Agro-ecological Zones Research Articles

Exploring trends and variability of climate change indices in the agro‐ecological zones of Pakistan and their driving mechanisms

AbstractAnthropogenic climate change induced weather and climate extremes have led to frequent heat waves, droughts and floods threatening water resources and food security for an agricultural country like Pakistan. Despite their significance, the trends and variability of extreme temperature and precipitation indices and associated large‐scale drivers in the agro‐ecological zones (AEZs) of Pakistan remain unknown and need urgent attention because of abrupt climate change. The present study documents the spatiotemporal variations of climate change indices together with the elevation‐dependent variability trends over various AEZs in Pakistan for the period of 42 years (1979–2020). Nonparametric Mann–Kendall (MK) and Sen's slope (SS) estimator tests have been employed for trend estimation. Results indicated linearly increasing (warming) and statistically significant trends in Tmean, TNx, WSDI and TR20 whereas significant decreasing (cooling) trends in cool nights (−1.73 days·decade−1) and cold spells (−1.28 days·decade−1). The spatial distribution of temperature indices trends depicts robust warming over southwestern and central zones while cooling trends over northern zones. Regarding precipitation extremes, all indices have shown increasing (wetter) trends with a significant increase in PRCPTOT and RX5day. The stations in northern and subhumid AEZs received more precipitation compared to other zones. Elevation‐dependent trends in temperature indices exhibited a statistically significant positive (negative) relationship with cold (warm) tails. Most of the extreme precipitation indices have a weak, but positive association with elevation except SDII. The weakening of South Asian subtropical upper‐level jet by a high‐pressure system over northeast Pakistan resulted in amplified land surface temperatures. However, the spatial patterns of zonal winds indicate a trough over Pakistan's southern and central parts, with warmer sea‐surface temperature, low sea‐level pressure and easterly anomalies, favour moisture transport and precipitation in Pakistan. The outcomes of present study will be useful in addressing various climate‐induced disasters occurring in various AEZs of Pakistan.

Implementing Zonal Aquaculture Innovation Platforms in Uganda: Key Lessons Learned

Uganda’s aquaculture sub-sector is rapidly developing, contributing up to 22% of all fish produced in the country. However, the sub-sector still faces challenges related to limited access to extension services, production inputs, post-harvest handling facilities, disease incidences, value-addition skills and weak market linkages. Although there have been isolated interventions at different aquaculture value-chain nodes, the registered challenges continue to recur. To address prioritized issues in Uganda’s aquaculture sub-sector, nine zonal aquaculture innovation platforms were established based on the country’s nine agro-ecological zones. These platforms brought together different stakeholders to identify solutions to common problems in each aquaculture value-chain node. Each innovation platform consisted of fish farmers, hatchery operators, traders, extension workers, researchers, input dealers, local leaders, and financial institutions. During a series of zonal workshops, participants identified constraints to the aquaculture sub-sector in their respective zones. From the findings, there are technical knowledge gaps across the entire aquaculture value chain mainly affecting hatchery operators, input suppliers, and farmers. Therefore, there is need for coordinated interventions to enhance access to production technologies, innovations, knowledge, and skill transfer to promote gender-centered aquaculture development.

Growth and yield response of maize to integrated nutrient management of chicken manure and inorganic fertilizer in different agroecological zones

