scholarly journals Socio-economic drivers of improved sweet potato varieties adoption among smallholder farmers in South-Kivu Province, DR Congo

2021 ◽  
pp. e00818
Author(s):  
Yannick Mugumaarhahama ◽  
Jean Mubalama Mondo ◽  
Marcellin Cuma Cokola ◽  
Serge Shakanye Ndjadi ◽  
Valence Bwana Mutwedu ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 1167-1177
Author(s):  
Charlotte J. Klapwijk ◽  
Marc Schut ◽  
Piet J. A. van Asten ◽  
Bernard Vanlauwe ◽  
Ken E. Giller ◽  
...  

AbstractLivestock play multiple roles for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Mixed crop-livestock systems are common in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo, but herd sizes are small and numbers of large livestock (i.e. cattle) have declined, due to high population density, recent conflicts and extreme poverty. Over half of the farmers keep cavies, a type of micro-livestock fitting the circumstances of smallholders and a valuable asset especially for the poorest households. To characterize cavy husbandry practices, detailed monthly on-farm data on cavy numbers, weights, herd dynamics and feeding practices were collected over 15 months and from households in two contrasting sites in South Kivu. Cavy herds contained on average 10 animals and strongly varied in size over time and between households. The main reasons for keeping cavies were meat consumption, especially for children, and the opportunity to generate petty cash. A large difference was observed in adult cavy live weights between the sites (an average of 0.6 and 1.0 kg per animal in Kabamba and Lurhala, respectively) and attributed to differences in cavy husbandry and genetics. In both sites, quantities of fresh fodder on offer were larger than fodder demand by 50–100%, but no correlation was found between amount of fodder on offer and cavy weight. Farmers faced several constraints to cavy production, including substantial declines in cavy herd size due to predation or theft and a lack of knowledge regarding breeding and feeding. Hence, the introduction of cages to limit mortality and fodder cultivation to improve feed quality were opportunities for improving cavy production. Overall, micro-livestock present a promising entry-point for development initiatives, also outside DR Congo, because of their potential to decrease poverty and improve human nutrition.


