Jens B. Aune

Smallholder Farmers' Perceptions of Climate Change and Conservation Agriculture: Evidence from Zambia

Actors involved in promoting conservation agriculture have often not taken into account perceptions of smallholder farmers of climate change and conservation agriculture as an adaptation strategy. This study documents smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and conservation agriculture. Most farmers attributed climate change to supernatural forces. Smallholder farmers’ perceptions related to floods and droughts were significantly associated with adoption of conservation agriculture. The extent to which smallholder farmers perceived conservation agriculture as a climate change adaptation strategy was very low. This suggests existence of other important reasons for practicing conservation agriculture than adaptation to climate change. Policy implications of the study are: conservation agriculture projects should not only focus on technical approaches to increase adoption rates but also consider social aspects such as perceptions that are equally important in conservation agriculture. Inclusion of climate change communication to facilitate exchange of climatic information that could enable smallholder farmers relate to conservation agriculture as an adaptation strategy is essential.

EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND MICRO-DOSING OF FERTILIZER ON SORGHUM AND PEARL MILLET IN WESTERN SUDAN

The effect of seed priming and micro-dosing (the application of small amounts of mineral fertilizers) was studied in sorghum and pearl millet in on-station and on-farm experiments for three seasons under rainfed conditions in the North Kordofan State, western Sudan. Seed priming consists of soaking the seeds for eight hours in water prior to sowing. Seed priming increased sorghum grain yield in the on-station experiments across three seasons from 482 kg ha −1 to 807 kg ha −1 . Micro-dosing of 0.3 g, 0.6 g and 0.9 g NPK fertilizer (17-17-17) per pocket increased sorghum grain yield by 50.4, 68.8 and 109.7% respectively compared to the control. Seed priming did not significantly increase pearl millet yield while the micro-doses of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 g fertilizer increased millet yield by 31.3, 30.7 and 47% respectively. On-farm seed priming increased sorghum yields by 32.6% while seed priming plus 0.3 g fertilizer increased yields by 69.5%. For millet, the corresponding yields increased by 29.8% and 71% respectively. Fertilizer use efficiency for both crops increased remarkably with seed priming, although this effect was more apparent in sorghum than in millet. In sorghum, seed priming and the application of 0.9 g fertilizer per pocket increased the gross margin from 49.5 to 206.5 US

Are Smallholder Zambian Farmers Economists? A Dual-Analysis of Farmers’ Expenditure in Conservation and Conventional Agriculture Systems

/ha. For millet, the gross margin increased from 44.9 in the control to 90.0 US

Evolution and future direction of intensified agriculture in the central mid-hills of Nepal

/ha with the combination of seed priming and 0.3 g fertilizer per pocket. These technologies are simple to apply; they offer low financial cost and low risk and are affordable for resource-poor farmers.

N fertilisation, soil type and cultivars effects on N use efficiency in tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotte]

This article presents the results of a comparative study on conservation and conventional agriculture among smallholder farmers in Zambia. It shows that conservation agriculture in Zambia, as currently practiced, does not reduce labor required during critical periods of the farming cycle. We argue that smallholder farmer decisions on whether or not to adopt conservation agriculture goes beyond its agronomic and economic superiority over conventional practice. The farmers also consider its labor demands, crops to be grown, and cultural norms. We show that farmers calculate their costs differently from conventional economic analysis. We conclude that promotion of conservation agriculture should be informed by local and contextual factors.

ON-FARM EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON MAIZE YIELD AND WEED BIOMASS IN MALAWI

Nepalese mid-hill farmers have shifted from a subsistence-based farming system to an intensified farming system. This paper attempts to describe the evolution of the process of agricultural intensification in the mid-hill region by examining external drivers, trends in fertilizer use, landholding, cropping patterns, irrigation and labour use in the years 1989, 1999 and 2009. Data were obtained by means of structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations. The study revealed that modern technology and the involvement of NGOs have facilitated the agricultural intensification process in three ways: (i) by providing access to technology without any financial cost to the farmer, (ii) by increasing the variety and number of crops and encouraging farmers to discontinue crops that had pest problems and (iii) by maximizing the use of chemical fertilizers to increase production. Results showed a significant increase in the application of urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) and a decrease in the application of farm yard manure (FYM) and muriate of potash from 1989 to 2009 (p < 0.001). The average landholding of 0.76ha in 1989 was reduced to 0.63ha by 2009. The number of crops (rice, maize or millet) cultivated per year increased to at least three crops with the introduction of potatoes and spring rice; however, some crops such as sugarcane and tobacco were not continued as a result of pest problems. Increased nitrogen input could lead to increased N2O emissions; therefore, a better understanding of nitrogen fertilization and quantification of N2O emissions from intensified agriculture is urgently needed to assess the possible environmental impact of input intensification.