The productivity of maize, an essential staple food crop in Africa, is severely constrained by the declining fertility of the soil. The combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers could ameliorate this challenge in a sustainable way to boost maize productivity. Two field trials were conducted at Ashanti -Mampong and Damongo, in the transitional and Guinea Savannah agroecologies of Ghana respectively, to assess the influence of sole and integrated application of chicken manure and NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize. The treatments included two maize varieties; Abontem and Obatanpa, and five fertilizer rates; 3 t/ha chicken manure (CM), NPK (65:38:38 kg ha−1 NPK), ½ CM + ½ NPK and ¾ CM + ¼ NPK and control (no fertilizer). A 2 x 5 factorial randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Significant variations (p < 0.05) were revealed between varieties, fertilizer types and their interaction effects for phenological, growth and yield of maize in both locations. The superiority of the integrated application of NPK and chicken manure was also visible in the vegetative parameters such as plant height, number of leaves and shoot dry weight of the maize plants given them the comparative advantage to assimilate more photosynthates for partitioning to the ears and grains. Obatanpa treated with ½ CM + ½ NPK produced the highest yield of 4661.1 kg ha−1, which was 29.6 and 29.9 % higher than the same variety grown on sole NPK and sole chicken manure, respectively at Damongo. Abontem treated with ¾ CM + ¼ NPK recorded a grain yield of 4479.3 kg ha−1, 11.7 % higher than the sole NPK and 10.3 % higher than the sole CM at Damongo. Similarly, Obatanpa grown on the ½ CM + ½ NPK recorded the highest grain yield of 4349.3 kg ha−1at Mampong followed by Abontem treated with the sole NPK (4267.1 kg ha−1). Sole NPK and the combined application of NPK and chicken manure gave comparable responses for vegetative traits while the integrated application proved superior for grain yield of maize across the two agroecologies.

Breeding practice of indigenous village chickens, and traits and breed preferences of smallholder farmers.

Indigenous village chickens, or (IVCs), significantly contribute to rural livelihoods. Although natural selection has a disproportionate impact on the genetic structure of IVCs, farmers have developed locally tailored breeding practices to get the most out of their flocks. Small-scale farmers' insights on trait breed preferences and family flock breeding practices are presented in this cross-sectional study. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two agroecological zones using face-to-face individual interviews with 119 general informants. Farmers prefer IVCs because they are multipurpose birds. Unlike policymakers, who usually underestimate the importance of IVCs, small-scale farmers acknowledge the coexistence of local and commercial chickens. Only 15.7% of farmers recruited homegrown cocks, whereas 47.9% outsourced breeding cocks from local markets and 36.4% from neighbours (χ-squared=15.976, df=2, p=0.0003395). About 49.2% of small-scale farmers believed that consanguineous mating-induced inbreeding has only trivial effects. High flock turnover significantly reduces inbreeding. Regardless of the low production capacity, small-scale farmers prefer local (rank=1.47) chickens to commercial (rank=1.61). For cocks, fertility and growth traits were highly sought after, whereas for hens, maternal instincts and laying performance were prioritized. Compared to the highlands, the lowlands had a longer egg storage period (t=2.677, df=117, p=0.009, 95% CI: -3.7607, -0.5622). This study documented the wisdom of small-scale farmers and encouraged the incorporation of their insights into a sustainable genetic improvement program.

Evaluation and Participatory Variety Selection of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties in Dawro Zone, South Western Region of Ethiopia

Farmers in the study area exhibit a unique tendency to choose varieties based on selection criteria rather than tested yields in the district. To ensure farmer participation, a study was conducted on six farmers’ farms, utilizing farmers as replicas in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Ten common bean crop varieties underwent evaluation on these farms to assess varieties in terms of farmer participation and identify priority criteria during the 2019 and 2020 production years. Plot sizes were standardized to 4m plot lengths with inter and intra-spacing of 40cm and 10cm, respectively. The seed and NPSB fertilizer rate were set at 100kg/ha and 122kg/ha, respectively. Significant differences were (P&lt;0.05) were observed among treatments for plant height, days to 50% flowering, days to 90% maturity, and yield over two years. Notably, the common bean varieties Remeda, DAB 96, and SER 119 yielded 1641, 1601, and 1588.7kg/ha, respectively. Additionally, the farmers in the district preferred red-seeded varieties for production and consumption due to superior seed per pod, pod per plant, seed size, seed color, and seed yield. Moreover, these farmers preferred varieties established tolerance to major common bean diseases which were common in the district. Consequently, these high-yielding, farmers preferred, and disease-tolerant varieties are recommended for demonstration and large-scale production in the study regions and agro-ecological zones similar to those the trial was implemented in south western region of Ethiopia.

