Animal Traction Research Articles

Where is the limit? lessons learned from long-term conservation agriculture research in Zimuto Communal Area, Zimbabwe

Smallholder farming in Zimbabwe is increasingly affected by dwindling maize (Zea mays L.) yields due to declining soil fertility and the negative effects of climate variability and change. A long-term on-farm study was established between 2004 and 2013 at the Zimuto Communal Area near Masvingo, Southern Zimbabwe to test the feasibility and viability of conservation agriculture (CA) systems under the circumstances of low fertility and erratic rainfall. CA seeding systems based on animal traction excelled and significantly increased maize productivity by up to 235% (1761 kg ha-1) and legume productivity by 173% (265 kg ha-1) as compared to the conventional control treatment. Soil quality indicators such as infiltration and soil carbon improved 64-96% and 29-97 %, respectively, over time. However, a direct link between increased infiltration and grain yield could not be established. Increased plant population, because of greater precision and moisture conservation during direct seeding as well as an improved response to fertilizer application due to gradually increasing soil carbon could be the reasons why yields on CA systems outyielded the conventional control. CA systems were more economically viable than planting crops under the normal conventional practice with mouldboard ploughs and removal of crop residues. Farmers generally rated important crop characteristics of maize planted under CA as high but weed control was rated as low, due to the lack of an appropriate herbicide under the prevailing environment. The results of this study show that CA is a potential option even in areas of climate risk and low soil fertility. However, the adoption of CA was low amongst members of the rural farming community due to the perceived risk of crop failure, lack of appropriate and accessible inputs and markets for farm produce, and lack of appropriate information and knowledge about alternative agricultural methods. This highlights the need for better resource and input availability as well as more vibrant and efficient extension services. Successful CA promotion requires that the systems are adapted to farmers’ circumstances. However, CA cannot expand where farmers depend on remittances, are donor dependent, and where crop production in general is doubtful. Land uses such as extensive livestock production or game ranching may be better and more profitable alternatives for farmers in these situations.

Yield response of maize (Zea mays L.) to conservation agriculture cropping system in Southern Africa

The effect of different conservation agriculture (CA) systems on maize grain yield was studied across four countries in southern Africa. Maize yield data was obtained from plots under no-tillage as well as from conventionally tilled plots. Crop residues were retained in no-till plots, whereas they were removed from conventional tillage plots in line with current farmer practices. Rotations or intercropping systems with grain legumes were introduced at all sites. Fertiliser treatments were uniform across tillage treatments at each trial location but varied across countries, based on local fertilizer recommendations. Focus group discussions were conducted with farmers in the study sites to understand the constraints related to the successful integration of CA into the farming systems and to document farmers’ perceptions about CA. In the majority of cases (80%), yield responses from a range of CA systems were greater than those of the conventional control plot at the respective site. In 20% of the cases there was a negative response to CA, due to lack of experience by farmers in the initial year, slow increase in soil fertility at the respective site and waterlogging in some years with too much rainfall. Yield advantages on two manual CA systems, planted with a dibble stick with sole maize and maize-legume intercropping in Malawi were 1152kgha−1 and 1172kgha−1, respectively. Animal traction CA systems had slightly smaller yield benefits (458kgha−1 on a ripline seeded system and 761kgha−1 on an animal traction direct seeding systems) as compared to a ploughed control treatment. Yield benefits increased with increasing years of practicing CA, highlighting the need to gain experience to master critical management steps such as timely planting, weeding, fertiliser application and crop harvest residue management. Yields from CA system responded better to increasing clay and silt content in the top soil and were more resilient to seasonal rainfall variability than conventional control treatments. Results suggest that the niche for CA in southern Africa is larger than expected although rainfalls regimes below 600mm are challenging to sustain large maize biomass production to provide effective soil cover in CA systems. The success of CA implementation will largely depend on addressing critical challenges observed in the field, which will need adaptation of CA system to the site and farmer circumstances.

