Diversification Of Crop Production Research Articles

Performance of improved sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars under different soil types of Samoa

There is need to diversify crop production in Samoa which currently depends mainly on taro crop, that has proved to be susceptible to fungus and other diseases, to as safeguard against risks of crop failures and adapt to climatic changes. The potential of introducing sweetpotato as a second staple food in Samoa is explored in this study. The study analyses the suitability of sweetpotato cultivars in Samoan agro-environment and major soil types. For this purpose a twenty week pot experiment was conducted to investigate the performance of three improved sweetpotato cultivars (IB/PR/12, IB/PR/13 and IB/PH/03) on four different types of soils in Samoa (Savaia calcareous sandy loam, Matafa’a red acidic, Faleula silty clay and Saleimoa silty clay) in a factorial arrangement of treatments in randomised complete block design with three replications. Results revealed that soil type had a significant effect on vine growth, and storage root yield with the best yield obtained in the silty clay soils having high K content. Retarded plant growth observed under the acidic soil having low K content resulted in lowest storage root yield. A significant varietal difference was recorded in sweetpotato growth and yield. IB/PH/03 was inferior in vine length, but produced comparatively highest number of vines per plant, and storage root yield attesting its adaptability in all the four tested soil types of Samoa and has potentiality to be promoted for wider adoption. A follow-up field study is needed to verify our preliminary results under pot culture on different soil types of Samoa.

Adaptation of agriculture to climate change in semi-arid Borena, Ethiopia

Livestock production is very risky due to climate variability in semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa. Using data collected from 400 households in the Borena zone of the Oromia Region, we explored what drives adoption of agricultural practices that can decrease the vulnerability of agro-pastoralists to climate change. Households with more adaptive capacity adopted a larger number of practices. The households’ adaptive capacity was stronger when the quality of local institutions was high. However, adaptive capacity had less explanatory power in explaining adoption of adaptation options than household socio-economic characteristics, suggesting that aggregating information into one indicator of adaptive capacity for site-specific studies may not help to explain the adoption behaviour of households. Strong local institutions lead to changes in key household-level characteristics (like membership to community groups, years lived in a village, access to credit, financial savings and crop income) which positively affect adoption of agricultural practices. In addition, better local institutions were also positively related to adoption of livestock-related adaptation practices. Poor access to a tarmac road was positively related to intensification and diversification of crop production, whereas it was negatively related to the intensification of livestock production, an important activity for generating cash in the region. Our findings suggest that better local institutions lead to changes in household characteristics, which positively affect adoption of adaptation practices, suggesting that policies should aim to strengthen local institutions.

ACCESS AND ADOPTION OF NUTRITION SPECIFIC AND NUTRITION SENSITIVE MESSAGES IN ETHIOPIA: A QUALITATIVE GENDERED COMPARISON

The rise of multisectoralism, in conjunction with the increased interest to improve women's empowerment in the agricultural sector, has led to a dynamic and gender focused effort to improve nutrition outcomes through nutrition sensitive interventions. Questions still remain, however, on how well, at the programmatic level, nutrition education through nutrition‐sensitive platforms (such as agriculture and social safety nets) translates into adoption of nutrition‐related behavior change. This qualitative research study compares how nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific education and messaging is accessed and adopted by men and women in the Ethiopian household economy. With a sample size of 32 focus groups, 320 nutrition knowledge surveys and 10 key informant interviews, this research study was conducted in two main regions within Ethiopia, Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR). Focus groups participated in a unique participatory ‘Gender Box’ activity in which the group was asked to identify nutrition related behaviors and then designate them to either a female, male or ‘both male and female’ box, depending on the perceived gender of responsibility. Results indicate that nutrition specific messages (such as exclusive breastfeeding and cooking) are primarily accessed by women through the health sector but perceived by women to have be the responsibility of both the male and female. Nutrition sensitive messages (such as diversification of crop production) are generally accessed by men through the agricultural sector and media. Perceptions of responsibility for these messages vary, depending on the general nutritional knowledge of the focus group and the level of gender/women's empowerment program exposure. Perhaps most interesting, however, is the message sharing and discussion process. Nutrition specific messages accessed by women are often discussed and shared with their male spouses. Nutrition sensitive messages accessed by men, however, were rarely discussed in the home after exposure. Results from this study provide great insight into the process of nutrition message access and adoption within the household. Results also point toward perhaps a necessary shift away from individual targeted nutrition education to the provision of nutrition education to the household couple, thereby fostering and promoting discussion and message sharing between both genders.Support or Funding InformationUSAID/Save the Children International