Determinants of climate change awareness and the incidence across farming systems and agroecological zones in Sierra Leone

Farmers' awareness and the incidence of climate change are crucial inputs to effectively scale up interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change. This is because incidence leads to awareness due to observation of occurrences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of climate change awareness and incidence across farming systems and agroecological zones in Sierra Leone. An ex-post-facto research design was applied, while a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 865 smallholder farmers across agroecological zones and farming systems. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire subjected to face validity and split-half reliability tests. This data analyzed frequency counts, percentages, multiple regression, and principal component analysis. The results show that farmers in the coastal plain, savannah woodland, and transitional rainforest had greater awareness and incidence of climate change across the crop, livestock, and fishery farming systems. The significant determinants of awareness and incidence of climate change among farmers are the adoption of crop smart practices (t = 4.192; p &lt; 0.01); information needs on water smart practices (t = −5.581; p &lt; 0.01); adoption of nutrient smart practices (t = 10.592; p &lt; 0.01); adoption of energy/carbon smart practices (t = 3.206; p &lt; 0.01); adoption of livestock smart practices (t = 3.608; p &lt; 0.01); information needs on weather smart practices (t = 3.505; p &lt; 0.01); incidence of climate change (t = 16.282; p &lt; 0.01); and constraints on nutrient smart practices (t = −2.669; p &lt; 0.01). The Principal Component analysis identified four factors, namely Factor 1 (Impact), Factor 2 (Occurrence), Factor 3 (Evidence), and Factor 4 (Threat), and accounted for 14.96%, 8.27%, 6.41%, 3.50% of the variance, respectively, with a cumulative variance of 33.14%. The study concludes that farmers are aware of the incidence of climate change and are adopting different techniques in response to the different climate changes observed. This study also recommends the identification of specific climate change adaptations and the scaling of interventions for adaptation and mitigation.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON RICE PRODUCTIVITY IN KHYBAR PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Climate change is currently the most significant concern on the planet. This study examined the impacts of climate change on rice yield across agro-ecological zones of Khybar Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study focused only on four districts across four agroecological zones in Khybar Pakhtunkhwa based on the availability of data on areas under rice, rice production, and meteorological variables. Districts Swat from Zone A, Mansehra from Zone B, Mardan from Zone C, and D.I. Khan from Zone D were selected. This study covered 33 years (1986-2018) of data across these four districts. Panel unit root tests of LLC and IPS suggested that all variables included in the model were stationary. Durbin Wu Hausman's test favored the fixed effect model compared to the random effect model. Diagnosis of fixed effect model results showed that it was plagued with problems of cross-sectional dependency, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation. Final findings were estimated using the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) model to overcome the problems in the fixed effect model. Results revealed that area under rice crop has a positive and significant effect on rice yield. The estimated critical temperature for the maximum yield of rice was 34.48 ºC in the sowing stages, 35.85 ºC in the vegetative stages, and 29.43 ºC in the maturity stages, and Rainfall in the vegetative stages was 152 mm. It is concluded that rice yield showed a decline when temperature and rainfall exceeded the critical levels. The government needs to use afforestation and other appropriate measures to keep the temperature from rising in these three zones (zones A, C and D). The extension department needs to inform rice growers about adaptation strategies to climate change.