Tillage systems effects on soil carbon stock and physical fractions of soil organic matter

Changes in soil management and land use influence soil organic matter (SOM) turnover through changes in quantity and quality of plant residues entering the soil, their seasonal and spatial distribution, the ratio between above- and bellow-ground inputs and through changes in soil disturbance. We hypothesized that the sequestered C is stored mainly in the mineral associated fraction (C associated in sand, silt and clay fraction). The objective of this study was to evaluate the C stock and stabilization in a tropical Dystrophic Red Latosol (Typic Haplortox) (Paty do Alferes, Brazil) subjected to 6-years soil tillage systems and soil cover. Treatments included no-tillage (NT), animal traction (AT) and conventional tillage (CT). Two additional treatments were evaluated: grass coverage (GC) and bare soil (BS). After six years crop, soil C stock in the 0–10 cm layer was higher in NT than in CT (17.6 vs. 12.3 Mg ha−1, P < 0.05). It resulted an increase of 5.3 Mg C ha−1 in NT when comparing to CT. In NT, most of the C accumulation compared to CT occurred in the mineral associated fraction. Although, only the C associated in sand fraction was statistically different (6.7 vs. 1.2 g kg−1 soil, P < 0.05). GC had the highest C sequestration and C and N associated in the mineral fraction (14.9 g C kg−1 and 5.1 g N kg−1) in the 0–5 cm depth. For all treatments, most of the soil organic C was in the heavy fraction (> 55%). GC incorporated to soil annually 0.6 Mg C ha−1. C associated with sand fractions was the most sensible mineral associated C fraction compared to C in silt and clay fraction, and can be used as a suitable soil quality indicator for sustainable use.

Ocorrência e fatores de risco associados à identificação da anemia infecciosa equina em equídeos de tração

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar a ocorrência e os fatores de risco associados à identificação da anemia infecciosa equina (AIE) em equídeos de tração na Cidade de São Luís - MA. Amostras de sangue de 154 equídeos apreendidos em vias públicas, pelo Setor de Apreensão de Animais de Tração da Secretaria Municipal de Urbanismo e Habitação, foram coletadas no período de abril a agosto de 2011. Foram analisadas as fichas de atendimento individual para a determinação dos fatores de risco associados a esta enfermidade. Dos animais analisados, 5,20% (8/154) foram positivos. Dentre os fatores de risco avaliados, presença de insetos, permanência dos equídeos em aglomerações por mais de oito horas diárias, condição corporal, estado nutricional, uso repetido de uma mesma agulha entre diferentes equídeos, ocorrência de episódios febris, mucosas amareladas e ausência de conhecimento sobre AIE apresentaram significância estatística (P&lt;0,05) associada à AIE. Os resultados do estudo indicaram que a ocorrência da AIE para equídeos de tração apreendidos na Cidade de São Luís - MA foi baixa. Mesmo assim há a necessidade da realização de diagnóstico sistemático e monitoramento dos animais, além da implantação de medidas de controle, realização de exames sorológicos e implementação da legislação vigente.

Development of small/medium size no-till and minimum-till seeders in Asia: a review.

Abstract: The benefits of conservation agriculture (CA), have been widely recognized and CA has been widely adopted in many parts of the world. However, there are some factors that limit the widespread adoption of CA in Asia. The most prominent factor appears to be the lack of suitable CA seeders for small to medium sized land-holding (SLH) farmers. This paper summarizes the small to medium no-till and minimum-till seeders currently available in Asia, and classifies these seeders into four types: manually operated units, animal traction seeders, two-wheel tractor and four-wheel tractor driven seeders. Detailed characteristics have been provided for some typical CA seeders and comparisons were made as to their suitability under particular working conditions. Typically manual and animal traction seeders are confined to small farms and hilly areas, while the larger CA seeders suited to four-wheel tractors are used on larger acreages. To ensure seeding performance on most four-wheel tractor CA seeders, two types of anti-blocking mechanisms (passive and active anti-blocking) have been fitted. Finally, the paper proposes a future direction and development of CA seeders for small/medium size farms in Asia, and also suggests changes in policy support, improvement of anti-blocking mechanisms, suitability for various crops, geographical zones and the contribution of development by public private partnerships to advance the adoption of CA seeders. Keywords: Conservation Agriculture (CA), conservation tillage, no-till, minimum-till, seeder, tractor, anti-blockage, Asia DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20140704.001 Citation: He J, Zhang Z Q, Li H W, Wang Q J. Development of small/medium size no-till and minimum-till seeders in Asia: A review. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2014; 7(4): 1-12.

