Resource use dynamics and interactions in the tropics: Scaling up in space and time

Rowe, Ed; Ridder, N. de; Keulen, H. van

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2005.06.016

Cited by 208 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Interventions based on such sectoral work tend to rely on narrow perspectives, unrealistic extrapolations, untested assumptions and misapplied narratives, and have often failed to provide lasting benefits to rural households (Lopez-Ridaura et al 2007;Giller et al 2006;Pretty et al 2006;Twomlow et al 2008). Much agricultural research, in particular, has tended to focus on addressing specific production constraints, without taking into account the constellation of social, economic and institutional factors that influence adoption (Kiptot et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated agro-ecosystem and livelihood systems approach for the poor and vulnerable in dry areas

et al. 2013

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More than 400 million people in the developing world depend on dryland agriculture for their livelihoods. Dryland agriculture involves a complex combination of productive components: staple crops, vegetables, livestock, trees and fish interacting principally with rangeland, cultivated areas and watercourses. Managing risk and enhancing productivity through diversification and sustainable intensification is critical to securing and improving rural livelihoods. The main biophysical constraints are natural resource limitations and degradation, particularly water scarcity and encroaching desertification. Social and economic limitations, such as poor access to markets and inputs, weak governance and lack of information about alternative production technologies also limit the options available to farmers. Past efforts to address these constraints by focusing on individual components have either not been successful or are now facing a declining rate of impact, indicating the need for new integrated approaches to research for development of dryland systems. This article outlines the characteristics of such an approach, integrating agro-ecosystem and livelihoods approaches and presents a range of empirical examples of its application in dryland contexts. The authors draw attention to new insights about the design of research required to accelerate impact by integrating across disciplines and scales.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated agro-ecosystem and livelihood systems approach for the poor and vulnerable in dry areas

et al. 2013

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“…Many studies have reported that HRE households are more capable of adopting crop intensification options (Fermont 2009;Giller et al 2006;Wopereis et al 2006). The results of our study showed, however, that the decision of adopting cassava intensification was highly dependent on the agricultural potential of the study zone.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 54%

“…In this region, wealthier households tended to invest more in improved soil fertility management (mineral fertilizer and or organic resources application) than poor household. Giller et al (2006) reported that the same pattern in soil fertility management in relation to resource endowment can be found across Africa. However, the significance of this pattern for cassava based farming systems of West Africa requires further investigation because of the common generalisation that farmers hardly use any fertilizers for cassava production.…”

Section: Factors Determining Cassava Productivity In West Africamentioning

confidence: 74%

Understanding the productivity of cassava in West Africa

Ezui

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Drought stress and sub-optimal soil fertility management are major constraints to crop production in general and to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in particular in the rain-fed cropping systems in West Africa. Cassava is an important source of calories for millions of smallholder households in sub-Sahara Africa. The prime aim of this research was to understand cassava productivity in order to contribute to improving yields, food security and farm incomes in rain-fed cassava production systems in West Africa. A long-term goal was to contribute to a decision support tool for site-specific crop and nutrient management recommendations. Firstly, we studied farmers' perception of cassava production constraints, assessed drivers of diversity among households and analysed the suitability of farmers' resource endowment groups to the intensification of cassava production. The results indicate that farmers perceived erractic rainfall and poor soil fertility to be prime constraints to cassava production. The agricultural potential of the area and the proximity to regional markets were major drivers for the adoption of crop intensification options including the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. While the use of mineral and organic fertilizers was common in the Maritime zone that had a low agricultural potential, storage roots yields were below the national average of 2.2 Mg dry matter per hectare, and average incomes of 0.62, 0.46 and 0.46 US$ per capita per day for the high, medium and low farmer resource groups (REGs -HRE, MRE and LRE, respectively) were below the poverty line requirement of 1.25 US$. In the high agricultural potential Plateaux zone, HRE and MRE households passed this poverty line by earning 2.58 and 2.59 US$ per capita per day, respectively, unlike the LRE households with 0.89 US$ per capita per day. Secondly, we investigated the effects of mineral fertilizer on nutrient uptake, nutrient physiological use efficiency and storage roots yields of cassava since soil fertility was a major issue across the zones. We used an approach based on the model for the Quantitative Evaluation of the Fertility of Tropical Soils (QUEFTS). This model was successfully adapted for cassava and it appropriately assessed the response of cassava to N, P and K applications, especially in years with good rainfall. Under high drought stress, the model overestimated cassava yields. Thirdly, we investigated the impact of balanced nutrition on nutrient use efficiency, yield and return on investment compared to blanket fertilizer use as commonly practiced in cassava production systems in Southern Togo, and in Southern and Northern Ghana. The balanced nutrition approach of the QUEFTS model aimed to maximize simultanously nutrient use efficiency of N, P and K in accordance with the plant's needs. Larger nutrient use efficiencies of 20.5 to 23.9 kg storage root dry matter (DM) per kilo crop nutrient equivalent (1kCNE of a nutrient is the quantity of that nutrient that has the same effect on yield as 1 kg of N under balanc...

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“…Adoption rates of these agricultural technologies have generally been low and were for a long time blamed on the conservatism of the targeted beneficiaries, the smallholder farming households. Increasingly there has been a recognition that the lack of uptake of agricultural technologies occurs because farmers are constrained in resources such that investment in a new technology not only influences what must be done in one field, but involves trade-offs with other activities from which the farmers generate their livelihoods (Giller et al, 2006). Some scholars have noted that the low adoption rates result from the promotion by agricultural experts of 'blueprint technologies' that are inappropriate and unsuited to smallholders for various economic or socio-cultural reasons.…”

Section: Agricultural Technology Promotions and Framingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Agriculture Promotion and Uptake in Mufulira, Zambia-A Political Agronomy Approach

Umar¹

2017

JSD

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This study utilized 120 semi-structured interviews with smallholder farming households and two focus group discussions; as well as several key informant interviews with experts to explore the promotion and uptake of conservation agriculture (CA) in Mufulira, Zambia. Results reveal that ridges and flat culture continued to be the preferred tillage systems (97 per cent and 55 per cent respectively) despite the farmers having been trained in the use of a minimum tillage technique. None of the interviewed farmers perceived CA as a solution to any of their agricultural related problems. The NGO promoting CA in the district had framed it as suited for and claimed to target labour constrained HIV/AIDS affected households. Conversely, farmers complained that CA was challenging for them due to its high labour demands (23 per cent); poor harvests (18 per cent) and was unsuited to the rainfall patterns of the area (10 per cent). Local agricultural experts contested the promotion of basins in Mufulira. The framing of CA as a solution to labour constraints did not seem to hold in the study area. This effectively limited the contestation spaces available to the public officials with dissenting views on the suitability of basin CA in the district.

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Resource use dynamics and interactions in the tropics: Scaling up in space and time

Cited by 208 publications

References 31 publications

An integrated agro-ecosystem and livelihood systems approach for the poor and vulnerable in dry areas

An integrated agro-ecosystem and livelihood systems approach for the poor and vulnerable in dry areas

Understanding the productivity of cassava in West Africa

Conservation Agriculture Promotion and Uptake in Mufulira, Zambia-A Political Agronomy Approach

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