Impact of seedbed types and scarification methods on germination percentage and growth performance of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) in the Sudan Savanna zone of Nigeria

The field experiments were conducted during the 2021 and 2022 wet seasons at The National Institute for Horticultural Research, Bagauda, and Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Wudil, both in Kano State within the Sudan Savannah agro-ecological zone of Nigeria. The study aimed to find a better seedbed arrangement and the best scarification methods for good germination and growth of Bambara groundnut cultivars. The treatments consisted of four seedbed types (ridge, ridge+earthing, flat, and flat+earthing), four scarification methods (zero, mechanical, acid, and hot water treatments), and three cultivars (cream, black, and speckled). The treatments were factorially combined and laid out in a split-split plot design with three replications. Seedbed was assigned to the main plot, scarification methods were assigned to the subplot, and cultivars were assigned to the sub-subplot. Data collected were days to first emergence, establishment count (%), canopy height (cm), and kernel yield (kg ha-1). The result indicated that mechanically scarified Bambara groundnut seeds resulted in a higher establishment count and uniform canopy height (cm), which led to more dry matter accumulation and a higher kernel yield (kg ha-1).

Optimization of in vitro Regeneration of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) using Computational Models

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is the most preferable cultivated crop in the World and can grow on poor soil with water scarcity. More than 80.0% of its cultivation is confined to the Sub-Saharan African continent. However, it is now one of the most preferable crops in Asia and Europe due to its low nutritional and water demand during cultivation under field conditions. In this study, the Bodrum Red cultivar of cowpea was used for in vitro regeneration. The 9-0 days old half cotyledonary node explant was used and placed on different concentrations of Benzylaminopurine (BAP), Indole-butyric acid (IBA), and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The results were analyzed by ANOVA and response surface methodology (RSM). The ANOVA analysis revealed the maximum shoots from the medium enriched with 1.0 mg/L BAP with shot counts ranging from 1.17-3.11. The results were further analyzed by surface regression analysis which revealed the significant impact of NAA on callus formation. The results were also analyzed through Pareto charts and normal plots which confirmed the significant role of BAP and NAA on in vitro regeneration. The use of a response optimizer revealed the maximum shoot counts of 3.0 per explant from the medium supplemented with BAP. Results revealed the significance of RSM for optimizing input factors precisely for multiple input factors simultaneously. Advanced biotechnological approaches like genetic engineering and marker-assisted selection could enhance cowpea resilience to environmental conditions, ensuring its sustainability and adaptability across diverse agroecological zones with the aid of RSM

Effects of Spacing and Varieties on the Growth and Yield of Cowpea (Vignauguiculata L.). Grown in Makurdi, Benue State. Nigeria

A field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Teaching and Research Farm of Joseph Sarwun, Tarka, University Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria at 70 41N and Longitude 80 37E, 400m above sea level in Southern Guinea Savannah Agro-ecological zone of Nigeria to investigate the Effects of Spacing and Variety on the Growth and Yield of Cowpea (Vignauguiculata L.). Two spacing were used 25 and 30cm intra row spacing and three medium maturing varieties of IT07K-274-2-9, IAR-07-1050 and UAM-1051-1 were used for study. The treatment were combined and laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. During the research, growth characters such as plant height, number of leaves, days of maturity, 50% flowering were measured. Other yield and yield related characters like number of pod, number of seed, 1000 seed weight and seed yield were also recorded. The use of 30cm intra row spacing produced significantly (P=0.05) in both growth and yield related parameters except in plant height where 25cm spacing had taller plants (61.21), days to maturity (79.45) and 50% flowering (60.21) while spacing 30cm had higher number of leaves (50.11) higher number of pod per plants (46.01), number of seeds per pod (10.99), weightier pod (900.11), weightier 100 seeds (120.56) and over all yield (681.16) The use of medium maturing varieties was also observed to produce significantly (P=0.05) with 1T07K-274-2-9 recorded early days of maturity (79.11), 50% days of flowering (61.21) and number of pod (47.21) while UAM-1050-1 produced taller plant (62.01), higher number of leaves (51.21) higher number of seeds per pod(11.50) pod weight(1084.01),100 seed weight (22.68) and overall yield (698.82).Form the result cowpea farmers in Makurdi are advice to grow UAM-105-1 at 30cm intra row spacing for optimum yield.

Assessing the impact of climate variability on maize yields in the different regions of Ghana-A machine learning perspective.

