Agricultural Development Planning Research Articles

Modelling the urban water system of Alexandria using the Aquacycle model

As in other cities in Egypt, water demand in the metropolitan area of Alexandria is rapidly increasing over time, as a result of urban expansion, amelioration of living standards and industrial development. As the River Nile is the main source of freshwater supply, concerns arise regarding a potential reduction in Alexandria's allocation quota, which could affect population growth at the national level, agricultural development plans and water demand increase in the upstream areas. In this context, demand management and diversification of urban water supply are gradually gaining momentum among local authorities. The transition to a new paradigm for urban water management, including closed-loop systems at different levels to meet increasing water demands, has been the focus of a recent research effort, within the framework of the European-Commission-funded SWITCH Integrated Project. One relevant activity, whose results are presented in this study, concerned the development of an urban water balance model for the metropolitan area of Alexandria. The model, which was created using the Aquacycle software package, was further used for the preliminary assessment of decentralised solutions at different spatial scales, in order to evaluate their application potential and effectiveness in reducing freshwater imports to and wastewater outflows from the city.

Towards the Implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Plan (CAADP) in Zimbabwe: A Propositional Analysis of Key Activities Required for Pillar 1

CAADP is the agricultural programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which is therefore a programme of the African Union (AU). Established by the AU assembly in 2003, CAADP focuses on improving food security, nutrition, and increasing incomes in Africa's largely farming based economies. It aims to do this by raising agricultural productivity by at least 6% per year and increasing public investment in agriculture to 10% of national budgets per year. One of the key areas for agricultural and investment is pillar 1 and this paper using evidence and best practices from agriculture projects implemented in three districts in Zimbabwe propose some activities to achieve the goals of this Pillar. Zimbabwe is highly endowed with various natural resources, that if sustainably utilized can help in facilitating household food security. Of critical importance as leant from Wedza district is the pre-requisite of supporting all the activities along commodity value chains (input, production, post-harvest, processing, utilization and marketing) especially targeting crops and livestock that are the main activities in the economy of Zimbabwe covering the 70% of the habitants that reside in rural areas. There is also need to conserve the factors of production especially land that has been degraded and is now highly infertile due to continuous use without nutrient replenishment over the years. Low productivity is the order of the day in most communal areas and this is because of inadequate crop/animal husbandry, limited access to cash to buy inputs, limited access to inputs and commodity markets, complete reliance on rain fed agriculture and unsustainable management and utilization of natural resources. There is therefore need to design activities to address these constraints. Activities like conservation farming, beekeeping , organic farming which uses less inputs while conserving the resources like land, credit schemes to ensure capital to purchase inputs timely and linking the farmers to markets are a potential solution to the constraints faced by farmers. Value addition on all enterprises has not been explored by communities at a commercial level but it is a highly potential lucrative venture.

Indigenous Knowledge of Climatic Conditions for Sustainable Crop Production under Resource-Poor Farming Conditions Using Participatory Techniques

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><p>Rambuda irrigation scheme is situated in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province in South Africa. It was established in 1952 and farmers do not have access to recorded climatic information. Farmers are growing crops on a trial and error basis, hence low yields and crop loses. The objective of the study was to investigate indigenous knowledge of climatic conditions relevant for crop production using participatory techniques. Situation analysis was conducted to gain information on factors influencing crop choice. Participatory exercise was conducted with 33 of 104 of plot-holders. Farmers could identify climatic factors important for crop production and those limiting to crop performance. Hot, dry conditions during August to October and January months were limiting to crops, particularly sweet potato production. The results showed that indigenous knowledge of climate needs to be considered during agricultural development planning and scientists need to investigate linkages between modern agro-meteorology and indigenous knowledge.</p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>

Life Cycle Assessment Based Evaluation of Regional Impacts from Agricultural Production at the Peruvian Coast

