with relatively high population densities. Exchange labour agreements are more common among indigenous households settled in areas where industrial agriculture has not penetrated yet. Instead, paid labour is used by small and educated households which have access to credit