Climate variability has become one of the most pressing issues of our time, affecting various aspects of the environment, including the agriculture sector. This study examines the impact of climate variability on Ghana's maize yield for all agro-ecological zones and administrative regions in Ghana using annual data from 1992 to 2019. The study also employs the stacking ensemble learning model (SELM) in predicting the maize yield in the different regions taking random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), gradient boosting (GB), decision tree (DT), and linear regression (LR) as base models. The findings of the study reveal that maize production in the regions of Ghana is inconsistent, with some regions having high variability. All the climate variables considered have positive impact on maize yield, with a lesser variability of temperature in the Guinea savanna zones and a higher temperature variability in the Volta Region. Carbon dioxide (CO2) also plays a significant role in predicting maize yield across all regions of Ghana. Among the machine learning models utilized, the stacking ensemble model consistently performed better in many regions such as in the Western, Upper East, Upper West, and Greater Accra regions. These findings are important in understanding the impact of climate variability on the yield of maize in Ghana, highlighting regional disparities in maize yield in the country, and highlighting the need for advanced techniques for forecasting, which are important for further investigation and interventions for agricultural planning and decision-making on food security in Ghana.

Molecular Characterization of Sweet Potato Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Different Agroecological Zones of Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are widely distributed in all agroecological zones (AEZs) within Kenya. Plant parasitic nematodes are important pests of many cultivated crops and they exert a detrimental influence on a wide range of vascular plants, leading to significant crop losses by reducing both quantity and quality of the yield. However, due to inadequate taxonomic descriptions and a low number of diagnostic features, the morphological diagnosis of many species remains a challenge. The objective of this study was to characterize PPNs associated with sweet potatoes in different agroecological zones of Kirinyaga County, Kenya, using 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Seventy-seven soil samples from sweet potato tubers rhizosphere were collected from different agroecological zones and nematodes were extracted using Baermann’s technique. Thirteen nematode isolates were obtained and only seven could be identified morphologically to their genus level based on their distinct phenotypes. Seven isolates that could not be identified through the microscope were advanced to molecular sequencing. The nematode DNA were extracted and the PCR amplification and sequencing of 18S rRNA gene carried out. The study identified six PPN species, including Mylonchulus hawaiiensis, Aporcelaimellus nigeriensis, Rotylenchulus reniformis, Rotylenchulus borealis, Aporcella femina, Heterodera dunensis, and a predatory nematode (Dorylaimus aff. stagnalis) as part of the soil biota. This study showed significant distribution of plant parasitic nematodes across the agroecological zones. Thus, the occurrence of a nematode species complex in sweet potato farms requires the development of specific and appropriate sustainable control strategies.

GIS-based spatio-temporal analysis of rainfall trends under climate change in different agro-ecological zones of Wolaita zone, south Ethiopia

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of climatic conditions within a region is paramount for informed rural planning and decision-making processes, particularly in light of the prevailing challenges posed by climate change and variability. This study undertook an assessment of the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall trends across various agro-ecological zones (AEZs) within Wolaita, utilizing data collected from ten strategically positioned rain gauge stations. The detection of trends and their magnitudes was facilitated through the application of the Mann–Kendall (MKs) test in conjunction with Sen's slope estimator. Spatial variability and temporal trends of rainfall were further analyzed utilizing ArcGIS10.8 environment and XLSTAT with R programming tools. The outcomes derived from ordinary kriging analyses unveiled notable disparities in the coefficient of variability (CV) for mean annual rainfall across distinct AEZs. Specifically, observations indicated that lowland regions exhibit relatively warmer climates and lower precipitation levels compared to their highland counterparts. Within the lowland AEZs, the majority of stations showcased statistically non-significant positive trends (p > 0.05) in annual rainfall, whereas approximately two-thirds of midland AEZ stations depicted statistically non-significant negative trends. Conversely, over half of the stations situated within highland AEZs displayed statistically non-significant positive trends in annual rainfall. During the rainy season, highland AEZs experienced higher precipitation levels, while the south-central midland areas received a moderate amount of rainfall. In contrast, the northeast and southeast lowland AEZs consistently received diminished rainfall across all seasons compared to other regions. This study underscores the necessity for the climate resilient development and implementation of spatiotemporally informed interventions through implementing region-specific adaptation strategies, such as water conservation measures and crop diversification, to mitigate the potential impact of changing rainfall patterns on agricultural productivity in Wolaita.

