Cropping strategies, soil fertility investment and land management practices by smallholder farmers in communal and resettlement areas in Zimbabwe

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 492-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Cobo ◽  
G. Dercon ◽  
C. Monje ◽  
P. Mahembe ◽  
T. Gotosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers

scholarly journals Farmers’ Perceptions about the Effect of Farm Land Management Practices and Soil Depth on the Distribution of Major Soil Physico-Chemical Properties in Eroded Soils of Aboy Gara Watershed, Gidan District, North Wollo Zone

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-195
Author(s):  
Gebeyaw Tilahun Yeshaneh
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Drainage ◽  
Fertility Status ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Black Color

The study was conducted at the Abuhoy Gara Catchment, which is located in the Gidan District of North Wello Zone. The aim of the study was to study farmers’ perceptions about the effect of farm land management practices and soil depth on the distribution of major soil physico-chemical properties in eroded soils of Aboy Gara watershed. To address this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 64 households to gain insight into soil fertility management practices, local methods were used to assess the fertility status of a field, and perceived trends in soil fertility. Thirty-three farmers were then asked to identify fertile and infertile fields. According to farmers response, farmers’ fields were characterized as fertile where it comprise black color, cracks during dry season, good crop performance, vigorous growth of certain plants and presence of plants in a dry environment whereas the infertile is where it shows yellow/white and red colors, compacted soils, stunted plant growth, presence of rocks and stones and wilting or dying of crops in a hot environment. A total of eight indicators (soil color, texture, soil depth, topography, soil drainage, and distance from home, type of weeds grown and cultivation intensity) were found to be used by farmers to evaluate and monitor soil fertility. The results of administered questions showed that the principal indicators mentioned by farmers as very important were soil colour (82.8%), continuous cropping land (72.2%), soil texture (62.8%), distance from home (61%), type of weeds grown (56%), soil depth (55.6%), topography (51.1%), and soil drainage (28.7%) as very important. So, among sixty four interviewed farmers: deep soil (60 farmers), soils near to home (60 farmers), forest soil (59 farmers), smooth fine soil (59 farmers), black color soil (58 farmers) and gentle slope soil (57farmers) are categorized as fertile whereas 59, 57, 56, 55, and 44farmers said that Sandy/coarse soil, shallow soil depth, steep slope soils and yellow/white, red soils and continuously cultivated soils are infertile, respectively. The overall result showed that there was good agreement between farmers’ assessment of the soil fertility status of a field and a number of these indicators. The soil laboratory analysis also corresponded well with farmers’ assessment of soil fertility. Therefore, to design more appropriate research and to facilitate clear communication with farmers, researchers need to recognize farmers’ knowledge, perceptions about assessments of soil fertility. Because, as they included all soil factors affecting plant growth, farmers’ perceptions of soil fertility were found to be more long term day-to-day close practical experience finding than those of researchers.

scholarly journals DETERMINANTS OF THE DECISION TO ADOPT INTEGRATED SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF KENYA

2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAYNE MUGWE ◽  
DANIEL MUGENDI ◽  
MONICAH MUCHERU-MUNA ◽  
ROEL MERCKX ◽  
JONAS CHIANU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Integrated Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Central Highlands

SUMMARYDeclining soil fertility is a major cause of low per capita food production on smallholder farms of sub-Saharan Africa. This study attempted to provide an empirical explanation of the factors associated with farmers' decisions to adopt or not to adopt newly introduced integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies consisting of combinations of organics and mineral fertilizer in Meru South district of the central highlands of Kenya. Out of 106 households interviewed, 46% were ‘adopters’ while 54% were ‘non-adopters’. A logistic regression model showed that the factors that significantly influenced adoption positively were farm management, ability to hire labour and months in a year households bought food for their families, while age of household head and number of mature cattle negatively influenced adoption. The implication of these results is that the adoption of ISFM practices could be enhanced through targeting of younger families where both spouses work on the farm full-time and food insecure households. It is also important to target farmers that lack access to other sources of soil fertility improvement. Examples include farmers that do not own cattle or those owning few and who, therefore, have limited access to animal manure.

scholarly journals Does Information Acquisition Influence the Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices? Evidence From Mpumalanga Province South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi ◽  
Sibongile Sylvia Tekana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
Bivariate Probit ◽  
Mpumalanga Province

Agricultural information plays a vital role in adopting agricultural technology. The study explored if information acquisition is related to the adoption of sustainable land management practices (SLMP) and jointly decided in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews, using a proportionate random sampling technique to get 250 smallholder farmers to participate in the survey. A seemingly unrelated bivariate probit (SUBP) model and a recursive bivariate probit (RBP) model were adopted to examine the objective. The statistical estimation of the SUBP showed that there is a relationship, an empirical association between information acquisition and SLMP; while RBP estimation showed that information acquisition was exogenous in the adoption model; thus, the decision to acquire information and adopt SLMP was not jointly decided. Therefore, the study presents the determinants of information acquisition alongside with the adoption of SLPM. The result from the SUBP model, indicated that the years spent in school; agricultural extension service; the number of extension visits and the years of farming, influenced both information acquisition and the adoption of SLMP. The cost attached positively influenced the adoption of SLMP; while gender, marital status and age only influenced the information acquisition.

scholarly journals Droughts and floods in Malawi: impacts on crop production and the performance of sustainable land management practices under weather extremes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy McCarthy ◽  
Talip Kilic ◽  
Josh Brubaker ◽  
Siobhan Murray ◽  
Alejandro de la Fuente
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Floods And Droughts ◽  
Production Losses