Agricultural Production, Dietary Diversity and Climate Variability

Nonseparable household modelsoutline the interlinkage between agricultural production and household consumption, yet empirical extensions to investigate the effect of production on dietary diversity and diet composition are limited. While a significant literature has investigated the calorie-income elasticity abstracting from production, this paper provides an empirical application of the nonseparable household model linking the effect of exogenous variation in planting season production decisions via climate variability on household dietary diversity. Using degree days, rainfall and agricultural capital stocks as instruments, the effect of production on household dietary diversity at harvest is estimated. The empirical specifications estimate production effects on dietary diversity using both agricultural revenue and crop production diversity. Significant effects of both agricultural revenue and crop production diversity on dietary diversity are estimated. The dietary diversity-production elasticities imply that a 10 per cent increase in agricultural revenue or crop diversity result in a 1.8 per cent or 2.4 per cent increase in dietary diversity respectively. These results illustrate that agricultural income growth or increased crop diversity may not be sufficient to ensure improved dietary diversity. Increases in agricultural revenue do change diet composition. Estimates of the effect of agricultural income on share of calories by food groups indicate relatively large changes in diet composition. On average, a 10 per cent increase in agricultural revenue makes households 7.2 per cent more likely to consume vegetables, 3.5 per cent more likely to consume fish, and increases the share of tubers consumed by 5.2 per cent.

Quinoa as a promising pseudocereal crop for Ukraine

The article provides an assessment of perspectives of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.) cultivation in Ukraine, based on international experience and original fi eld tests, with the aim of ensuring further development and diversifi cation of crop production in Ukraine and expanding modern crop rotation systems. The data on the taxonomic position of quinoa and its relationships with other species of the genus Chenopodium and the history of species domestication are provided. Quinoa is a crop of high nutritional value and can be used in gluten-free diets, which are important components of human ration. The results of test cultivation of quinoa in 2013–2014 under conditions of the experimental agricultural farm of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Na- tional Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, located in Vasylkiv District (rayon) of Kyiv Region (oblast), are pro- vided. It is concluded that quinoa is a promising crop for domestic grain producers. The introduction of quinoa into crop rotation systems can improve ecological conditions of agroecosystems and promote restoration of soil fertility in the country without diminishing the revenues of farmers.

Sustainable Agricultural Development under Climate Change in Bangladesh

Climate change is no more an environmental concern it has emerged as biggest developmental challenge for the most vulnerable Bangladesh. The whole international community is also scared of catastrophic adverse effects of future climatic changes on different spheres of man and nature, e.g. deglaciation and sea level changes, submergence of lands, nations and major coastal lowlands, atmospheric dynamics including evaporation and precipitation, global radiation balance, photosynthesis and ecological productivity, plant and animal community and many more. This paper tries to focus the adverse impacts of climatic changes on the crop production, food security, yield gap and sustainable agriculture by crop intensification and diversification. The impact of climate on agriculture could result in problems with food security and may threaten the livelihood activities upon which much of the population depends and thrives. Hilly committed research efforts showed technological progress as evidenced by release of 684 high yielding varieties of various crops and about 769 management technologies by NARS institutes, and universities. The greatest challenge for the future agriculture under climate change, we need improved and modified warning system, developed climate impact modules, build sufficient resilience of food system, comprehensive climate resilience strategies, develop database on climate. Also need top priority to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture through weather services, more research and extension service, agro advisories, insurance, community bank, intensify and diversify crop production system, modern high yielding varieties and management technologies for future sustainable agriculture.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v11i1.19396

Atributos físicos do solo e produtividade da soja em sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária com braquiária e soja

A integração lavoura-pecuária por meio da sucessão entre pastagem de braquiária no outono/inverno e culturas de grãos no verão constitui-se em uma opção para aumentar e diversificar a renda do produtor e melhorar a qualidade do sistema plantio direto. Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da época de dessecação da pastagem ou da pressão de pastejo por bovinos sobre atributos físicos do solo e a produtividade da soja em um sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária (SILP), foi conduzido um experimento sobre um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico. Nas parcelas principais, foram aplicadas pressões de pastejo equivalentes a 6,9; 9,4; e 16,5 unidades animais por hectare durante 19 dias em pastagem de Brachiaria brizantha cv. 'Xaraes', cuja fitomassa foi dessecada 30 dias antes da semeadura da soja (DAS). Também foram conduzidos tratamentos sem pastejo, nos quais a fitomassa foi dessecada aos 30, 44 e 52DAS. Foi determinada a fitomassa remanescente da pastagem, densidade, porosidade e resistência à penetração do solo e a produtividade das cultivares de soja 'BRS 294RR' e 'BRS 255RR', semeadas em subparcelas. As alterações nos atributos físicos do solo pelo pisoteio se concentraram na camada de 0,0-0,05m, contudo as maiores pressões de pastejo aumentaram o grau de compactação do solo até a camada de 0,2-0,3m. A produtividade da cultivar 'BRS 294RR' aumentou e a da cultivar 'BRS 255RR' não foi afetada pelo incremento da pressão de pastejo, demostrando que há diferença de resposta entre os genótipos ao grau de compactação do solo e, principalmente, à fitomassa remanescente da pastagem. A produtividade da soja em SILP com alta produção de matéria seca de B. brizantha é afetada pelo intervalo entre a dessecação da pastagem e a semeadura da cultura.