Seasonal Occurrence of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) in Maize: The Role of Sowing Dates

Fall armyworm is a destructive insect pest in maize farming and has expanded widely throughout various agroecological zones, which threatens food security. An experiment was carried out at the Winter Nursery (ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad) field to study the occurrence of fall armyworm on maize single cross hybrid DHM 117 across different sowing dates during kharif and rabi seasons of 2021-22. Weekly observations were made on a whole-plot basis to record the number of plants damaged, the number of larvae, and egg masses per plant. Among the six sowing dates, the crop sown on 2nd August 2021, had a relatively lower mean percent of infestation range (4.02% - 80.37%), a minimum larval count per plant range (0.01 - 0.24), and the least number of egg masses per plant range (0.00 - 0.11). The findings will be helpful in the construction of forecasting models, facilitating the formulation of eco-friendly management tactics to manage fall armyworms in maize.

Using PCR and RCA Techniques to Investigate the Variants of Cassava Mosaic Virus and Their Distribution in Ghana

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) caused by cassava begomoviruses is the major constraint to cassava production in Ghana. The disease is known to cause reduction in root yield. To ascertain the distribution of viruses causing CMD, 95 diseased cassava samples were collected in two agroecological zones of Ghana-Deciduous Forest zone and the Transitional zone. On a scale of 1-5, CMD severity was scored. Mean CMD severity score was 2.9, however there was no significant difference (p &amp;gt; 0.05) between the zones. Averagely, CMD score of &amp;gt; 2.8 in 71% of farms visited was recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rolling circle amplification (RCA) were employed for virus identification. PCR revealed that African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV) and mixed infections were prevalent in both zones. EACMV-Cameroon strain was also identified to be common within these zones. The transitional zone had the highest percentage of CMD infection. Unamplified samples from PCR were amplified using rolling circle amplification (RCA) technique. Amplification and characterisation of complete genome sequences of two isolates were carried out. The complete genome of 2780 nucleotides from samples showed a high similarity to African cassava mosaic virus-Ghana (ACMV-GH). Sequences clustered with ACMV-Ivory Coast, ACMV Nigeria-Ogo, ACMV-BF, ACMV-UG having &amp;gt; 96% identity. This shows the close relation that exists amongst the ACMV strains in Africa. These findings highlight the need for a continuous survey of CMD to help manage the disease in the country.

Serological and Community Awareness Study of Lumpy Skin Disease in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia.

The lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccination status and epidemiological distribution remain unknown in some parts of Ethiopia, including the Sidama regional state. In this study, a serological survey of LSD was performed using a specific virus neutralization assay in selected districts of the Sidama regional state representing three agroecological zones from September 2021 to June 2022. Moreover, an assessment of community awareness and LSD vaccine-related problems was conducted using a questionnaire. Our results showed an overall animal and herd level seroprevalence of 40.8% (95%CI = 35.8, 45.8) and 81% (95%CI = 77, 85), respectively. High and low seroprevalence were observed in lowland (48%) and highland (28%) areas, although they were not statistically significant. However, risk factors such as management systems and breeds showed substantial differences in their LSD prevalence. The results obtained through the questionnaire showed that a small portion of respondents (29.2%) know about LSD and vaccinate their cattle (23.3%) against this disease. Only 20.8% of the respondents stated that there was LSD occurrence in their vaccinated cattle. In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative study results showed the need for intervention in terms of community-based awareness creation about LSD clinical signs and vaccination advantages together with the frequently updated information on LSD prevalence.