Crop and technology choices in agriculture, which largely define the impact of agricultural production on the environment, should be considered in agricultural development planning. A life cycle assessment of the dominant crops produced in a Peruvian coastal valley was realized, in order to establish regionalized life cycle inventories for Peruvian products and to provide the basis for a regional evaluation of the impacts of eutrophication, acidification, human toxicity, and biodiversity loss due to water use. Five scenarios for the year 2020 characterized by different crop combinations and irrigation systems were considered as development options. The results of the regional assessment showed that a business-as-usual scenario, extrapolating current trends of crop cultivation, would lead to an increase in nitrate leaching with eutrophying effects. On the other hand, scenarios of increased application of drip irrigation and of mandarin area expansion would lead to a decrease in nitrate leaching. In all scenarios the human toxicity potential would decrease slightly, while an increase in irrigation water use would benefit the biodiversity of a nearby groundwater-fed wetland. Comparisons with results from other studies confirmed the importance of regionalized life cycle inventories. The results can be used as decision support for local farmers and authorities.

Choosing between agricultural development projects in the North West Province of South Africa: A multiple criteria analysis

In the light of past development failures, coupled with the pressure on government to deliver on their promises made towards agricultural development, a need was developed for a framework to assist government in choosing between agricultural development projects in the North West Province, consequently assisting government with their budget allocation towards agricultural development. Consequently, detailed agricultural development plans were drafted with the intent to provide a framework or roadmap that will enable small-scale farmers to be more successful over the long term. With a government that is often faced with strict budget constraints, budget allocations to agricultural development initiatives should be done in a way that will yield the highest economic, social and environmental returns. Hence, a decision support system that will guide budget allocation for agricultural development initiatives is sorely needed. This article provides a framework on how multiple criteria analysis can be used as a decision support tool that will ensure optimal budget allocation for agricultural development. Findings from the study concluded that the beef production (based on a joint venture business concept and linked to the Western Frontier Beef Beneficiation program) is one of the most viable and sustainable agricultural projects in the North West Province. Following beef production is vegetable production which makes use of the contract grower concept, goat meat (Public Private Partnership), grain (joint venture), veldt management and the Taung Irrigation Scheme which employs contract farming.

Exploring farmers’ local knowledge and perceptions of soil fertility and management in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Farmers’ local knowledge of soil fertility and management strategies plays a significant role in fertility maintenance of farmlands and also contributes to the participatory development of interventions to sustain farm productivity. A field study was conducted in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to assess farmers’ local knowledge of soil fertility and fertility processes, and to analyze how this knowledge influences soil fertility management strategies. Farmer's local knowledge of soil was not significantly related to age, location, or gender in this study. However, knowledge and perceptions of soil fertility were based on observable plant and soil related characteristics namely; soil colour, crop yield, soil water holding/retention capacity, stoniness, difficulty to work soil, type and abundance of indicator weeds, colour of leaves and deficiency symptoms observed on crops, crop growth rate and presence and abundance of soil macro-fauna. Though farmers’ indicators were purely qualitative, it nevertheless was congruent to scientific assessment of fertile or infertile soils in many respects. Reported fertile sites were confirmed to exhibit higher levels of soil N, P, K and organic matter compared to reported infertile sites. It is argued that there is the need to utilize the complementary nature of local and scientific knowledge. To facilitate integration and inclusion of farmer perspectives in the national agricultural development planning and policy formulation processes, the use of truly participatory, gender sensitive, collaborative and capacity-building approaches is required particularly the established rich knowledge base on soils.