Multi-scale trade-off analysis of cereal residue use for livestock feeding vs. soil mulching in the Mid-Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe

Cereal residues represent a major resource for livestock feeding during the dry season in southern Africa. When kept on the soil surface instead of feeding them to livestock, crop residues can contribute to increasing soil fertility and maintaining crop productivity in the short- and the long-term. We explored these trade-offs for smallholder cotton–sorghum farming systems in the semi-arid Zambezi Valley, northern Zimbabwe. The analysis was done using simulation models at three scales, the plot, the farm and the territory, to simulate the effects of different sorghum residue allocations to livestock feeding vs. soil mulching, in combination with different application rates of mineral nitrogen fertilizer on crop productivity. The plot-scale simulations suggest that without N fertilization soil mulching has a positive effect on cotton yields only if small quantities of sorghum residues are used as mulch (average cotton yields of 2.24±0.41kgha−1 with a mulch of 100kgha−1 vs. 1.91±0.29kgha−1 without mulch). Greater quantities of mulch have a negative effect on cotton yield without N fertilization due to N immobilization in the soil microbial biomass. With applications of 100kgNha−1, quantities of mulch up to 3tha−1 have no negative effect on cotton yield. Results at farm-scale highlight the fundamental role of livestock as a source of traction, and the need to feed a greater proportion of sorghum residues to livestock as herd and farm sizes increase. Farmers with no livestock attained maximum crop production when 100% of their sorghum residue remained in the field, as they do not have access to cattle manure. The optimum fraction of crop residue to be retained in the fields for maximum farm crop production varied for farmers with 2 or less heads of cattle (80% retention), with 2–3 heads (60–80%), with 4 or more heads (40–60%). At the scale of the entire territory, total cotton and sorghum production increased with the density of cattle, at the expense of soil mulching with crop residues. The results of our simulations suggest that (i) the optimum level of residue retention depends on the scale at which trade-offs are analyzed; (ii) the retention of all of the crop residue as mulch appears unrealistic and undesirable in farming systems that rely on livestock for traction; and (iii) crop residue mulching could be made more attractive to farmers by paying due attention to balancing C to N ratios in the soil and by promoting small-scale mechanization to replace animal traction.

A Survey of Animal and Tractor Farming Techniques in Jigawa and Kano State, Nigeria

Nigeria's agriculture industry has performed abysmally, notwithstanding the importation and utilization of huge foreign machineries and equipment. The reason suggested is that in Nigeria's agriculture industry, the importation and utilization of foreign machineries have not been matched to the people's socio-economic and technological setting. Since 1960 Nigeria has been importing equipment for different agricultural processes and purposes without a thought as to their suitability to the ability and socio - technological system of the people who use the machines. This study is a joint effort of the National Board for Technology Incubation and Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute, both of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in Nigeria. The collaboration discussed with the farmers in Kano and Jigawa States with a view to finding their problem with equipment usage in farming and discovered that they fared better with animal utilization than the tractor. The paper consequently recommends drastic measures to firmly establish and enhance animal traction utilization in Northern Nigeria, together with similar appropriate technologies in other agricultural processes.

Indicators of Agroecological Sustainability of Three Tillage Systems for Maize (Zea mayz L.) Production

Of the three tillage systems studied, the plots under the full animal traction system showed the largest values for total dry matter production as well as for the indicators of soil quality, crop health, and socioeconomic sustainability. Overall, the indicators that contributed the most to a higher soil quality ranking were: biological activity, soil structure, and soil cover. In the mixed traction and fully mechanized systems, the indicators that decreased plant health most were the use of mono-cropping and a low surrounding biodiversity. The sites with higher total value for socioeconomic indicators had smaller indebtedness and subsidy dependence, as well as a higher control of local resources.

