scholarly journals Efficacy of Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica A. Jusieu) Extract on White Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hem: Aphididae) Control in the Field

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Amongi Evaline Stella ◽  
Murongo Marius Flarian ◽  
Mwine Julius Tedson
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Root Bark ◽  
Economic Injury Level ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Neem Tree ◽  
Neem Extract ◽  
Cabbage Aphid

Neem tree extracts from root, bark and leaves have generally been used in the control of pests. The extracts’ efficacy in the control of aphids in cabbages under smallholder farming systems formed the subject of the study. The dose of the admixture of the extract that effectively controlled aphids was determined through experimental methods that involved harvesting and crashing 0.1 × 10-4 of Neem tree parts. The extract was fermented for 18-48 hours.Treatment tests solutions varied were 20 mL, 30 mL and 40 mL of the extract respectively in 10litres of water and applied to cabbage in the field at intervals of once a week, twice a week and once in 2 weeks in a triplicated completely Randomized Block Design. The treated plants were observed for average number of live aphids, number of dead aphids, degree of leaf perforation, leaf curls, stunting, and finally the yield of the cabbage visa vis treatments. Aphid counts at the concentration of 30mL in 10L of water were significantly lower for live aphids and higher for dead aphids (P < 0.05), Although all treatments revealed significant differences from the control in terms of Aphid mortality, overall mean aphid counts showed a reduction in number (implying high mortality) with an increase in the concentration of Neem extract applied and cabbage vigour increased with increase in the frequency of admixture application, with a bi-weekly application producing significant results (P < 0.05). High concentration (40 mL) more effectively controlled aphids but resulted in mild scorched leaves. Smallholder farmers should take advantage of the naturally available Neem tree concoctions of 30 mLs in 10litres of water twice a week to keep aphid’s population below the economic injury level.

NEMATODE MANAGEMENT IN RAIN-FED SMALLHOLDER MAIZE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS UNDER CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN ZIMBABWE

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
SANDRA M. MADAMOMBE ◽  
ISAIAH NYAGUMBO ◽  
BRIGHTON M. MVUMI ◽  
PHILLIP NYAMUGAFATA ◽  
MENAS WUTA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Nematode Management

SUMMARYNematode infestation in Sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA) cropping systems, worsened by poor crop rotations, is a major factor contributing to limited utilisation of applied nutrients and water, leading to low maize (Zea mays L.) yields particularly on sandy soils. The effects of nematode infestation on maize productivity were evaluated under conservation agriculture (CA) on granitic sandy soils in sub-humid smallholder farms of Goromonzi district of Zimbabwe. Four treatments were tested for three seasons on six smallholder farmers’ fields in a randomised complete block design, each farm being a replicate: fenamiphos 40EC (a commercial synthetic nematicide), lime + fenamiphos 40EC, lime and an untreated control. Results of the study showed that independent application of fenamiphos 40EC and lime significantly reduced plant parasitic nematode infestations in maize roots by more than 10 times those present in the untreated plots while maize yield also increased significantly. Yield increase from fenamiphos and lime applications amounted to 53 and 42% respectively, compared to the untreated controls. Maize yield was negatively correlated with density of Pratylenchus spp. nematodes. Nematode management strategies involving fenamiphos 40EC or lime could significantly reduce maize yield losses in maize-based smallholder farming systems of SSA under CA. It was more economical to use fenamiphos than lime to control nematodes.

scholarly journals The response of climbing bean to fertilizer and organic manure in the Northern Province of Rwanda

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 722-737
Author(s):  
Edouard Rurangwa ◽  
Bernard Vanlauwe ◽  
Ken E. Giller
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Large Variability

AbstractClimbing beans play a central role in food security of rural households in the densely populated highlands of East and Central Africa. Soil fertility degradation and the lack of nutrient inputs are major limitations to yield of beans and other crops. We conducted field trials in Northern Rwanda in Kinoni and Muko villages to evaluate the effect of mineral N, P, and K fertilizers (both alone and in combination) and farmyard manure on nitrogen fixation and grain yields of climbing bean in smallholder farmers’ fields. The trials were laid down in a randomized complete block design with seven replicate blocks in each village. Manure and fertilizer application led to greater yields in all fields, and the largest yields were achieved when manure was combined with NPK. Large variability in yield between fields was observed. Application of fertilizer together with manure increased the grain yield from 1.5 to 3.9 t ha−1 in Kinoni and from 2.6 to 5.4 t ha−1 in Muko. Fertilizer and/or manure increased stover yield from 0.8 to 2.3 t ha−1 in Kinoni and from 1.5 to 3.4 t ha−1 in Muko. Application of 30 kg P ha−1 and 5 t manure ha−1 led to increased N and P uptake (from 49 to 106 kg N ha−1 and from 6.1 to 12.4 kg P ha−1 in Kinoni and from 46 to 128 kg N ha−1 and from 5.3 to 17.9 kg P ha−1 in Muko). There was no clear relationship between soil fertility characteristics and the response of climbing bean to applied inputs at Muko site. However, at Kinoni site, limited response to manure and NPK application was observed in plots where soil available P and soil exchangeable K were relatively low. Our results show the benefits of using manure along with mineral fertilizers for increased climbing bean yields and nutrient uptake in smallholder farming systems.