기후변화 시나리오에 따른 미래 논벼의 소비수량 및 생산량 변화 분석

Agriculture is dependable to weather condition and its change so that it is necessary to understand the impacts of climatic change. The aim of this study is to analyze the change of consumptive use of water and rice yield due to climate change using CERES-Rice. In this study, the weather data of three emission scenario of A1B, A2 and B1 created from CGCM (Coupled General Circulation Model) were used from 2011 to 2100, and downscaled daily weather data were simulated using LARS-WG (Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator). The input data for cultivated condition for simulating CERSE (Crop-Environment Resource Synthesis)-Rice were created referring to standard cultivation method of paddy rice in Korea. The results showed that consumptive uses of water for paddy rice were projected decreasing to 4.8 % (2025s), 9.1 % (2055s), 12.6 % (2085s) comparing to the baseline value of 403.5 mm in A2 scenario. The rice yield of baseline was 450.7 kg/10a and projected increasing to -0.4 % (2025s), 3.9 % (2055s), 17.5 % (2085s) in A1B scenario. The results demonstrated relationships between consumptive use of water and rice yields due to climate change and can be used for the agricultural water resources development planning and cultivation method of paddy rice for the future.

Soil clay content, rainfall, and toposequence positions determining spatial variation in field water availability as estimated by a water balance model for rainfed lowland rice

Drought is a major limiting factor for the production of rainfed rice in the Mekong Region. Thus, estimation of the length of growing period (LGP) based on estimation of the development of water deficit is essential for sound planning of agricultural development. A recently developed soil-water balance model was used to quantify the availability of water for rice crops and yield reduction due to water deficit. Field water availability is known to be largely affected by soil type and rainfall pattern, and their separate effects were investigated in this study of a spatial analysis of LGP, using inputs for rainfed lowland rice in Savannakhet province in central Laos. The analysis showed that the start of growing period (SGP) and end of growing period (EGP) were affected largely by geographical variations in rainfall and soil clay content, respectively. Also, the areas having relatively short LGP were generally associated with large yield reduction because of low water availability associated with coarse-textured soils. At local scale, field water availability varied from upper to lower positions of a sloping land (toposequence) in the rainfed lowland ecosystem of the Mekong region, causing variation in yield within the toposequence. Using the level of field water determined around flowering time at different toposequence positions in 45 farms, estimated yield reduction was compared in seven main rice-growing districts of the province. Variability of yield loss, associated with variation in water availability, was larger across the toposequence positions than across districts, showing the importance of local variability in determining yield in rainfed lowland rice. The present approach of a combination of simulation model and GIS is adopted for characterisation of the water environment for rainfed lowland rice in other parts of Laos, as well as in neighbouring Thailand and Cambodia.

A westward extension of the warm pool leads to a westward extension of the Walker circulation, drying eastern Africa

Observations and simulations link anthropogenic greenhouse and aerosol emissions with rapidly increasing Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Over the past 60 years, the Indian Ocean warmed two to three times faster than the central tropical Pacific, extending the tropical warm pool to the west by ~40° longitude (>4,000 km). This propensity toward rapid warming in the Indian Ocean has been the dominant mode of interannual variability among SSTs throughout the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans (55°E–140°W) since at least 1948, explaining more variance than anomalies associated with the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In the atmosphere, the primary mode of variability has been a corresponding trend toward greatly increased convection and precipitation over the tropical Indian Ocean. The temperature and rainfall increases in this region have produced a westward extension of the western, ascending branch of the atmospheric Walker circulation. Diabatic heating due to increased mid-tropospheric water vapor condensation elicits a westward atmospheric response that sends an easterly flow of dry air aloft toward eastern Africa. In recent decades (1980–2009), this response has suppressed convection over tropical eastern Africa, decreasing precipitation during the ‘long-rains’ season of March–June. This trend toward drought contrasts with projections of increased rainfall in eastern Africa and more ‘El Nino-like’ conditions globally by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Increased Indian Ocean SSTs appear likely to continue to strongly modulate the Warm Pool circulation, reducing precipitation in eastern Africa, regardless of whether the projected trend in ENSO is realized. These results have important food security implications, informing agricultural development, environmental conservation, and water resource planning.