Influence of tillage practices on physical properties of a sandy loam in semi-arid region

The contrasts observed in soil tillage research studies documented the need for more research in many regions of the world if the mechanics of tillage effects on soil physical properties is to be well understood. Thus, the effect of three tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), reduce tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) on the physical properties of a sandy loam soil in Maiduguri, Nigeria was investigated after 9-15 years of management. During the growing season of 2010, triplicate undisturbed core samples (5.5 cm in diameter and 4 cm height) were obtained at two soil depths (0- 15 cm and 15-30 cm), for determination of volumetric (.v) moisture content, bulk density (Bd), and total porosity (TP) of the soil at selected dates, while soil penetration resistance (PR) was determined using hand held digital penetrometer. Tillage systems significantly (p = 0.05) affected Bd and TP of the soil at two of the four sampling dates. The RT treatment recorded highest Bd and lowest TP at (0-15 cm) depth across most sampling dates, while at (15-30 cm) soil depth, the CT and RT treatments maintained higher Bd. Soil PR was significantly influenced by tillage systems only at the surface (0-15 cm) soil depth. The NT treatment recorded significantly (p = 0.05) higher PR while the RT treatment recorded the least. Further, significant (p = 0.05) tillage treatment effects on the .v content of the soil was observed at both surface (0-15 cm) and sub surface (15-30 cm) soil depths. The NT and RT treatments, on average, recorded higher values of .v relative to the CT treatment. Soil organic carbon (OC) and aggregate stability in water (MAW, ASC, DR and WSI) were found to correlate (p < 0.05) well with .v content of the soil for most sampling dates particularly a surface soil layer. The study revealed that, the NT and RT treatments promotes better physical quality of the soil relative to the CT treatment. It ishowever recommended that, other reduced tillage systems such as animal traction and ridgetillage be tried to assess their efficacy of improving soil physical quality. Key words : Tillage, Tillage systems, Soil Physical properties, Moisture storage, Physical quality

Public health and livestock: Emerging diseases in food animals

Despite public health and veterinary public health improvements within the past century, human and animal populations remain vulnerable to health threats caused by infectious diseases. Noticeably, the rate of emerging infectious diseases is increasing (one new emerging or re-emerging disease every eight months). Meanwhile, many endemic diseases have increased in incidence. Out of 1,400 microbes that could cause human infections, more than 60% are also pathogenic for wild or domestic animals (OIE, 2012). These zoonotic agents cause 75% of human emerging infections (OIE, 2012). Since they can be contagious to humans or compromise the food safety, the infectious diseases of animals represent a direct public health issue (OIE, 2012). They also carry an indirect threat since they account for the majority of the 20% losses that affect the livestock sector at the production level and since they could severely hamper the animal traction resources that are needed to produce or transport goods. These losses raise an issue of food security to sustain an increasing demand for proteins of animal origin. By 2020, the livestock sector is expected to represent 50% of the agriculture outputs in value. In developing countries, uncontrolled re-emergence of infectious diseases threatens the main asset of families, thus preventing them to escape from poverty. Additionally, the animal morbidity and mortality generated by infections represent an unjustified emission of greenhouse gases, thus raising an environmental issue. In a growing number of countries, infections are also perceived as a primary concern for animal welfare. The rapid pace of infection emergence is not only connected to more suitable conditions for pathogen appearance and spreading, it is also linked to improved methods and technologies for surveillance, pathogen detection, and identification. There are all kinds of pathogen agents of concern: prion, viruses, bacteria, and mono-cellular and pluri-cellular parasites. Several drivers of infectious diseases have been identified, many of which are of anthropogenic origin: i) Indeed, the role of the expansion and intensification of animal agriculture has been pointed out. Changes in nutritional and agricultural practices, associated to the second livestock revolution (1980s through 1990s), have led to intensive production systems, the frequent use of antimicrobial agents, high densities of animals with suboptimal husbandry conditions, and a decline in genetic diversity. ii) The ongoing global change and the resulting climate-driven environmental change, as well as natural disasters, have introduced ecological perturbations and flux shifts into finely tuned ecosystems consisting, for example, in modified interactions between pathogen vectors and hosts. iii) The population growth, associated with a facilitated access to travel means, has a strong impact. Socio-economical determinants such as political instability and the resulting migrations should be emphasized. iv) Fast and large-range trade of animal and food products have a major influence. Various kinds of changes in food-processing practices were also strongly influential. v) Several shifts in land use should be mentioned such as: accelerated urbanization, deforestation, and the encroachment on wildlife with extensive and closer contacts among humans, livestock animals, and wildlife. Species barriers crossing often occur at ecological interfaces. vi) Finally, it should be stressed that countries where a capacity breakdown occurs in the domains of public health and animal health management, become a weak link in the global effort to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks. Moreover, poor socio-economic conditions are generally associated with closer contacts between humans and animals, as well as greater exposure to vectors, thus increasing the risk of disease emergence in these countries.

