Farmers’ perceptions of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production constraints, preferred traits, farming systems and their implications on bean breeding: A case study from South East Lowveld region of Zimbabwe

Abstract Background: Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Its production is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic. However, in the major navy bean-production regions of Zimbabwe, there is no recent study documenting biotic stress management strategies, farmers’ perceived production, and marketing constraints, and cultivar trait preferences. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers’ production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints.Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package.Results: The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females – 86 %, Males – 73 %), heat stress (Females – 58 %, Males – 55 %), power outages (Females – 46 %, Males – 54 %), poor soil fertility (Females – 32 %; Males – 33 %) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females – 32 %, Males – 43 %). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18 %), ridges (12 %), reduced acreage (11 %), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11 %) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32 %), and adjusting planting dates (29 %) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors. Conclusion: There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption.

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Farmers’ Perceptions of Navy Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Production Constraints, Preferred Traits, Farming Systems and Their Implications on Bean Breeding: A Case Study from South East Lowveld Region of Zimbabwe

10.21203/rs.3.rs-116798/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bruce Mutari ◽

Julia Sibiya ◽

Eileen Bongweh Nchanji ◽

Kennedy Simango ◽

Edmore Gasura

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Navy Bean ◽

Planting Dates ◽

Producer Price ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Legume Crop

Abstract Background: Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Its production is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic. However, there is no documented participatory research on production status, biotic stress management strategies, farmers’ perceived production, and marketing constraints, and cultivar trait preferences among the major navy bean growing regions. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers’ production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints.Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package.Results: The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females – 86 %, Males – 73 %), heat stress (Females – 58 %, Males – 55 %), load shedding (Females – 46 %, Males – 54 %), poor soil fertility (Females – 32 %; Males – 33 %) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females – 32 %, Males – 43 %). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18 %), ridges (12 %), reduced acreage (11 %), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11 %) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32 %), and adjusting planting dates (29 %) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors. Conclusion: There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption.

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Farmers’ perceptions of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production constraints, preferred traits and farming systems and their implications on bean breeding: a case study from South East Lowveld region of Zimbabwe

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine ◽

10.1186/s13002-021-00442-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bruce Mutari ◽

Julia Sibiya ◽

Eileen Bogweh Nchanji ◽

Kennedy Simango ◽

Edmore Gasura

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Navy Bean ◽

Planting Dates ◽

Producer Price ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Legume Crop ◽

High Inflation

Abstract Background Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Although its production in Zimbabwe is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic, there is no documented evidence. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers’ production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints. Methods A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean-growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package. Results The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females—86%, Males—73%), heat stress (Females—58%, Males—55%), power outages (Females—46%, Males—54%), poor soil fertility (Females—32%; Males—33%) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females—32%, Males—43%). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18%), ridges (12%), reduced acreage (11%), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11%) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32%), and adjusting planting dates (29%) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors. Conclusion There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption.

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Participatory analysis of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cropping system and production constraints in Burkina Faso

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine ◽

10.1186/s13002-020-00429-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Boubacar Sinare ◽

Amos Miningou ◽

Baloua Nebié ◽

John Eleblu ◽

Ofori Kwadwo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Burkina Faso ◽

Strong Correlation ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Cropping System ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farm Size ◽

High Price ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Legume Crop

Abstract Background Groundnut is one of the major legume crops grown as food and cash crop across the different agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. It is ranked the 2nd important legume crop for household food, nutrition, and income generation for both rural and urban zones, contributing significantly to food supply and economy of the country. Despite its importance and breeding efforts to develop improved varieties, groundnut productivity remains low. Assessing and describing the present groundnut cropping system and production constraints as well as gender dynamics in the main production areas will help in defining the groundnut breeding priorities. Methods A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut production regions (central-eastern, central-northern, and central-western). In each region, 4 villages were selected with a total of 124 farmers interviewed to collect data on socio-demographics, farming systems, cropping practices, and production constraints. Data analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative variables using STATA 14. Analysis of variance was conducted across regions and gender, and also between and within regions. Kendall’s coefficients were determined for qualitative variables across regions for the constraints using the pairwise rank. Pearson’s correlation was carried out to assess the relationship between variables, and the chi-square test was used to assess the difference in farmer preferences. Results The study revealed a cropping system of groundnut in an environment largely affected by climate change and in a subsistence and extensive agriculture. There is a variation in the groundnut cropping system across the regions. Gender plays a key role in the production of the groundnut, and 48.39% of women are engaged in groundnut cropping with less access to land and production resources. A yield gap between men and women was observed with men achieving more yield than women. There was a strong correlation between the use of improved varieties and technical assistance. A strong correlation was observed between farm size and production, and farm size and sex denoting an extensive production. Production constraints, although similar, were perceived and ranked differently between regions. The lack of improved varieties, absence of agricultural credit, lack of production tools, the high price of seeds, the high price of fertilizer, drought, and disease are some of the important constraints affecting groundnut productivity. Conclusion This study provides a recent view of groundnut cropping, allowing a good understanding of the farmers’ situation. The result will contribute to the refining of breeding priorities and guide further activities in groundnut breeding in Burkina Faso.