scholarly journals Can Enhancing Efficiency Promote the Economic Viability of Smallholder Farmers? A Case of Sierra Leone

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4235
Author(s):  
Silvia Saravia-Matus ◽  
T. S. Amjath-Babu ◽  
Sreejith Aravindakshan ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Jimmy A. Saravia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Smallholder Farming

By developing meta-frontier efficiency and structural equation models, the paper examines whether farm economic viability is positively associated with technical efficiency in a highly food insecure context, such as that of rural Sierra Leone. The findings show that technical efficiency can be a sufficient but not necessary condition in determining economic viability of smallholder farming. It is possible to breach reproductive thresholds at the cost of reduced technical efficiency, when the crop diversification strategy of smallholders includes market-oriented high-value crops. This calls for a dual policy approach that addresses farmers’ internal needs for self-consumption (increasing efficiency of food crop production) while encouraging market-oriented cash crop production (diversification assisted through the reduction of associated transaction costs and the establishment of accessible commercialization channels of export related crops and/or high-value crops). The work also calls out for a move-up or move-out strategy for small holders to create viable farming systems in developing world.

Transaction Costs and the Marketable Surplus of Milk in Smallholder Farming Systems of the Gambia

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Somda ◽  
Eric Tollens ◽  
Mulumba Kamuanga
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
The Gambia ◽  
Perfect Competition ◽  
Subsistence Farming ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Economic Paradigm ◽  
Marketable Surplus ◽  
Milk Marketing ◽  
Cost Factors

The neoclassical economic paradigm views market linkages as efficient mechanisms for trading. However, the validity of this position is questionable, as markets frequently do not possess the structural conditions necessary for perfect competition. In subsistence-farming systems, factors that prevent greater participation of smallholders in markets can be found from the production level to the access to markets themselves. This study investigates the transaction-cost factors operating in smallholder dairy farms in The Gambia. The results indicate that access to market at the farm gate, the number of local cows and the distance to the nearest city increase the likelihood of market participation by producers and the marketing of surpluses of dairy products. Increases in home consumption lead to decreases in sales and of farmers' participation in milk marketing. To achieve pro-poor rural growth, it is therefore essential to address explicitly the low productivity of dairy cattle, low capital endowments and market accessibility for smallholder farmers.

scholarly journals Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Gebeyanesh Zerssa ◽  
Debela Feyssa ◽  
Dong-Gill Kim ◽  
Bettina Eichler-Löbermann
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy, and the agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farming systems. The farming systems are facing constraints such as small land size, lack of resources, and increasing degradation of soil quality that hamper sustainable crop production and food security. The effects of climate change (e.g., frequent occurrence of extreme weather events) exacerbate these problems. Applying appropriate technologies like climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can help to resolve the constraints of smallholder farming systems. This paper provides a comprehensive overview regarding opportunities and challenges of traditional and newly developed CSA practices in Ethiopia, such as integrated soil fertility management, water harvesting, and agroforestry. These practices are commonly related to drought resilience, stability of crop yields, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas mitigation, and higher household income. However, the adoption of the practices by smallholder farmers is often limited, mainly due to shortage of cropland, land tenure issues, lack of adequate knowledge about CSA, slow return on investments, and insufficient policy and implementation schemes. It is suggested that additional measures be developed and made available to help CSA practices become more prevalent in smallholder farming systems. The measures should include the utilization of degraded and marginal lands, improvement of the soil organic matter management, provision of capacity-building opportunities and financial support, as well as the development of specific policies for smallholder farming.