Diversity and composition of agroforestry species in two agro-ecological zones of Rwanda

This study delves into the diversity and composition of agroforestry species in Rwanda's Eastern Plateau and Eastern Savannah agro-ecological zones. Examining these systems across diverse landscapes is crucial for selecting species adapted to local conditions. We surveyed four landscapes with varying tree cover levels, using stratified random sampling to allocate 240 plots for detailed field inventory. We analyzed dendrometric characteristics of woody vegetation, focusing on plants with ≥ 4 cm diameter at breast height (DBH). Exotic tree species comprised over 75% of trees across all landscapes. Diversity indices indicated significant differences in plant communities between the Eastern Savannah and Eastern Plateau, with higher diversity in the former. Sørensen's similarity coefficient for woody species between the two regions showed a moderate level of similarity (approximately 53%). However, there was a significant difference in the equitability of on-farm tree species between the zones, suggesting non-identical distribution patterns. The most common and dominant tree species were Grevillea robusta, Mangifera indica, and Persea americana, primarily used for timber and fruit production. Most encountered trees were small and scattered, with nearly 80% having a DBH below 20 cm, highlighting the prevalence of young trees. The dominance of exotic species emphasizes the need for further research on their impact on agricultural biodiversity, informing sustainable land management practices in Rwanda and similar contexts.

Evaluating cropping intensity in registered and unregistered farms: Evidence from Kenya

Sustainable agricultural intensification strategies are crucial in increasing Africa's agricultural productivity. Globally, literature shows strong linkages between land tenure security and sustainable agriculture. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), findings remain inconsistent. Studies attribute this inconsistency to the use of cost-benefit and yield methodologies that are limited in capturing the nuance of subsistence farming and spatial and temporal distribution. Thus, this study seeks to fill this gap using Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya by employing remote-sensing and spatial econometrics to evaluate this relationship. The study uses the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as the dependent variable and a proxy for cropping intensity, which similar studies have not used. NDVI datasets covered seven years (2014–2020) acquired from Copernicus Global Land Service. Explanatory factors include land registration status, topography and climatic characteristics. The study utilises a three-step analysis, which includes exploratory regression for model selection, global regression using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), and localised regression using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). Spatial autocorrelation tests on OLS residuals using Moran's Index indicated spatial heterogeneity; hence, the study ran GWR. GWR performed better with an adjusted R2 value of 0.941, compared to OLS with an R2 value of 0.807. Mapping the GWR model illustrated that NDVI is lowest in unregistered land in the semi-arid zone of the County (0.012608) and highest in registered areas (0.883172). A hot-spot analysis using the Gettis-Ord Gi* Statistic validated the findings. The test showed cold spots in unregistered land in the semi-arid zone and hot spots in registered land, which was significant at 99 % confidence. The findings shows that the relationship between land registration and cropping intensity is highly significant, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), an indicator that land tenure security promotes sustainable agriculture in Kenya. The results enrich policy discussions aimed at land reforms and sustainable agriculture. The study recommends fast-tracking land registration prioritising ASALs, implementing the national land information system, and modernisation of land registries in Kenya to improve public access to land information. The study also recommends similar studies on various agroecological zones to supplement the findings, mainly where subsistence farming is dominant. The findings will add a critical layer of information in decision-making for sustainable agriculture and land reform policies.

Residual Effect of Phosphate Amendments on Agronomic Parameters of Rainfed Rice in Three Agroecological Zones of Côte d'Ivoire

Residual Effect of Phosphate Amendments on Agronomic Parameters of Rainfed Rice in Three Agroecological Zones of Côte d'Ivoire

Effectiveness of Adaptation Strategies by Resettled Farmers in Unfamiliar Agro-Ecological Zones in Laikipia Central Sub County, Kenya

Effectiveness of Adaptation Strategies by Resettled Farmers in Unfamiliar Agro-Ecological Zones in Laikipia Central Sub County, Kenya