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Participatory analysis of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) cropping system and production constraints in Burkina Faso

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57960/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sinare Boubacar ◽

Amos Miningou ◽

Baloua Nebie ◽

John Eleblu ◽

Ofori Kwadwo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Burkina Faso ◽

Strong Correlation ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Cropping System ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farm Size ◽

High Price ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Legume Crop

Abstract Background: Groundnut is one of the major legume crops grown as food and cash crop across the different agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. It is ranked the 2nd important legume crop for household food, nutrition and income generation for both rural and urban zones, contributing significantly to food supply and economy of the country. Despite its importance and breeding efforts to develop improved varieties, groundnut productivity remains low. Assessing and describing the present groundnut cropping system and production constraints as well as gender dynamics in the main production areas will help in defining the groundnut breeding priorities. Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut production regions (Central-Eastern, Central-Northern and Central-Western). In each region, 4 villages were selected with a total of 124 farmers interviewed to collect data on socio-demographics, farming systems, cropping practices and production constraints. Data analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative variables using STATA 14. Analysis of variance was conducted across regions and gender, and also between and within regions. Kendall's coefficients were determined for qualitative variables across regions for the constraints using the pairwise rank. Pearson's correlation was carried out to assess the relationship between variables, and the chi-square test was used to assess the difference in farmer preferences. Results: The study revealed a cropping system of groundnut in an environment largely affected by climate change and in a subsistence and extensive agriculture. There is a variation in the groundnut cropping system across the regions. Gender plays a key role in the production of the groundnut and 48.39% of women are engaged in groundnut cropping with less access to land and production resources. A yield gap between men and women was observed with men achieving more yield than women. There was a strong correlation between the use of improved varieties and technical assistance. A strong correlation was observed between farm size and production, and farm size and sex denoting an extensive production. Production constraints, although similar, were perceived and ranked differently between regions. The lack of improved varieties, absence of agricultural credit, lack of production tools, the high price of seeds, the high price of fertilizer, drought and disease are some of the important constraints affecting groundnut productivity. Conclusion: This study provides a recent view of groundnut cropping, allowing a good understanding of the farmers’ situation. The result will contribute to the refining of breeding priorities and guide further activities in groundnut breeding in Burkina Faso.

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Participatory analysis of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cropping system and production constraints in Burkina Faso

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57960/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sinare Boubacar ◽

Amos Miningou ◽

Baloua Nebie ◽

John Eleblu ◽

Ofori Kwadwo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Burkina Faso ◽

Strong Correlation ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Cropping System ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farm Size ◽

High Price ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Legume Crop

Abstract Background: Groundnut is one of the major legume crops grown as food and cash crop across the different agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. It is ranked the 2nd important legume crop for household food, nutrition and income generation for both rural and urban zones, contributing significantly to food supply and economy of the country. Despite its importance and breeding efforts to develop improved varieties, groundnut productivity remains low. Assessing and describing the present groundnut cropping system and production constraints as well as gender dynamics in the main production areas will help in defining the groundnut breeding priorities.Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut production regions (Central-Eastern, Central-Northern and Central-Western). In each region, 4 villages were selected with a total of 124 farmers interviewed to collect data on socio-demographics, farming systems, cropping practices and production constraints. Data analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative variables using STATA 14. Analysis of variance was conducted across regions and gender, and also between and within regions. Kendall's coefficients were determined for qualitative variables across regions for the constraints using the pairwise rank. Pearson's correlation was carried out to assess the relationship between variables, and the chi-square test was used to assess the difference in farmer preferences.Results: The study revealed a cropping system of groundnut in an environment largely affected by climate change and in a subsistence and extensive agriculture. There is a variation in the groundnut cropping system across the regions. Gender plays a key role in the production of the groundnut and 48.39% of women are engaged in groundnut cropping with less access to land and production resources. A yield gap between men and women was observed with men achieving more yield than women. There was a strong correlation between the use of improved varieties and technical assistance. A strong correlation was observed between farm size and production, and farm size and sex denoting an extensive production. Production constraints, although similar, were perceived and ranked differently between regions. The lack of improved varieties, absence of agricultural credit, lack of production tools, the high price of seeds, the high price of fertilizer, drought and disease are some of the important constraints affecting groundnut productivity.Conclusion: This study provides a recent view of groundnut cropping, allowing a good understanding of the farmers’ situation. The result will contribute to the refining of breeding priorities and guide further activities in groundnut breeding in Burkina Faso.