Biomass and Carbon Accumulation in Land Use Systems of Claveria, the Philippines

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotte] is a major staple crop in Ethiopia and a large proportion of the imported fertiliser is being applied to tef fields. However, since the 1980s the yield on farmers’ fields has stagnated. Response of the crop to applied fertiliser is influenced by several factors. We aimed to study the fertiliser N use efficiency (FNUE) of four tef varieties from ammonium sulphate and urea on different soil types with the help of the 15N isotopic dilution technique. Three experiments were conducted under greenhouse and field conditions. On a typic Eutrocrept soil, higher percent N derived from fertiliser (% Ndff) and % FNUE were obtained for all the tested tef varieties when the N source was urea, while percent N derived from soil (% Ndfs) was higher for ammonium sulphate. The mean % FNUE for urea and ammonium sulphate was 49 and 34%, respectively. When the varieties were grown on a Nitosol or a Vertisol and ammonium sulphate was applied, the % Ndff, the total and fertiliser N yield and % FNUE of the tef varieties were higher on a eutric Nitosol compared to the Vertisol. The mean % FNUE was 61.3 for the Nitosol and 27.8 for the Vertisol. In an ‘on farm’ experiment, relatively higher FNUE (33.3%) was obtained on an Andosol compared to Vertisols (17 and 27%). The tested varieties showed no difference in FNUE. As tef is the most important crop grown on Vertisols in Ethiopia, the low FNUE has a direct negative implication for the livelihood of the farmers and the environment.

EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND MICRO-DOSING OF FERTILIZER ON GROUNDNUT, SESAME AND COWPEA IN WESTERN SUDAN

SUMMARY An on-farm study was conducted from 2009 to 2012 with communities in the Manjawira, Mpingu and Zidyana Extension Planning Areas in the Ntcheu, Lilongwe and Nkhotakota districts of central Malawi. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the principles (no-tillage and mulching) and components (fertilization and weeding) of conservation agriculture (CA) on crop productivity and weeds, and the interactions between principles and components, and to suggest strategies for introducing CA to smallholder farmers. The treatments consisted of tillage, fertilizer application, residues management and weed control strategies. While combined analysis showed that mulching is as effective as tillage in controlling weeds, the interaction between site and treatment revealed that in the more humid environment of Zidyana, weed dry matter obtained under no-tillage and residues plus fertilizer (NT+F+R) was 0.6 mg ha −1 lower than under CP+F. Results suggest that about 6.0 mg ha −1 of mulch is required to have a similar effect as tillage in controlling weeds. Fertilizer had an overriding effect on maize yield, regardless of tillage and crop residue management. Mulching was beneficial over tillage in the drier environment of Manjawira, where maize yield obtained under NT+F+R was 1.2 mg ha −1 greater than under CP+F. Our results show that the introduction of no tillage has benefits only if it is accompanied by fertilizer application, retention of crop residues as surface mulch, and improved weed control. Increasing availability and accessibility of inputs (fertilizers and herbicides) to farmers is critical for adoption of CA at scale in Malawi.

Microdosing of Mineral Fertilizer and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Agricultural Intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa

This study was undertaken to assess the standing biomass and carbon (C) accumulation in the smallholder farming systems of Claveria, the Philippines. Nineteen land use types were identified and the age and standing biomass assessed by field measurements and the use of allometric equations. Aboveground C stock varied from 2.9 to 234 Mg ha–1. The highest stock was observed in the preserved forest followed by homegardens whereas the lowest was observed in the grasslands. In general, C accumulation in aboveground biomass decreased with increasing tree diversity. The highest rate of C accumulation was found in mango (Mangifera indica L.) plantation (17.9 Mg ha–1 year–1) followed by banana (Musa spp.) + fruit trees (13.6 Mg ha–1 year–1). Low (<1 Mg ha–1 year–1) rates of C accumulation were observed in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) plantations, coconut + banana, bush fallow, and grasslands. Agroforestry systems like homegardens and corn (Zea mays L.) + timber and fruit trees can have both high rates of C accumulation and high tree diversity, implying the synergy between C accumulation and maintenance of tree diversity.

SEQUENTIAL EFFECTS OF MINIMUM TILLAGE, SEED PRIMING, FERTILIZER MICRODOSING AND MULCHING IN MAIZE, SEMIARID CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA

The effect of seed priming and micro-dosing in groundnut, cowpea and sesame was studied for three years in on-farm and on station experiments under rainfed agriculture in North Kordofan, Sudan. The on-station trials showed that seed priming increased groundnut pod and hay yields by 18% and 20% respectively. Micro-dosing of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 g fertilizer per pocket increased groundnut pod yield across the three years by 36.7, 67.6 and 50.8% respectively compared to the control. The highest yield increases were consistently obtained when micro-dosing was combined with seed priming. A combination of seed priming and micro-dosing of 0.6 g increased groundnut yield by 106%. Priming alone did not significantly affect sesame seed or hay yield, but micro-dosing of 0.6 g per pocket increased the grain yield by 38% over the control. Cowpea grain yield in the on-station experiments was not significantly affected by seed priming or micro-dosing. However, both seed priming and micro-dosing increased cowpea hay yield. In the on-farm trials, seed priming increased groundnut and cowpea yields by 18.2 and 25.5% respectively, and seed priming combined with 0.3 g fertilizer increased their yields by 42.2 and 54.5% respectively compared to the control. For sesame the yield increase after 0.3 g fertilizer per pocket was 46.3%. The economic analyses of the on-station experiments showed that the highest gross margin was obtained when combining seed priming with 0.6 g micro-dosing for all the crops. These results show that the combination of micro-dosing and seed priming has the potential to increase productivity and improve net return in the crops tested.