Can design improve the agricultural work conditions in the developing countries? A study based in the development of an animal traction seeder

This paper presents a study conducted as a part of development of an animal traction seeder machine, using principles related to disciplines such as usability, Ergonomics Work Assessment (EWA) and Antropotechnology, in a perspective of Design for Sustainability (DfS) and product development suitable for the Base of the Pyramid (BoP). The study provided information for a series of design changes to be introduced in the equipment, in order to improvement of working conditions in small family farming properties. From this approach analysis on an existing implement, are suggested ways to adaquate the product and presented a proposal for a new animal traction seeder machine.

Optimisation of the traditional land-use system in the Angolan highlands using linear programming

This study used linear programming (LP) to analyse land-use alternatives in the traditional Umbundu farming system in the Angolan central highlands. Farmers of the region have traditionally produced maize and pulses for subsistence and vegetables and timber as cash crops. Different pasture and forest fallow rotations are used along catena production sites. The system is labour-intensive and uses animal traction. LP problems were formulated and solved for a baseline land-use alternative, improved diet alternative and maximal timber production alternative. All three problem formulations included constraints that guaranteed sufficient food and firewood production and sufficient pasture area for animals while being feasible in terms of human labour and animal traction consumption. Of the alternative production systems, cash crops with forest fallow had the highest land expectation value (LEV), while cereals under short grazing fallow showed even negative LEVs. Changing the diet by diversifying carbohydrate and protein sources increased LEV and reduced the need for women labour during the peak season. When timber production was maximised the optimal share of land devoted to pure forestry was 57%, and less labour was required.

Mapping the economic benefits to livestock keepers from intervening against bovine trypanosomosis in Eastern Africa

Endemic animal diseases such as tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis are a constant drain on the financial resources of African livestock keepers and on the productivity of their livestock. Knowing where the potential benefits of removing animal trypanosomosis are distributed geographically would provide crucial evidence for prioritising and targeting cost-effective interventions as well as a powerful tool for advocacy. To this end, a study was conducted on six tsetse-infested countries in Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. First, a map of cattle production systems was generated, with particular attention to the presence of draught and dairy animals. Second, herd models for each production system were developed for two scenarios: with or without trypanosomosis. The herd models were based on publications and reports on cattle productivity (fertility, mortality, yields, sales), from which the income from, and growth of cattle populations were estimated over a twenty-year period. Third, a step-wise spatial expansion model was used to estimate how cattle populations might migrate to new areas when maximum stocking rates are exceeded. Last, differences in income between the two scenarios were mapped, thus providing a measure of the maximum benefits that could be obtained from intervening against tsetse and trypanosomosis. For this information to be readily mappable, benefits were calculated per bovine and converted to US$ per square kilometre. Results indicate that the potential benefits from dealing with trypanosomosis in Eastern Africa are both very high and geographically highly variable. The estimated total maximum benefit to livestock keepers for the whole of the study area amounts to nearly US$ 2.5 billion, discounted at 10% over twenty years – an average of approximately US$ 3300 per square kilometre of tsetse-infested area – but with great regional variation from less than US$ 500 per square kilometre to well over US$ 10,000. The greatest potential benefits accrue to Ethiopia, because of its very high livestock densities and the importance of animal traction, but also to parts of Kenya and Uganda. In general, the highest benefit levels occur on the fringes of the tsetse infestations. The implications of the models’ assumptions and generalisations are discussed.