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46 The impact of heat stress on feedlot operations; nutritional and breeding options to reduce its impact

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 37-38

Author(s):

Jenny Jennings

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Past Research ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Feeding Strategies ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Diet Formulation ◽

Low Wind Speeds ◽

The Impact

Abstract Heat stress can and always will be an issue in the feedlot industry. Heat stress can decrease performance in feedlot animals leading to substantial economic losses. High environmental temperatures, relative humidity, solar radiation, and low wind speeds can be life-threatening to beef cattle when these conditions occur simultaneously. Management strategies to decrease or alleviate heat stress-related production losses have been a focus of research for a long period of time. There is a plethora of research completed on the additions of shades, sprinklers, air circulation of covered pens, as well as the physiological changes cattle experience. The physiological discoveries have revealed a lot about how the animal copes with certain stressors and has aided in potential mitigation strategies. The use of sprinklers and shades are the most popular additions to feedlots; however, certain nutritional management strategies and breed selection can be viable options as well. My objectives to address those management strategies were to compile and review past research that specifically addresses bunk management, diet formulation, feeding strategies, and breed characteristics as well as incorporate current information available on the cattle we feed today.

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A virtual rat for simulating environmental and exertional heat stress

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00614.2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 117 (11) ◽

pp. 1278-1286 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Vineet Rakesh ◽

Jonathan D. Stallings ◽

Jaques Reifman

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Thermal Response ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Whole Body ◽

External Temperature ◽

Body Cooling ◽

Whole Body Cooling ◽

Exertional Heat Stress

Severe cases of environmental or exertional heat stress can lead to varying degrees of organ dysfunction. To understand heat-injury progression and develop efficient management and mitigation strategies, it is critical to determine the thermal response in susceptible organs under different heat-stress conditions. To this end, we used our previously published virtual rat, which is capable of computing the spatiotemporal temperature distribution in the animal, and extended it to simulate various heat-stress scenarios, including 1) different environmental conditions, 2) exertional heat stress, 3) circadian rhythm effect on the thermal response, and 4) whole body cooling. Our predictions were consistent with published in vivo temperature measurements for all cases, validating our simulations. We observed a differential thermal response in the organs, with the liver experiencing the highest temperatures for all environmental and exertional heat-stress cases. For every 3°C rise in the external temperature from 40 to 46°C, core and organ temperatures increased by ∼0.8°C. Core temperatures increased by 2.6 and 4.1°C for increases in exercise intensity from rest to 75 and 100% of maximal O2 consumption, respectively. We also found differences as large as 0.8°C in organ temperatures for the same heat stress induced at different times during the day. Even after whole body cooling at a relatively low external temperature (1°C for 20 min), average organ temperatures were still elevated by 2.3 to 2.5°C compared with normothermia. These results can be used to optimize experimental protocol designs, reduce the amount of animal experimentation, and design and test improved heat-stress prevention and management strategies.