Rapid assessment methods of resilience for natural and agricultural systems

The resilience, ecological function and quality of both agricultural and natural systems were evaluated in the mountainous region of the Atlantic Rain Forest of Rio de Janeiro through Rapid Assessment Methods. For this goal new indicators were proposed, such as eco-volume, eco-height, bio-volume, volume efficiency, and resilience index. The following agricultural and natural systems have been compared according: (i) vegetables (leaf, fruit and mixed); (ii) citrus; (iii) ecological system; (iv) cattle, (v) silvo-pastoral system, (vi) forest fragment and (vii) forest in regeneration stage (1, 2 and 3 years old). An alternative measure (index) of resilience was proposed by considering the actual bio-volume as a function of the potential eco-volume. The objectives and hypotheses were fulfilled; it is shown that there does exist a high positive correlation between resilience index, biomass, energy efficiency and biodiversity. Cattle and vegetable systems have lowest resilience, whilst ecological and silvo-pastoral systems have greatest resilience. This new approach offers a rapid, though valuable assessment tool for ecological studies, agricultural development and landscape planning, particularly in tropical countries.

Implications of Climate Change for Agricultural Sector Performance in Africa: Policy Challenges and Research Agenda

The paper analysed how climate change (CC) has shaped African agriculture in the past and how it might impact on African farm economies in the future and what adaptation strategies African farmers have adopted to cope with these changes. The analyses covered all key farming systems and agro-climates of Africa in 11 countries in which data were collected from over 10,000 farm household surveys. Results provided evidence that African agriculture and the welfare of its rural population are vulnerable to CC. The highest risk of future CC damages is associated with specialised crop and livestock farming (mono systems) particularly under dryland conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. This indicates how difficult it is to achieve an African green revolution under the current high reliance on dryland systems (more than 95% of the land) given predicted harsh future climates (warmer and dryer projections) for most of the dryland areas in Africa. It will require substantial public and private investments in expanding irrigation and development of crop varieties and animal breeds that are tolerant to heat, water and low fertility stresses, and in building roads and marketing infrastructures that will improve access to critical inputs (e.g., fertiliser) and output trade. This essentially requires mainstreaming climate sensitivity as an integral component of all agricultural and broader economic development planning and policy design. Although the expected damages are large, many farming systems and communities in Africa face serious limiting conditions which reduce their ability to adapt and hence increase their vulnerability. Among the key factors found to constrain African farmers’ ability to adopt effective adaptation measures are poor access to information, capital, technology and markets. Policies aimed at promoting farm-level adaptation need to emphasise the critical role of farmers’ education; provision of improved climate, production and market information and the means to implement adaptations through affordable credit facilities. Other needed public interventions to help promote adaptation measures and reduce vulnerability include insurance against climate risks to farmers and provision of safety nets.

Plano de desenvolvimento agrícola: a experiência de Pitangueiras, Paraná

Since 1990 the development concept has to be considered with social and environmental aspects beyond the economic one. Given this approach the counties of Parana State started to organize their development plan with the guidance from Empresa Paranaense Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (EMATER-PR). Pitangueiras county developed its plan of agricultural development (PDA) in 1994.The objective of this report is to present the process of developing and implementing this PDA, and to subsidize other works of agricultural development plans. Documentary research in the archives of Emater-PR and in the Mayor of Pitangueiras were done, as well as interviews key informants. The PDA of Pitangueiras promoted an increase in the gross value of production (GVP) and stimulated the change of production system that was establisched on cotton crop and pastures.