Comparison of the environmental performance of light mechanization and animal traction using a modular LCA approach

Abstract Animal traction has supported humans in most field operations since the origin of agriculture. With the introduction of mechanization, humans gained access to much more work power at similar management costs and were able to significantly increase the productivity and time efficiency of field operations. This achievement completely changed food production systems for all populations able to access such technology. Nowadays, animal traction is mainly used in the developing countries, in specific contexts such as mountainous areas due to the difficulties in using tractors, and within farm tourism in the developed countries. Although the consumption of non-renewable resources is clearly higher in crop production systems that use mechanized traction, tractor traction may involve low consumption of fuel relative to that needed for feed production for equivalent draught animals. Mechanical traction can also facilitate precision agriculture, which uses less fuel, while animals, as living systems, consume resources even when they are not working. This study compared the environmental performance of animal traction with that of machine traction in two scenarios: (I) A forest harvesting system, using as the functional unit the logging operations needed to obtain 50 t market-ready wood and (II) a seedbed preparation system, using as the functional unit the management of 1000 m2 of prepared seedbed. Use of animal traction for these two systems was evaluated on the La Masca farm in Roccaverano, Asti, Northern Italy, while use of machine traction was evaluated using field data on two-wheel tractors performing the operations in similar production systems, converted to the specific functional unit. Owing to the differing properties of mechanical and living systems, it was difficult to establish a reliable standard LCA model of the forestry and food production system. In particular, it proved necessary to include the whole life cycle impacts from tractors and animals. Therefore, we applied a modular LCA approach in which all mechanical implements and animals were accounted as independent modules, a complete life cycle impact assessment phase was performed and results were related to the contribution of the module in the main workflow of the scenario. The final results showed better environmental performance of animal traction both per unit weight of market-ready wood and per unit surface area of prepared seedbed.

First record of Borrelia burgdorferi B31 strain in Dermacentor nitens ticks in the northern region of Parana (Brazil).

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in ticks that feed on horses used for animal traction in rural Jataizinho, Parana, Brazil. Between February and June 2008, a total of 224 ticks was collected of which 75% were identified as Dermacentor nitens and 25% as Amblyomma cajenense. To amplify B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA, the intergenic space region (ISR) between the 5S (rrf) 23S (rrl) rRNA genes was used as targets for nested-PCR. Two ticks of the D. nitens species were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Both species showed a fragment of 184 bp, but the sequencing revealed 99.9% homology with the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) strain B31. These results showed, for the first time, the presence of spirochete DNA infecting ticks that parasitize horses used for animal traction, in the rural municipality mentioned. In conclusion, this study opens up promising prospects for determining the infection rate of B. burgdorferi s.s. genospecies or other species in the equine population, as well as the impact of the infection rate on Lyme disease in the state of Parana.

Sero-epidemiologic survey of the equine arteritis in the region of Khenchela (Algeria)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory infections of viral origin in equines .In this perspective we have researched ant viruses antibodies in equine’s arteritis in 95 horses of different breeds, Arab-Barb and Barb, all stationed in the region of Khenchela (Kais),located in the north east of Constantine. The animals are prealably recognized, upon a clinical exam, in a good health. They have received a diet containing barley and hay. They are of different sexes and their age is varying between 2 and 10 years old. The equines play an important socioeconomic role. In several rural areas, equines are regularly used as a tensile force for the animal traction cultivation and transport of persons and goods. They thus contribute widely to the increase of agricultural production and the improvement of socio economic conditions of rural populations. The results demonstrate that among the 95 serums tested, 25 were positive (33, 33 percent).to the reaction serum seroneutralization. These results are discussed in relation whith those observed by other authors. Key-words: Horse, arterits virus, serum neutralization, epidemiology.