How much does agriculture depend on pollinators? Lessons from long-term trends in crop production

Productivity of many crops benefits from the presence of pollinating insects, so a decline in pollinator abundance should compromise global agricultural production. Motivated by the lack of accurate estimates of the size of this threat, we quantified the effect of total loss of pollinators on global agricultural production and crop production diversity. The change in pollinator dependency over 46 years was also evaluated, considering the developed and developing world separately. Using the extensive FAO dataset, yearly data were compiled for 1961-2006 on production and cultivated area of 87 important crops, which we classified into five categories of pollinator dependency. Based on measures of the aggregate effect of differential pollinator dependence, the consequences of a complete loss of pollinators in terms of reductions in total agricultural production and diversity were calculated. An estimate was also made of the increase in total cultivated area that would be required to compensate for the decrease in production of every single crop in the absence of pollinators. The expected direct reduction in total agricultural production in the absence of animal pollination ranged from 3 to 8 %, with smaller impacts on agricultural production diversity. The percentage increase in cultivated area needed to compensate for these deficits was several times higher, particularly in the developing world, which comprises two-thirds of the land devoted to crop cultivation globally. Crops with lower yield growth tended to have undergone greater expansion in cultivated area. Agriculture has become more pollinator-dependent over time, and this trend is more pronounced in the developing than developed world. We propose that pollination shortage will intensify demand for agricultural land, a trend that will be more pronounced in the developing world. This increasing pressure on supply of agricultural land could significantly contribute to global environmental change.

Assessing Local Knowledge Use in Agroforestry Management with Cognitive Maps

Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 +/- 3 variables and 19 +/- 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.

How Market Infrastructure Improves Market Efficiency? Case of Cotton Market in India

Agricultural marketing in India is an inevitable issue before the policy makers these days as an efficient and adequate marketing system is a precondition for the agricultural growth and its diversification of crop production by providing better prices to producers and availability of food or non food agricultural produce at competitively determined prices to the consumers. Physical improvement in marketing system can be brought by providing improved market infrastructure both in rural and urban areas. Due to presence of improved infrastructure the transaction cost and hence overall costs (of maintenance, wages, services, transportation etc) fall down. It also allows the easy and less costly adoption of new operating procedures and equipments. Demands and necessity of marketing infrastructure like roads is rapidly rising also because of large migration of people from rural (which is supposed to be the production centre) to the urban areas (which is supposed as net consumer of the agricultural produce). One more important aspect of market i.e. market information network need to be given due emphasis because sometimes farmers deprived of a reasonable or remunerative price for their produce in absence of or in presence of weak dissemination of marketing information among producers. And the presence of infrastructural facilities lead to market integration and facilitate the flow of information across different markets. So, for having an efficient market we must have a optimal blend of hard infrastructure (like transportation) on the one hand and soft infrastructure like information network on the other. Without the creation of such infrastructure, the formation of a sustainable farming sector in agriculture and hence agrarian development would not be possible.

Dimensions of food insecurity and livelihood strategies among rural households in Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia

AbstractBased on household‐level data gathered from 115 randomly selected rural locations in Dire Dawa, the extent of food security and livelihoods strategies was scrutinised. Food insecurity was found to be a severe problem in the area with 76% of the households being food insecure, and with a food‐insecurity gap and severity of food insecurity of 31% and 15%, respectively. The study also identified various livelihood strategies of the rural households, which were found to be a composite of different activities to enable them to make a living. These activities included mixed crop‐livestock farming, diversification of crop production, diversification of livestock production, and supplementation of crop and livestock production with off‐farm activities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Ten Years of Population Change and the Chitemene Slash-and-Burn Syst em around the Mpika Area, Northern Zambia

newly cleared fields created by the chitemene slash-and-burn system were counted in two satellite images (landsat TM 7: path 170, low 68) taken in 1994 and 2001 in the Mpika area of the northern Province, Zambia. These images indicated that the number of chitemene fields was almost the same in 1994 and 2001. However, expansion of chitemene to the interior of forest reserves was apparent in the image from 2001, which clearly showed that the land area is not sufficient to maintain the chitemene system under the present agroenvironmental and socio-economic conditions.The relationship between the number of chitemene fields and population revealed that the density of chitemene in the Standard enumeration area (Sea) increased up to 1 chitemene/km2 with an increase in population density up to 10 people/km, while it decreased with a further increase in population density. The carrying capacity of the chitemene was thus estimated to be at most 10 persons/ chitemene/km, a capacity achieved through farmers’ efforts to diversify crop production. Between 1990 and 2000, the population in the resettlement project areas doubled, while in other areas, the population did not increase. This had diverse effects on the environment due to both immigration and emigration in the surveyed areas. key Words: Chitemene; Carrying capacity; Miombo; TaZara; resettlement; Zambia.

