Weed management in upland rice in sub-Saharan Africa: impact on labor and crop productivity

Food Security ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philomena Ogwuike ◽  
Jonne Rodenburg ◽  
Aliou Diagne ◽  
Afiavi R. Agboh-Noameshie ◽  
Eyram Amovin-Assagba
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Upland Rice ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Circular Bioeconomy Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations, Gaps, and Actions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiferaw Feleke ◽  
Steven Michael Cole ◽  
Haruna Sekabira ◽  
Rousseau Djouaka ◽  
Victor Manyong
Keyword(s):  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
International Institute ◽  
The Public ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Sub Saharan

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has applied the concept of ‘circular bioeconomy’ to design solutions to address the degradation of natural resources, nutrient-depleted farming systems, hunger, and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the past decade, IITA has implemented ten circular bioeconomy focused research for development (R4D) interventions in several countries in the region. This article aims to assess the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy focused innovations towards economic, social, and environmental outcomes using the outcome tracking approach, and identify areas for strengthening existing circular bioeconomy R4D interventions using the gap analysis method. Data used for the study came from secondary sources available in the public domain. Results indicate that IITA’s circular bioeconomy interventions led to ten technological innovations (bio-products) that translated into five economic, social, and environmental outcomes, including crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Our gap analysis identified eight gaps leading to a portfolio of five actions needed to enhance the role of circular bioeconomy in SSA. The results showcase the utility of integrating a circular bioeconomy approach in R4D work, especially how using such an approach can lead to significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The evidence presented can help inform the development of a framework to guide circular bioeconomy R4D at IITA and other research institutes working in SSA. Generating a body of evidence on what works, including the institutional factors that create enabling environments for circular bioeconomy approaches to thrive, is necessary for governments and donors to support circular bioeconomy research that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges in SSA as populations grow and generate more waste, thus exacerbating a changing climate using the linear economy model.

scholarly journals Labor-Saving Weed Technologies for Lowland Rice Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonne Rodenburg ◽  
Kazuki Saito ◽  
Runyambo Irakiza ◽  
Derek W. Makokha ◽  
Enos A. Onyuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Control Efficacy ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
Time Requirements ◽  
Rice Yields ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Hand Weeding

Time requirements, weed control efficacy, and yield effects of three labor-saving weed technologies were tested against hand weeding during three seasons in 2012 and 2013. The technologies included two hand-operated mechanical weeders, the straight-spike and the twisted-spike floating weeder, and the PRE application of oxadiazon. The straight-spike floating weeder reduced weeding time by 32 to 49%, the twisted-spike floating weeder reduced weeding time by 32 to 56%, and the application of herbicide required 88 to 97% less time than hand weeding. Herbicide application provided the best weed control in two of the three seasons. No differences in weed control efficacy were observed between mechanical and hand weeding. Yield differences were only observed in season 3 with higher rice yields after PRE application of oxadiazon compared with other weed management treatments.

scholarly journals Impact of Soil Fertility Improving Trees on Crop Productivity and Farmer Wealth in Zambia

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Elias Kuntashula
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan

There has been low uptake of soil fertility improving tree technologies that have been promoted as alternatives to the costly inorganic fertiliser among the poor resource farmers of Sub Saharan Africa. This is surprising given that the majority of smallholder farmers cannot afford inorganic fertilisers. Are these technologies effective? Using data collected in 2013 from 1,231 households across six districts of Zambia, this study showed that the tree technologies increased maize productivity. However, increases in maize productivity were less than those obtained from controlled on-station and field experiments where the technologies could double or more than double maize productivity according to literature. The technologies capacity to marginally contribute to wealth creation was confirmed. Socioeconomic constraints including labour, information access, land and credit need to be tackled for the technologies to give maximum benefits. Research on fertiliser trees should therefore be redirected towards the discovery of such resource constraints saving technologies. 

scholarly journals Integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: unravelling local adaptation

SOIL ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 491-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Vanlauwe ◽  
K. Descheemaeker ◽  
K. E. Giller ◽  
J. Huising ◽  
R. Merckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Integrated Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract. Intensification of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is necessary to address rural poverty and natural resource degradation. Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) is a means to enhance crop productivity while maximizing the agronomic efficiency (AE) of applied inputs, and can thus contribute to sustainable intensification. ISFM consists of a set of best practices, preferably used in combination, including the use of appropriate germplasm, the appropriate use of fertilizer and of organic resources, and good agronomic practices. The large variability in soil fertility conditions within smallholder farms is also recognized within ISFM, including soils with constraints beyond those addressed by fertilizer and organic inputs. The variable biophysical environments that characterize smallholder farming systems have profound effects on crop productivity and AE, and targeted application of agro-inputs and management practices is necessary to enhance AE. Further, management decisions depend on the farmer's resource endowments and production objectives. In this paper we discuss the "local adaptation" component of ISFM and how this can be conceptualized within an ISFM framework, backstopped by analysis of AE at plot and farm level. At plot level, a set of four constraints to maximum AE is discussed in relation to "local adaptation": soil acidity, secondary nutrient and micronutrient (SMN) deficiencies, physical constraints, and drought stress. In each of these cases, examples are presented whereby amendments and/or practices addressing these have a significantly positive impact on fertilizer AE, including mechanistic principles underlying these effects. While the impact of such amendments and/or practices is easily understood for some practices (e.g. the application of SMNs where these are limiting), for others, more complex processes influence AE (e.g. water harvesting under varying rainfall conditions). At farm scale, adjusting fertilizer applications to within-farm soil fertility gradients has the potential to increase AE compared with blanket recommendations, in particular where fertility gradients are strong. In the final section, "local adaption" is discussed in relation to scale issues and decision support tools are evaluated as a means to create a better understanding of complexity at farm level and to communicate appropriate scenarios for allocating agro-inputs and management practices within heterogeneous farming environments.

scholarly journals Poverty Alleviation Through Technology-Driven Increases in Crop Production by Smallholder Farmers in Dryland Areas of Sub-Saharan Africa: How Plausible Is This Theory of Change?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Harris ◽  
Judith Oduol ◽  
Karl Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Sub Saharan

The current paradigm of agricultural research and extension in support of rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is to disseminate improved technologies designed to increase the generally low crop yields per hectare on individual farms. Using data from a baseline survey (n = 7,539) from a large rural development programme implemented in five countries in SSA, we calculate the increases in yield per hectare required to significantly contribute to poverty alleviation for households managing such farms. We estimate the gap between current crop productivity and the productivity required to reach a poverty line of $1.90 per capita per day adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). We find this gap to be very large, both in percentage and absolute terms. Median additional gross crop productivity required to reach this poverty threshold was: $324/ha/year (254% increase) in Mali; $1,359/ha/year (1,157% increase) in Niger; $4,989/ha/year (665% increase) in Ethiopia; $1,742/ha/year (818% increase) in Burkina Faso; $2,893/ha/year (1,297% increase) in Kenya. The required additional productivity taking account of production costs including the opportunity cost of family labor would need to be even higher. Given that (a) values of net productivity of improved rainfed crop technologies reported in the literature rarely exceed $1,000/ha/year; and (b) the majority of arable farms in SSA are two hectares or less with increasing trends toward land fragmentation, we argue that closing the yield gap among smallholder farmers in SSA will never—alone—be sufficient to meaningfully alleviate the high levels of poverty and deprivation many currently experience.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document