Conservation agriculture in eastern and southern provinces of Zambia: Long-term effects on soil quality and maize productivity

Sustainable and resilient cropping systems are required in southern Africa to arrest declining soil fertility and offset the future negative effects of climate change. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been proposed as a potential system for improving soil quality and providing stable yields through minimum soil disturbance, surface crop residue retention (mulching) and crop rotations or associations. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of evidence of the benefits of CA for small-scale farmers in southern Africa. This research was carried out in two communities and one on-station site in Zambia to provide more scientific evidence about the effects of CA on soil quality, infiltration, soil moisture and crop performance. Results from Kayowozi showed that maize yields in a direct seeded CA treatment, using cowpea seeded with a dibble stick in full rotation, increased by up to 78% after four cropping seasons in comparison to a conventional control using a ridge and furrow system. At Malende, maize yields for animal traction rip-line seeded and direct seeded plots were, on average, 75% and 91% higher than a conventionally tilled control plot after six cropping seasons. Detailed studies undertaken at the Monze Farmer Training Centre revealed that CA treatments, especially that using cotton in rotation, increased water infiltration and soil moisture. In some years, infiltration was five times higher on CA fields than on those using conventional tillage. Carbon increases were only found at the on-station long-term trial, where, over time, CA plots outperformed conventional practice leading to an overall increase of 12% carbon in the first 30cm, compared with decreases of 15% in the conventional control. Comparative analyses between the on-farm and on-station trials point to a lack of adequate mulching, which might be the reason for lower carbon at the on-farm sites. We conclude that the effects of CA can build up on different soil types in most systems, but that scaling up and out requires the whole community to be targeted, rather than relying on individual farmers to overcome constraints related to the set-up in rural communities.

Sero-epidemiologic survey of the equine rhinopneumonitis in the region of Khenchela (Algeria)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory infections of viral origin in equines. In this perspective we have researched antiviruses antibodies in equine’s rhinopnemonitis in 210 horses of different breeds, Arabian purebred,Thoroughbred, arab barb and barb, all stationed in the region of Khenchela, located in the north east of Constantine. These animals are prealably recognised, upon a clinical exam, in a good health. They have received a diet containing barley and hay. They are of different sexe and their age is varying between 2 and 7 years old. The equines play an important socioeconomic role. In several rural areas, equines are regularly used as a tensile force for the animal traction cultivation and transport of persons and goods. They thus contribute widely to the increase of agricultural production and the improvement of socio economic conditions of rural populations. These results demonstrate that among the 210 serums tested, 5 were positive to the reaction of complement fixation. These results are discussed in relation with those observed by other authors.

Public policies for rural poverty alleviation: The case of agricultural households in the Plateau Central area of Burkina Faso

Are there any economic policies able to break the vicious circle of the poverty trap in rural areas of poor countries such as Burkina Faso? To help answer this question, a detailed analysis of production systems has been used to elaborate dynamic household models. A mathematical programming model represents the economic decisions of farmers for the three farm types found in the Plateau Central region. Farms are linked together by factor markets. The model calculates a wide range of variables: incomes of agricultural households and their sources, land allocation between the different crops, cropping techniques used, agricultural production, consumption expenditure and labor allocation among the various activities including off-farm activities. These estimates can be obtained by farmer groups and aggregated for the Plateau Central. The model is used to simulate the effects of five economic policies and their combinations: (i) increasing the availability of irrigation water, (ii) lowering marketing costs, (iii) access to animal traction, (iv) access to credit, (v) reducing producer price variability. The analysis reveals different impacts in function of the different farm groups. Public good policies benefit all groups whereas policies aiming at improving capital market access or at diminishing risks on product sales primarily benefit the richest group. Policies focusing on access to equipment are of greater benefit to the poorest. Given the depth of initial poverty, it is necessary to combine all the measures to allow the incomes of the poorest group to cross the poverty line.

Study of equinine influenza in the region of Khenchela (Algeria)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory viral infections in horses.In this perspective we looked for antibodies to influenza in 132 horses with chronic respiratory diseases, all stationed in the area Khenchela, situated north-east of Constantine (Algeria). Horses played an important socio-economic role. In many rural areas, horses were regularly used as a pulling force for animal traction and transport people and goods. They contributed greatly to the increase in agricultural production and improve socio-economic conditions of the rural populations. The results showed that on the132 sera tested, of which 32 were positive (ie 24.24 percent): 30 to test for the inhibition of the hemagglutination and 2 to the reaction of complement fixation. These results were discussed in relation to those observed by other authors.