기후변화가 낙동강 권역의 논 관개용수 수요량에 미치는 영향

The impacts of climate change on paddy irrigation requirements for Nakdong river basin in Korea have been analyzed. The HadCM3 model outputs for SRES A2 and B2 scenarios and International Water Management Institute <TEX>$10'{\times}10'$</TEX> pixels observed data were used with kriging method. Maps showing the predicted spatial variations of changes in climate parameters and paddy irrigation requirements have been produced using the GIS. The results showed that the average growing season temperature was projected to increase by <TEX>$2.2^{\circ}C$</TEX> (2050s A2), <TEX>$0.0^{\circ}C$</TEX> (2050s B2), <TEX>$3.7^{\circ}C$</TEX> (2080s A2) and <TEX>$2.9^{\circ}C$</TEX> (2080s B2) from the baseline (1961-1990) value of <TEX>$21{\circ}C$</TEX>. The average growing season rainfall was projected to increase by 15.2% (2050s A2), 24.2% (2050s B2), 41.4% (2080s A2) and 16.7% (2080s B2) from the baseline value of 900 mm. Average volumetric irrigation demands were projected to decrease by 3.7% (2050s A2), 7.0% (2050s B2), 10.2% (2080s A2) and 1.4% (2080s B2) from the baseline value of <TEX>$1.25{\times}10^9\;m^3$</TEX>. These results can be used for the agricultural water resources development planning in the Nakdong river basin for the future.

Planners vs. Searchers in African Agricultural Aid

Planners vs. Searchers in African Agricultural Aid - A Planner vs. Searcher paradigm is used to illustrate the lack of positive progress in aid to African agriculture. Planners announce good intentions, raise expectations, but take on no responsibility in meeting them; they determine what to supply, apply global blueprints but lack knowledge of the basics. Searchers find out what the reality is at bottom, find out what is in demand, find things that work, and accept responsibility for their actions. The prevalent approach in African Agricultural aid has been that of the Planners, but the ambitious agricultural development plans advocated have largely failed. Aid agencies could play a much more helpful role by working as Searchers rather than Planners, which means trial and error experimentation, rigorous independent evaluation, and drawing on local knowledge rather than presuming that the answers coming from outside are the best

所沢市中富地区の歴史的景観保全と農業振興計画―景観保全と農業振興の両立を誘引するソーシャル・キャピタルの形成と変容―

This paper explores the development process of social capital associated with changes in farmers' attitudes for rural cooperation over time, and suggests the direction of effective agricultural development planning in Nakatomi, where the rural road construction planning is under way, constrained by landscape conservation.

An Integrated Approach for Agricultural Ecosystem Management

Sustainable development and growth of agriculture sector calls for improving its competitiveness through a better understanding of lands, weather and climate, and planting, especially prediction of events with increased accuracy, and systematic integration of observations and prediction into decision-making in agriculture management. In this short paper, a systematic approach based on integrated information systems (IISs) for agricultural ecosystem management is proposed. The approach involves establishing an IIS called agricultural ecosystem enterprise information system (AEEIS) that extracts data on terrain, land use, planting, and others, and integrates them for the purpose of agricultural and ecosystem management. The integration helps in generating managerial/policy alternatives in consultation not only with agricultural and ecological specialists, but also with agriculture and ecosystems management. AEEIS, a platform of enterprise information systems, includes operational database, extract transform and load, data warehouse, data mining, simulation modeling, and knowledge management for generating managerial strategies on land use, planting species/variety, and optimal coverage of plants. AEEIS is part of efforts on integrated agricultural information services that is one of the main applications of China's sustainable agricultural development plan. The short paper concludes that, for effective management of agriculture and ecosystems, a systematic approach is essential in which IISs play a crucial role.

ALAŞEHİR İLÇESİNİN TARIMSAL YAPISI VE PLANLAMASINA DAİR ÖNERİLER Agricultural Structure of Alaşehir Sub-province and Suggestions for Planning

Alasehir sub-province has very good topography, soil, and climate for growing of agricultural products. Except, bananas, hazelnuts, and tea all agricultural products are grown in Alasehir. But, this sub-province is very famous for its sultana grapes and 1/3 of the exported production of sultana grapes are produced here. The economy of Alasehir is completely based on agricultural sector, and vineyards cover almost half of the agricultural area. In the 55 small town and 5 villages of Alasehir are cultivating sultana grapes, and viniculture is one of the most income sources. In addition to this, income dispersion of sub-province is out of balance, and income dispersion is changing according to topography. Furthermore Alasehir sub-province has some problems like irrigation, unbalanced income dispersion, and sustainable development. For solving these problems, it needs sustainable agricultural development planning