Abstract Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, increasing the vulnerability of smallholder farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture. We evaluate the extent to which farmers in Malawi suffer crop production losses due to extreme weather, and whether sustainable land management (SLM) practices help shield crop production losses from extreme events. We use a three period panel dataset where widespread floods and droughts occurred in separate periods, offering a unique opportunity to evaluate impacts using data collected immediately following these events. Results show that crop production outcomes were severely hit by both floods and droughts, with average losses ranging between 32–48 per cent. Legume intercropping provided protection against both floods and droughts, while green belts provided protection against floods. However, we find limited evidence that SLM adoption decisions are driven by exposure to weather shocks; rather, farmers with more productive assets are more likely to adopt.

scholarly journals Understanding the Spontaneous Spreading of Stone Bunds in Ethiopia: Implications for Sustainable Land Management

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meskerem Abi ◽  
Aad Kessler ◽  
Peter Oosterveer ◽  
Degefa Tolossa
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Mass Mobilization ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Leading Role

This study deals with the spontaneous spreading of stone bunds in the central Ethiopian highlands, i.e., the adoption and implementation of stone bunds by farmers on their own initiative. The study tests the hypothesis that spontaneously implemented stone bunds, as compared to stone bunds implemented by mass mobilization campaigns, are more integrated with other land management practices and lead to higher yields. Data are collected in the Girar Jarso woreda through field observations and household surveys. Descriptive statistics are used to analyze and test the data at 1% and 5% probability levels. Results show that stone bunds are spontaneously implemented mainly on farmlands located nearby the homesteads where farmers perceive severe erosion, poor soil fertility and steep slope gradients. Compared to stone bunds implemented by mass mobilization, spontaneously implemented stone bunds are perceived as better maintained, more frequently modified to fit the farming system and better integrated with soil fertility management practices, such as applying fertilizer, compost and manure. Particularly, this better integration with other practices is very important, because it makes stone bunds more effective in reducing erosion, leading to beneficial effects on soil moisture and soil productivity, as perceived by farmers. The study, therefore, suggests that the mass mobilization campaign should use a more participatory and integrated approach, in which there is ample space for awareness raising and learning concerning the benefits of integrated farm management, and in which farmers themselves have a leading role in the decision on where to construct stone bunds. Such a strategy will lead to more sustainable impact on soil fertility and food security than the current top-down intervention approach.

scholarly journals The Role of Biochar in Ameliorating Disturbed Soils and Sequestering Soil Carbon in Tropical Agricultural Production Systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolde Mekuria ◽  
Andrew Noble
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Resource Constrained ◽  
The Tropics

Agricultural soils in the tropics have undergone significant declines in their native carbon stock through the long-term use of extractive farming practices. However, these soils have significant capacity to sequester CO2through the implementation of improved land management practices. This paper reviews the published and grey literature related to the influence of improved land management practices on soil carbon stock in the tropics. The review suggests that the implementation of improved land management practices such as crop rotation, no-till, cover crops, mulches, compost, or manure can be effective in enhancing soil organic carbon pool and agricultural productivity in the tropics. The benefits of such amendments were, however, often short-lived, and the added organic matters were usually mineralized to CO2within a few cropping seasons leading to large-scale leakage. We found that management of black carbon (C), increasingly referred to as biochar, may overcome some of those limitations and provide an additional soil management option. Under present circumstances, recommended crop and land management practices are inappropriate for the vast majority of resource constrained smallholder farmers and farming systems. We argue that expanding the use of biochar in agricultural lands would be important for sequestering atmospheric CO2and mitigating climate change, while implementing the recommended crop and land management practices in selected areas where the smallholder farmers are not resource constrained.

scholarly journals Impacts of Socio-Psychological Factors on Actual Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Dryland and Water Stressed Areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woldegebrial Zeweld ◽  
Guido Van Huylenbroeck ◽  
Girmay Tesfay ◽  
Hossein Azadi ◽  
Stijn Speelman
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Ordered Probit ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Relational Capital ◽  
Sustainable Land Management

Despite the presence of several studies on technology adoption, there are limited empirical studies on how socio-psychological factors affect the adoption of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this paper investigates how socio-psychological factors-such as social capital, information, attitudes, efficacy, and aversion-affect smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt sustainable land management practices, such as agroforestry systems, organic compost, and crop rotation with legumes. Cross-sectional data are collected from 350 randomly selected farm households using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. A multivariate probit model is used to investigate factors that influence the probability of adopting these practices. The ordered probit model is also applied to identify and analyze the determinants of the number (intensity) of land management practices adopted. The findings indicate that nearly half of the farmers have adopted these land management practices to improve soil fertility, enhance water retention capacity, and increase productivity. It is also found that attitudes, information, education, group membership, relational capital, risk attitudes, and labor supply significantly affect the probability of adopting these agricultural practices. The estimates of the ordered probit model also indicate that extension services, risk attitudes, group membership, relational capital, education and labor supply are major determinants of the number of land management practices used. However, financial resources, biophysical factors and some demographic factors are found to have an insignificant effect on sustainable agriculture adoption. This implies that when it is necessary to promote sustainable land management practices and to stimulate smallholder farmers to adopt such practices in isolation or combination, specific strategies should be designed to improve awareness, build positive attitudes, reduce risk aversion, strengthen formal organizations, and empower endogenous groups (or informal institutions).

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