Agroecological Intensification of Smallholder Farming

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Nelson ◽  
Richard Coe
Keyword(s):  
Sound Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Resource Use Efficiency ◽  
Climate Variability And Change ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Research Frontiers

The smallholder farmers who cultivate many of the planet’s diverse production systems are faced with numerous challenges, including poverty, shrinking farm sizes, degrading natural resources, and climate variability and change. Efforts to improve the performance of smallholder farming systems focus on improving access to input and output markets, improving farm resource use efficiency, and improving resources invested in smallholder farming. In order to support market-oriented production and self-provisioning, there is a need for greater focus on agroecological intensification (AEI) of smallholder production systems. This chapter provides an overview of some of the research frontiers supporting AEI. Market-oriented and agroecological approaches may or may not conflict, and more effort should be made to ensure that they are mutually reinforcing. To be reliable, value chains must be founded on sound production ecology. Agroecological options may be limited if farmers cannot participate in markets that support investment in the intensification and diversification of these systems. Because options must be adapted to farmers’ heterogeneous and dynamic contexts, successful AEI will require that specifics be optimized locally. Researchers must therefore understand and communicate relevant agroecological principles, and farmers and intermediaries must develop their capacity to adapt the principles to local needs and realities.

scholarly journals Post-NAFTA Changes in Peasant Land Use—The Case of the Pátzcuaro Lake Watershed Region in the Central-West México

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Astier ◽  
Quetzalcóatl Orozco-Ramírez ◽  
Robert Walker ◽  
Yankuic Galván-Miyoshi ◽  
Carlos González-Esquivel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Feed ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Maize Varieties ◽  
The Impact

Rural life in México has changed drastically over the past several decades in the wake of structural reforms in the 1980s and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) implemented in 1994. Researchers predicted dire consequences for smallholder farmers following trade liberalization and in certain respects the prophecies have been fulfilled. Indeed, many regions experienced significant out-migration as smallholders, unable to compete with global maize imports without price subsidies, sold or abandoned their lands, making way for the expansion of industrial agriculture into forests, secondary vegetation and primary crops. Nevertheless, many smallholders have adapted to the new economic environment with farming systems that manage risk by diversifying portfolios to incorporate commercialized maize and livestock production. This article examines the evolution of smallholder farming systems since the mid 1980s, when the impact of neoliberal reforms emerged, using data collected from field research on 130 smallholder farms in the Pátzcuaro Lake Watershed (PLW) in the State of Michoacán. Farmers in the PLW have been characterized as traditional peasant farmers, planting crops for subsistence, including a diverse array of domestic maize varieties and practicing limited animal husbandry with chickens, turkeys, pigs, an oxen and a cow or two for milk. But the results presented in this article show that the traditional peasant farming systems in the region have changed substantially to a highly diversified agriculture-cattle-forest system. Most notable changes include the use of fertilizers and pesticides; and the increase in livestock herd and reorientation to beef production. The results demonstrate the resilience of smallholder farmers, while at the same time raising potential concern that increased reliance on livestock and beef production specialization, might lead to shifts in farming systems that replace domestic maize varieties with hybrid corn used primarily for animal feed and thereby leaving vulnerable the genetic reservoir of traditional maize landraces.

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.

MANURE MANAGEMENT BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN THE KANO CLOSE-SETTLED ZONE, NIGERIA

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Harris ◽  
M. A. Yusuf
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Production Quality ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Application Rates

Manure is a key input to smallholder farming systems, especially in the semi-arid environment of West Africa where cost and availability limit the use of inorganic fertilizers. This paper considers manure management by farmers in an intensive integrated farming system in the Nigerian savanna. The paper reports farmers' indigenous knowledge concerning manure production, quality and application, chemical analysis of manure nutrient content and application rates of manure. The potential manure supply of the livestock population of the Kano close-settled zone is calculated and compared with application rates. Recommendations are made concerning methods for improving manure quality through changes in management practices.

scholarly journals Genetically Modified Crops and Food Security in Nigeria; Facts and Myths

2020 ◽  
pp. 54-63
Author(s):  
B. O. Ehirim ◽  
M. Bashir ◽  
M. N. Ishaq ◽  
A. S. Gana ◽  
B. Z. Salihu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Global Food

Biotechnology per se is not a panacea for the world’s problems of hunger and poverty. However, genetic engineering in particular offers outstanding potentials to increase the efficiency of crop improvement. Thus, biotechnology could enhance global food production and availability in a sustainable way. Studies have shown that transgenic crops are very appropriate for agricultural producers and consumers in developing countries as the entire technology can be packaged into the seed. It can easily be integrated into traditional smallholder farming systems through proper stewardship. Except for a few innovative transfer projects, the application of biotechnology until now remains concentrated in the industrialized world. However due to insufficient owned scientific and regulatory capacities, the increase in privatized international agricultural research and the strengthening of intellectual property rights of these organizations complicate the access of developing countries to biotechnology. Therefore, profound government and Institutional adjustments that cuts across new technologies and regulations are essential to ensuring that biotechnology does not bypass the resource poor, smallholder farmers in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

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