Double-cropping Winter Wheat and Soybean Improves Net Returns in the Eastern Great Plains

In the eastern Great Plains, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and different soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] maturity groups (MG) are grown in various cropping systems to diversify crop production. A 10-year field study was conducted in southeastern Kansas to evaluate effects of multi-cropping systems on grain yield and net economic returns. Cropping systems evaluated were: (i) annual double-cropping of wheat and soybean (MG IV); (ii) four 2-year rotations of wheat-soybean double-cropped followed by full-season soybean the next year, where the same soybean MG (I, III, IV, and V) was grown both years; and (iii) a 3-year rotation of wheat, wheat, and full-season (MG V) soybean. On average, wheat yields ranged from 51 bu/acre following early MG I soybean in the 2-year double-crop rotation to 36 bu/acre following MG IV soybean in the annual double-cropping system. Wheat yield differences were primarily determined by planting date. Full-season (MG V) soybean yields were highest (35 bu/acre) following two years of wheat in the 3-year rotation. Double-crop soybean yields in the annual double-cropping system averaged 26 bu/acre for MG IV. Full-season and double-crop soybean yields in the 2-year double-crop rotation system were significantly greater for traditional MGs (III, IV, and V) than MG I. Net economic returns averaged $101/acre for annual double-cropping, which was $10 to $25/acre higher than 2-year systems with MGs III, IV, and V; whereas, net returns were lowest for the 3-year rotation ($51/acre) and for the 2-year system with MG I soybean ($44/acre).

Promoting and Marketing Asian Crops

Asian crops can provide growers with a means to diversify crop production and marketing options. However, before expanding into Asian crops, growers should determine consumer expectations regarding a new crop. Existing market criteria for each crop (i.e., maturity, color, size, shape) must be considered for all markets including traditional Asian use as well as for the general North American market. If growers decide to target general consumers in North America, then consumer awareness and acceptance must be addressed in a marketing and promotion program. Extension publications, popular magazines, and newspapers are useful tools in a marketing and promotion program. Crop production information must be available to enable growers to successfully produce Asian crops. Yet, most growers are unlikely to invest heavily in new production equipment and systems until a market has been established for the crop. It is a challenge for university scientists and extension agents to concurrently create supply and demand for new Asian crops. To accomplish this, multidisciplinary teams that include university and community experts should initiate a diversified program of Asian crop production, promotion, and marketing.

Winter Wheat and Proso Millet Yield Reduction Due to Sunflower in Rotation

Producers wishing to diversify crop production systems from the traditional winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow system of the central Great Plains need information regarding the impact of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) on subsequent winter wheat and proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) yields. This study was conducted to quantify winter wheat and proso millet yield reductions due to the lower available soil water that exists when sunflower is the prior crop in rotation. Eight crop rotations-including combinations of winter wheat (W), proso millet (M), corn (Zea mays L.) (C), sunflower (Sun), and fallow (F)-were established in 1990 and evaluated for yield, available soil water at planting, and crop water use in 1995, 1996, and 1997. The experiment was conducted at Akron, CO, on a Weld silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Paleustoll). Available soil water at wheat and millet planting was lower where sunflower had been the previous crop than where sunflower was not the previous crop. In dry years, rotations with sunflower as the previous crop had lower wheat and millet water use than other rotations, but averaged over 3 yr, there was no effect of sunflower on wheat or millet water use. Average wheat yield in a W-Sun-F rotation was about 30% lower than wheat yield from W-C-Sun-F, W-M-Sun-F, W-C-F, and W-F. Average millet yield in a M-Sun rotation was 43% lower than millet yield from M-W-C. Wheat yield declined by 178.5 lb/acre (3 bu/acre) for each inch decline in available soil water at planting. Millet yield declined by 295.6 Iblacre for each inch decline in available soil water at planting. In making the decision to include sunflower in crop rotations, producers will have to consider impact on subsequent crop yields, as well as costs of production, market value of crop, impact on pest problems, and total productivity of all crops in the rotation.