scholarly journals Market access and resource endowment define the soil fertility status of smallholder farming systems of South‐Kivu, DR Congo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Balume Kayani ◽  
Birhanu Agumas ◽  
Mary Musyoki ◽  
Generose Nziguheba ◽  
Carsten Marohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Dr Congo ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Fertility Status ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems ◽  
Resource Endowment ◽  
South Kivu ◽  
Soil Fertility Status

scholarly journals Micro-livestock in smallholder farming systems: the role, challenges and opportunities for cavies in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 1167-1177
Author(s):  
Charlotte J. Klapwijk ◽  
Marc Schut ◽  
Piet J. A. van Asten ◽  
Bernard Vanlauwe ◽  
Ken E. Giller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Dr Congo ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Mixed Crop ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
South Kivu ◽  
Sub Saharan

AbstractLivestock play multiple roles for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Mixed crop-livestock systems are common in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo, but herd sizes are small and numbers of large livestock (i.e. cattle) have declined, due to high population density, recent conflicts and extreme poverty. Over half of the farmers keep cavies, a type of micro-livestock fitting the circumstances of smallholders and a valuable asset especially for the poorest households. To characterize cavy husbandry practices, detailed monthly on-farm data on cavy numbers, weights, herd dynamics and feeding practices were collected over 15 months and from households in two contrasting sites in South Kivu. Cavy herds contained on average 10 animals and strongly varied in size over time and between households. The main reasons for keeping cavies were meat consumption, especially for children, and the opportunity to generate petty cash. A large difference was observed in adult cavy live weights between the sites (an average of 0.6 and 1.0 kg per animal in Kabamba and Lurhala, respectively) and attributed to differences in cavy husbandry and genetics. In both sites, quantities of fresh fodder on offer were larger than fodder demand by 50–100%, but no correlation was found between amount of fodder on offer and cavy weight. Farmers faced several constraints to cavy production, including substantial declines in cavy herd size due to predation or theft and a lack of knowledge regarding breeding and feeding. Hence, the introduction of cages to limit mortality and fodder cultivation to improve feed quality were opportunities for improving cavy production. Overall, micro-livestock present a promising entry-point for development initiatives, also outside DR Congo, because of their potential to decrease poverty and improve human nutrition.

scholarly journals Nutrient Uptake and Soil Fertility Status under Different Cropping Systems for Integrated Farming Systems of Telangana State, India

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ch. Pragathi Kumari ◽  
M. Goverdhan ◽  
G. Kiran Reddy ◽  
S. Sridevi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Pigeon Pea ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Rice Grain ◽  
Fertility Status ◽  
Soil Fertility Status ◽  
Equivalent Yield

An Randamised Block Design (RBD) field investigation with ten crop sequences under irrigation with recommended package of practices in sandy loam soils of Southern Telangana Zone (STZ), Telangana was carried out during Kharif, Rabi and summer of 2018-2019 with an objective of the nutrient uptake and soil fertility status under different cropping systems and to assess agro economic benefit. These ten cropping systems were grouped in to five categories viz., pre dominant cropping systems of the zone, ecological cropping systems, household nutritional security giving cropping systems, fodder security giving cropping systems and cropping systems involving high value crops. So that from each category, best cropping system can be identified and can be suggested to different integrated farming systems models. In the context of farming systems, under high value crops such as Okra–Marigold–Beetroot system recorded significantly higher rice grain equivalent yield (36,434 kg ha-1) over other systems. Among the ecological cropping systems for improving soil health, Bt cotton + green gram (1:3) - groundnut cropping system was recorded significantly higher rice grain equivalent yield (14,080 kg ha-1) as  compared to pigeon pea + green gram (1:7) – sesame cropping system. Among the household nutritional security giving crops, pigeon pea + maize (1:3) – groundnut system was recorded higher rice grain equivalent yield (13,693 kg ha-1). Within the two fodder crops, fodder maize – lucerne system was resulted in higher rice grain equivalent yield (7,709 kg ha-1). Rice - maize and Bt cotton which were the pre-dominant cropping systems of the region wherein rice – maize system recorded comparatively higher rice grain equivalent yield (11,771 kg ha-1) than Bt cotton. Fodder systems were found to be more exhaustive than all other cropping systems. However, within two years of experimentation the changes in physic-chemical properties and soil fertility status were not significantly affected except organic carbon. Organic carbon was high (0.45 %) in case of pigeon pea + green gram (1:6) - sesame cropping system.

Soil fertility management effects on maize productivity and grain zinc content in smallholder farming systems of Zimbabwe

2012 ◽  
Vol 361 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 57-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace M. Manzeke ◽  
Paul Mapfumo ◽  
Florence Mtambanengwe ◽  
Regis Chikowo ◽  
Takesure Tendayi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Zinc Content ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems ◽  
Grain Zinc ◽  
Management Effects

scholarly journals Upscaling Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and Related Agroecosystems Services in Smallholder Farming Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie Bonareri Oruru ◽  
Ezekiel Mugendi Njeru
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Mycorrhizal Symbiosis ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems

Smallholder farming systems form unique ecosystems that can protect beneficial soil biota and form an important source of useful genetic resources. They are characterized by high level of agricultural diversity mainly focused on meeting farmers’ needs. Unfortunately, these systems often experience poor crop production mainly associated with poor planning and resource scarcity. Soil fertility is among the primary challenges faced by smallholder farmers, which necessitate the need to come up with affordable and innovative ways of replenishing soils. One such way is the use of microbial symbionts such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a beneficial group of soil microbiota that form symbiotic associations with majority of cultivated crops and play a vital role in biological soil fertility, plant nutrition, and protection. AMF can be incorporated in smallholder farming systems to help better exploit chemical fertilizers inputs which are often unaffordable to many smallholder farmers. The present review highlights smallholder farming practices that could be innovatively redesigned to increase AMF symbiosis and related agroecosystem services. Indeed, the future of global food security depends on the success of smallholder farming systems, whose crop productivity depends on the services provided by well-functioning ecosystems, including soil fertility.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document