2020 ◽  
pp. 18-20
Author(s):  
Т.Э. Остонакулов ◽  
А.А. Шамсиев

В 2017–2019 годах изучены сортообразцы сладкого картофеля на староорошаемых лугово-сероземных почвах Зарафшанской долины. Цель исследований – комплексная оценка сортообразцов батата в условиях Зарафшанской долины по скороспелости, росту, развитию, интенсивному размножению, формированию урожая, компактности клубней в гнезде, продуктивности, урожайности и лежкости клубней и выделение из них перспективных, а также разработка приемов агротехнологии получения высоких урожаев для данных условий. Почвы опытного участка характеризуются благоприятными агрофизическими и водными свойствами и низким содержанием гумуса, нитратного азота, подвижного фосфора и содержанием обменного калия от низкого до среднего. Сравнивали 18 сортообразцов батата. Выделенные сортообразцы изучали при ширине междурядий 70 и 90 см со схемой 70×25 и 90×20 см по 1, 2 и 3 растения в гнезде. Для получения рассады сортообразцов батата брали по 40 клубней и высаживали 20–22 февраля в пленочной теплице при температуре 15–18 °C, заделывая их на глубину 3–5 см. Влажность почвы поддерживали на уровне 65–70%. Через 7–10 дней после высадки почки начинают прорастать, а через 43–48 дней формируется рассада высотой 12–15 см, готовая для высадки в поле. Высадка рассады, как и других рассадных культур (томата, перца, баклажана) – по схеме 70×20–25 см во второй-третьей декаде апреля. Уход включал в себя междурядную обработку (культивация), прополку, борьбу с сорняками, подкормку, поливы. Уборка урожая – в конце сентября-начале октября с помощью картофелекопателя. В результате исследований выделились сорта по скороспелости, дружности формирования ростков, ускоренному размножению, продуктивности, компактности клубней в гнезде и с высоким товарным урожаем – Сочакинур, Хар-Бей и Япон. Возделывание этих сортообразцов по схеме 70×25 и 90×20 см способствует получению товарного урожая высокого качества не менее 43–48 т/га. In 2017–2019, studies were conducted on the study of varieties of sweet potatoes on old-irrigated meadow-gray-earth soils of the Zarafshan valley. The purpose of the research is a comprehensive assessment of sweet potato varieties in the conditions of the Zarafshan valley in terms of early maturity, growth, development, intensive reproduction, yield formation, compactness of tubers in the nest, productivity, yield and keeping quality of tubers and the selection of promising ones, as well as the development of methods of agricultural technology for obtaining high yields for given conditions. The soil is characterized by favorable agrophysical and water properties and low content of humus, nitrate nitrogen, mobile phosphorus and a low-average content of exchange potassium. Eighteen sweet potato varieties were compared. The selected variety samples were studied with a row spacing of 70 and 90 cm with a scheme of 70×25 and 90×20 cm for 1, 2 and 3 seedlings in the nest. To obtain seedlings of sweet potato varieties, 40 tubers were taken and planted on February 20–22 in a film greenhouse at a temperature of 15–18 °C, seeding to a depth of 3–5 cm, the soil moisture was maintained at 65–70%. 7–10 days after planting, the buds began to germinate, and after 43–48 days, seedlings were formed with a height of 12–15 cm, which is ready for planting in the field. Planting seedlings in the field is carried out, as well as other seedlings (tomato, pepper, eggplant) according to the scheme 70x20–25 cm in the second or third decade of April. Growing includes inter-row processing (cultivation), weeding, weed control, top dressing, watering. Harvesting in late September, early October with a potato digger. As a result of the research, varieties were identified in terms of early maturity, sprout formation, accelerated reproduction, productivity, compactness of tubers in the nest and ensuring a high marketable yield – Sochakinur, Xar-Bey, and Japon. The cultivation of these varieties according to the scheme 70×25 and 90×20 cm contributes to the production of a commodity crop at 43–48 t/ha with good qualities.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Gao ◽  
Yaya Hu ◽  
Meikun Han ◽  
Junjie Xu ◽  
Xue Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Continuous cropping obstacles from sweet potato are widespread, which seriously reduce the yield and quality, cause certain economic losses. Bacteria of Rhizospheric soil are the richest and are associated with obstacles to continuous cropping. However, few studies on how continuous sweet potato cropping affects the rhizospheric soil bacterial community structure. In the study, Illumina Miseq method was used to explore rhizosphere soil bacterial community structure changes with different sweet potato varieties, and the correlation between soil characteristics and this bacterial community after continuous cropping, to provide theoretical guidance for prevention and treatment of sweet potatoes continuous cropping obstacles. Results: After continuous cropping two years, the results showed that (1) the dominant bacterial phlya in rhizospheric soils from both Xushu18 and Yizi138 were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The most dominant genus was Subgroup 6_norank. The relative abundance of rhizospheric soil bacteria of two sweet potato varieties changed significantly. (2) The richness and diversity indexes of bacteria in Xushu18 rhizospheric soil were higher than those from Yizi138 after continuous cropping. Moreover, the beneficial Lysobacter and Bacillus were more prevalent in Xushu18, but Yizi138 contained more harmful Gemmatimonadetes. (3) Soil pH decreased after continuous cropping, and redundancy analysis result indicated that soil pH was correlated significantly with bacterial community. Spearman’s rank correlations coefficients analysis demonstrated that pH was positively associated with Planctomycetes and Acidobacteria, but negatively associated with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.Conclusions: After continuous cropping, the bacterial community structure and physicochemical properties of sweet potato rhizospheric soil were unbalanced, and the changes from different sweet potato varieties were different. The contents of Lysobacter and Bacillus were higher in the sweet potato variety resistant to continuous cropping. It provides a basis for developing new microbial fertilizer for sweet potatoes to alleviate continuous cropping obstacle.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Gao ◽  
Yaya Hu ◽  
Meikun Han ◽  
Junjie Xu ◽  
Xue Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Continuous cropping obstacles from sweet potato are widespread, which seriously reduce the yield and quality, restrict the sustainable development of sweet potato industry. Bacteria are the most abundant in rhizospheric soil and have a certain relationship with continuous cropping obstacles. However, there are few reports on how continuous cropping affected the bacterial community structure in the rhizospheric soil of sweet potato. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technique was used to explore the changes of rhizospheric soil bacterial community structure of different sweet potato varieties, and the correlation between soil characteristics and this bacterial community after continuous cropping, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of sweet potato continuous cropping obstacles.Results: After two years of continuous cropping, the results showed that (1) the dominant bacteria phlya in rhizospheric soils from both Xushu18 and Yizi138 were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The most dominant genus was Subgroup 6_norank. Significant changes in the relative abundance of rhizospheric soil bacteria were observed for two sweet potato varieties. (2) Bacterial richness and diversity indexes of rhizospheric soil from Xushu18 were higher than those from Yizi138 after continuous cropping. Moreover, the beneficial Lysobacter and Bacillus were more prevalent in Xushu18, but Yizi138 contained more harmful Gemmatimonadetes. (3) Soil pH decreased after continuous cropping, and redundancy analysis showed that soil pH was significantly correlated with bacterial community. Spearman’s rank correlations coefficients analysis demonstrated that pH was positively correlated with Planctomycetes and Acidobacteria, and negatively correlated with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.Conclusions: After continuous cropping of sweet potato, the bacterial community structure and physicochemical properties in the rhizospheric soil were unbalanced, and the changes of different sweet potato varieties were different. The contents of Lysobacter and Bacillus were higher in the sweet potato variety resistant to continuous cropping. It provides a basis for the development of special microbial fertilizer for sweet potatoes to alleviate continuous cropping obstacle.


Author(s):  
Michael Ajanja Sakha ◽  
Joyce Jefwa ◽  
Joseph P. Gweyi-Onyango

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent a functionally important component of soil microbial community, being of particular significance for plant mineral nutrition in tropical agro ecosystems. The effects of AMF inoculation on growth and yield of two sweet potato varieties was studied during the short rains season of 2017/2018 in the Teaching and Research Farm of Agricultural Science and Technology Department, Kenyatta University. The experiment was laid down as 2x2 factorial design in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experimental factors were two sweet potato varieties (Kemb-10 and Bungoma) and AMF inoculum (With and without inoculation). Data on growth parameters was collected on vine length and number of branches, while data on yield was collected on marketable storage roots and shoot biomass. Data was analyzed using Genstat 15th edition and the results showed that there was significantly difference at P≤0.05 among the treatments. AMF inoculation increased growth and yield of sweet potatoes by vine length 29.74%, Number of branches 22.36%, marketable storage roots 18.32%, and shoot biomass 28.68% in week 20. Also, variety interacting with AMF inoculation enhanced growth and yield parameters. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the application of commercial AMF inoculum solely or when interacting with varieties enhanced growth and yield of sweet potatoes, though there was no significant difference between the two varieties.


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