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Drought and Heat Stress in Cool-Season Food Legumes in Sub-Tropical Regions: Consequences, Adaptation, and Mitigation Strategies

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10061038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1038

Author(s):

Venugopalan Visha Kumari ◽

Anirban Roy ◽

Roshni Vijayan ◽

Purabi Banerjee ◽

Vivek Chandra Verma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Foliar Application ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Cool Season ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Food Legumes ◽

Drought And Heat Stress ◽

Physiological And Biochemical ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

Drought and heat stress are two major abiotic stresses that challenge the sustainability of agriculture to a larger extend. The changing and unpredictable climate further aggravates the efforts made by researchers as well as farmers. The stresses during the terminal stage of cool-season food legumes may affect numerous physiological and biochemical reactions that may result in poor yield. The plants possess a good number of adaptative and avoiding mechanisms to sustain the adverse situation. The various agronomic and breeding approaches may help in stress-induced alteration. The physiological and biochemical response of crops to any adverse situation is very important to understand to develop mechanisms and approaches for tolerance in plants. Agronomic approaches like altering the planting time, seed priming, foliar application of various macro and micro nutrients, and the application of rhizobacteria may help in mitigating the adverse effect of heat and drought stress to some extent. Breeding approaches like trait-based selection, inheritance studies of marker-based selection, genetic approaches using the transcriptome and metabolome may further pave the way to select and develop crops with better heat and drought stress adaptation and mitigation.

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The management of risk in a dryland environment

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2011.73.2835 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 13-21

Author(s):

D.I. Gray ◽

J.I. Reid ◽

D.J. Horne

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Service Providers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Subterranean Clover ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Market Risk ◽

Farm Size ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Risk Management Strategies ◽

Upside Risk

A group of 24 Hawke's Bay hill country farmers are working with service providers to improve the resilience of their farming systems. An important step in the process was to undertake an inventory of their risk management strategies. Farmers were interviewed about their farming systems and risk management strategies and the data was analysed using descriptive statistics. There was considerable variation in the strategies adopted by the farmers to cope with a dryland environment. Importantly, these strategies had to cope with three types of drought and also upside risk (better than expected conditions), and so flexibility was critical. Infra-structure was important in managing a dryland environment. Farmers chose between increased scale (increasing farm size) and geographic dispersion (owning a second property in another location) through to intensification (investing in subdivision, drainage, capital fertiliser, new pasture species). The study identified that there may be scope for further investment in infra-structural elements such as drainage, deeper rooting alternative pasture species and water harvesting, along with improved management of subterranean clover to improve flexibility. Many of the farmers used forage crops and idling capacity (reduced stocking rate) to improve flexibility; others argued that maintaining pasture quality and managing upside risk was a better strategy in a dryland environment. Supplementary feed was an important strategy for some farmers, but its use was limited by contour and machinery constraints. A surprisingly large proportion of farmers run breeding cows, a policy that is much less flexible than trading stock. However, several farmers had improved their flexibility by running a high proportion of trading cattle and buffer mobs of ewe hoggets and trade lambs. To manage market risk, the majority of farmers are selling a large proportion of their lambs prime. Similarly, cattle are either sold prime or store onto the grass market when prices are at a premium. However, market risk associated with the purchase of supplements and grazing was poorly managed.

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Improving Drought Tolerance in Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek): Morpho-Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Perspectives

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081534 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1534

Author(s):

Chandra Mohan Singh ◽

Poornima Singh ◽

Chandrakant Tiwari ◽

Shalini Purwar ◽

Mukul Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Drought Tolerance ◽

Crop Production ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Theoretical Research ◽

Whole Genome Sequence ◽

Complex Nature ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Breeding Programmes ◽

The Impact

Drought stress is considered a severe threat to crop production. It adversely affects the morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular functions of the plants, especially in short duration crops like mungbean. In the past few decades, significant progress has been made towards enhancing climate resilience in legumes through classical and next-generation breeding coupled with omics approaches. Various defence mechanisms have been reported as key players in crop adaptation to drought stress. Many researchers have identified potential donors, QTLs/genes and candidate genes associated to drought tolerance-related traits. However, cloning and exploitation of these loci/gene(s) in breeding programmes are still limited. To bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical breeding, we need to reveal the omics-assisted genetic variations associated with drought tolerance in mungbean to tackle this stress. Furthermore, the use of wild relatives in breeding programmes for drought tolerance is also limited and needs to be focused. Even after six years of decoding the whole genome sequence of mungbean, the genome-wide characterization and expression of various gene families and transcriptional factors are still lacking. Due to the complex nature of drought tolerance, it also requires integrating high throughput multi-omics approaches to increase breeding efficiency and genomic selection for rapid genetic gains to develop drought-tolerant mungbean cultivars. This review highlights the impact of drought stress on mungbean and mitigation strategies for breeding high-yielding drought-tolerant mungbean varieties through classical and modern omics technologies.

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