FARMING SYSTEM

African smallholder farmers face perennial food shortages due to low crop yields. The major cause of poor crop yields is soil fertility decline. The diversity of sites and soils between African farming systems is<span class=GramE>great,</span>therefore strategies to solve soil fertility problems should suit the opportunities and problems encountered in the different climatic regions. This thesis characterizes the semi-arid regions of south-western Zimbabwe and explores some of the strategies that can be used to provide farmers with more options for soil fertility improvement.<o:p></o:p></span>Resource flow maps were used to study the characteristics of the semi-arid farming system of Tsholotsho (Mkhubazi)in south-western<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Zimbabwe. The results revealed that farmers in the region face perennial cereal grain shortages, but the poorly-resourced farmers are the most affected. N...

African animal trypanosomiasis constrains agricultural production in areas of Africa that hold the continent’s greatest potential for expanded agricultural production. Compared to animals kept in trypanosomiasis free areas, animals kept in areas of moderate risk of trypanosomiasis have lower calving rates, lower milk yields, higher rates of calf mortality, and require more frequent treatment with preventive and curative doses of trypanocidal drugs. At the herd level, trypanosomiasis reduces milk offtake, live animal offtake and the work efficiency of oxen used for cultivation. Herds of trypanosusceptible livestock can be devastated by sudden exposure to high levels of trypanosomiasis risk. Trypanosomiasis also affects where people live, the way they manage their livestock and the number of animals that they keep. In the tsetse-infested areas as a whole, trypanosomiasis reduces the offtake of meat and milk by at least 50%. And by generally constraining farmers from the overall benefi...

Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) modelling may be applied in rural extension in situations where program outputs are influenced by variables which are sequentially influenced by other variables. For a recently completed agroforestry extension program in Leyte the Philippines, BBN modelling of site factors, establishment practices and risk, predicted widely different program outputs for different levels of extension assistance and farmer inputs. In a situation where very little was known about how farmers would respond to offers of extension assistance, monitoring of the program over a period of three years revealed that extended extension assistance was crucial in determining the likely survival and growth of trees. Extended extension assistance was also important for the elimination of unsuitable sites and the use of appropriate establishment procedures. Where extension support was not available, farmers displayed a poor knowledge of the principles of tree growth, planting trees under...

Since its inception in 1988, the SAREprogram has sponsored hundreds of projects to exploreand apply economically viable, environmentally sound,and socially acceptable farming systems. Recognizingthat researchers often collaborated with producers andthat producer interest in sustainable agriculture wasincreasing, SARE's North-Central Region began directlyfunding farmers and ranchers in 1992 to test their ownideas on sustainable agriculture. The present articleis based on data from

In Norway, the production andconsumption of organic food is still small-scale. Research on attitudes towards organic farming in Norway has shown that most consumers find conventionally produced food to be “good enough.” The level of industrialization of ...

Ambiguity in the potential of soils under Imperata cylindrica grass contributes to the slow pace of grassland development in Northeast Luzon. The aim of this study is to investigate the soil properties of Imperata grassland and the prospects for tree-based farming systems in northeastern Luzon. Soils are developed over Miocene-Pliocene sedimentary rock and Plio-Pleistocene volcanic and fluvial deposits. There is

Drawing on academic literature and personal experience, the authors highlight trends emerging from sustainable agriculture efforts in developing countries, involving research institutions, action agencies, and communities, to provide recommendations for advancing a soil health movement. They argue that multi-disciplinary and -institutional efforts on soil health that link research, practice, and political action will be needed for improved agriculture and more promising futures. During this century soil research has concentrated on soil chemical and physical factors, with comparative neglect of biological factors. Consequently, there is relatively limited understanding of how best to capitalize on the dynamics and potentials of soil biology so as to enhance the regenerative capacity of soil systems for agriculture. More agronomic research and empirical experience for biologically-based agriculture are called for. Although better understanding and practices can serve immediate on-far...

Tree fodder plays a central role in the farming systems of the mid-hills of Nepal. With declining forest resources farmers increasingly rely on establishing on-farm tree fodder resources. An inventory of fodder species grown and a detailed investigation of farmers' knowledge of the (comparative) fodder quality of different species revealed a complex set of criteria for comparing the 90 species cultivated. Fodder quality was determined by: the ability of fodder to satisfy appetite; the effects of fodder on milk and ghee (butter fat content) production including the effects of fodder on milk odour; the ability of fodder to improve animal growth rate (body weight gain); the effects of fodder on animal health; the comparative preference of different livestock for different fodder; the palatability of fodder. Attributes known to influence fodder quality were: leaf texture, leaf maturity, leaf bitterness, fodder toxicity, season and the management regimes applied to the fodder tree.

Rice-prawn gher (RPG) farming system is an indigenous agricultural technology solely developed by farmers since mid 1980s. The present study aims to estimate the land productivity of modern varieties (MV) paddy production under RPG and (year-round modern varieties) YRMV paddy farming systems in the southwest Bangladesh. The RPG farming system has significant impacts on inputs used in MV boro paddy production. The findings of the study indicate that more chemical fertilizers were used in per ha MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming in comparison with RPG farming. Similarly, per ha cost of irrigation, pesticides and land preparation were also higher in MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming system compared to RPG farming system. The inputs usage for MV boro paddy production under two farming systems showed statistically significant difference with each others. Although fewer inputs were being used in MV boro paddy production under RPG farming system, yield was h...