Treatises of Development: The Context of Developmentalism in Bangladesh

This article analyzes the structure of the development discourse that has become prominent since the end of World War II. An understanding of this structure is vital to developing an appreciation of the making of Third World nations as objects of development. The Truman inaugural address provided a basis for the formulation of treatises of development and also enabled the configuration of development's structure. (1) The terms and concepts used in those treatises express a consistent account of the formation of new knowledge, institutions, and disciplines related to development. Elements of the treatises make possible the production of a set of relations within the domain of development, relations that were systematized to coordinate development deployments at various levels, from local to global. It was not these deployments alone, but also their interdependence--the structure of relations among elements, institutions, and practices--that enabled the production of the development project. Three representative treatises are examined here to uncover this structure and the interdependence among elements and practices forming development discourse. At the global level, the United Nations was the motive force promoting the development project, embodying Western rationality and modernity, among Third World nations. To this end, it produced some incisive reports, drawing upon what it saw as underdevelopment and recommending strategies for development. (2) Of these reports, Measures for the Economic Development of Underdeveloped Countries was the most prominent. (3) At the regional level, the Commonwealth nations formed a consultative committee, which in 1950 produced The Colombo Plan (CP), the well-known document for South and Southeast Asian nations. At the local level, the most renowned plan for development was the Agricultural Development Plan of Pakistan, (4) prepared by the Food and Agricultural Commission (FAC). The FAC comprised Pakistani as well as development specialists from international agencies, such as the World Bank, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, and the U.S. International Cooperation Administration--predecessor to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The three reports are examined here to reveal the broad structure of the discourse that constructed development and underdevelopment. These treatises enabled various organizations to deploy consistent strategies to bring Third World populations as subjects under the broad-ranging disciplinary power of development. A survey of these treatises is presented below to sketch the set of relations and their systematization, the UN report being examined first. The UN Treatise: Measures for the Economic Development of Underdeveloped Countries The UN treatise Measures for the Economic Development of Underdeveloped Countries was produced by a group of experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in May 1951. Until the publication of this report, Harry Truman's sermon on development was the standard in the field. Truman claimed: More than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery. Their food is inadequate. They are victims of disease. Their economic life is primitive and stagnant. Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to them and to more prosperous areas. For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and the skill to relieve the suffering of these people. The United States is pre-eminent among nations in the development of industrial and scientific techniques.... I believe that we should make available to peace-loving peoples the benefits of our store of technical knowledge in order to help them realize their aspirations for better life. (5) Under Resolution 290 (XI), the UN Economic and Social Council appointed a five-expert team to prepare a development plan. (6) This was the first concrete step to turn Truman's vision for development into an explicit policy. …

INSTITUTIONS AND LAND USE PLANNING PROCESSES FOR ZIMBABWE'S COMMUNAL AGRICULTURE: A REVIEW OF EXPERIENCES

ABSTRACT This paper examines the development or evolution of land use planning approaches for Zimbabwe's communal agriculture and problems experienced in plan formulation and implementation with specific reference to the role of public institutions in facilitating or hindering the development process. It discusses the shortcomings and strengths of the identified planning systems. It is argued in this paper that new planning institutions have failed to effect their agricultural development plans in part due to their failure in acknowledging the important role of traditional leaders in regulating agricultural and grazing land resources. This fact has resulted in major conflicts between traditional authority and government institutions in the rural development process. The paper concludes by noting that for the development process to succeed in Zimbabwe there is a need to integrate activities of institutions at the national level with those of institutions at the village or community.

メキシコ沙漠地域農業開発計画

メキシコ沙漠地域農業開発計画