scholarly journals Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Uganda: A Case Study of the Lango Subregion

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Kaweesa ◽  
Saidi Mkomwa ◽  
Willibald Loiskandl

Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on three principles: minimum soil disturbance, maintaining a soil cover through mulching with crop residues or planting cover crops, and practicing crop rotations. CA is practiced in many parts of the world for its benefits to soil and ability to improve yields, among others. There is little documented information on the status of CA adoption in the Lango region in mid-Northern Uganda. This study aimed at determining the extent of CA adoption in relation to the socioeconomic status of the farming population and suggesting relevant strategies for accelerating CA uptake specific to this region. A non-discriminative snowball-sampling technique was used to gather data from 417 households spread over three districts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using household questionnaires. Farmers’ uptake of CA was related to information gained from training and the benefits that were observed in their fields. Some farm-level constraints in the region included the diminutive ratio of shared tools and equipment; the minimum presence and involvement of extension services; and seasonal rural markets that are dominated by middlemen. The impact that was attributed to the use of CA at the household level was improved yields. The strategy that was used to spread CA information to farmers also played a key role in increasing CA uptake in the region. This information is important for increasing CA adoption in this context given the socioeconomic status of the region.

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1732
Author(s):  
Yves Theoneste Murindangabo ◽  
Marek Kopecký ◽  
Petr Konvalina

Conservation agriculture (CA) is described as a farming system that is founded around three principles: minimum soil disturbance (reduced or no tillage), keeping a permanent soil cover (with crop residues, cover crops or both) and plant species diversification (plant associations and sequences). Little to no information has been documented about conservation agriculture adoption in developing countries, such as Rwanda, with especially no information about its hilly and climate-varying part to which the Gicumbi district belongs. This study is targeted towards ascertaining the level of CA adoption in the Gicumbi district in relation to the socioeconomic status of the farming population, to suggest the relevant strategies for accelerating CA adoption specific to this region. The sampling technique used was a non-discriminative, snowball-sampling one, eventually gathering data from 500 households in three sectors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using household questionnaires. Adoption of CA was related to the knowledge acquired during training and hands-on work on demonstration plots. Some farm-level constraints found were little to no material, few extension services and market problems. The impacts attributed to the use of CA were soil and productivity improvement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rosa Linde ◽  
Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of congenital brain abnormalities. Its consequences to pregnancies has made governments, national and international agencies issue advices and recommendations to women. There is a clear need to investigate how the Zika outbreak affects the decisions that women take concerning their lives and the life of their families, as well as how women are psychologically and emotionally dealing with the outbreak. We conducted a qualitative study to address the impact of the Zika epidemic on the family life of women living in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the US, who were affected by it to shed light on the social repercussions of Zika. Women were recruited through the snowball sampling technique and data was collected through semi-structured interviews. We describe the effects in mental health and the coping strategies that women use to deal with the Zika epidemic. Zika is taking a heavy toll on women’s emotional well-being. They are coping with feelings of fear, helplessness, and uncertainty by taking drastic precautions to avoid infection that affect all areas of their lives. Coping strategies pose obstacles in professional life, lead to social isolation, including from family and partner, and threaten the emotional and physical well-being of women. Our findings suggest that the impacts of the Zika epidemic on women may be universal and global. Zika infection is a silent and heavy burden on women’s shoulders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (19) ◽  
pp. 270
Author(s):  
Caio Flávio Stettiner ◽  
Ednício Oliveira Lima ◽  
Eliane Pires Giavina Bianchi

Based on theoretical models, such as those proposed in the studies of McClelland and Spencer and Spencer over the last forty years, this study identifies entrepreneurs’ perception of the impact of the required skills of a job applicant in startups. It uses the snowball sampling technique and direct observation in incubators and accelerators to conduct a qualitative analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the founders and managers of different impact ventures. From the analysis and discussion of this research, some of the skills required in startups are empathy, principles, ethical values, and other attributes of human nature. This study will be of practical value to job seekers, recruiters, and scholars as it suggests the skills that are required in the high-impact market, helping to develop better recruitment and training programs to their business.


Author(s):  
Rifat Un Nisa ◽  
Tauseef A. Bhat ◽  
Tahir A. Sheikh ◽  
Owais Ali Wani ◽  
M. Anwar Bhat ◽  
...  

Agriculture conservation practices such as minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil covering by crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations leads to higher farm productivity. Although conservation agriculture has been adopted in India since its inception, it has now been successfully used in Indo Gangetic Plains irrigated rice-wheat cropping systems and has recently been made known in parts of central India. In conservation agricultural system, cover crops play an important role in weed control, but their adoption level is still limited Changes in tillage practices, planting schemes, and other management techniques can change the soil environment and trigger a significant change in weed flora In intense tillage operations early season weed control could be obtained by turning the soil, which disrupts the germination of weed seeds and the growth of seedlings through burial. In addition, soil-administered herbicides that do not need to be manifested can have less persistence and efficacy in the presence of plant residues that can hinder and bind the chemical before it reaches the soil surface. Selective herbicide compounds that are effective on weed species and not on a specific crop, conferring non-selective herbicide tolerance on a crop may be enormously effectual for potent weed control.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Ramesh ◽  
S.C. Negi ◽  
S.S. Rana

Continuous use of conventional farming practices with conventional tillage and burning crop residues has degraded the soil resource base and intensified soil degradation with concomitant decrease in crop production capacity. Further, escalating fuel, fertilizers and other input costs; necessitates the effective use of resources in agriculture. Conservation agriculture (CA) consists of four principles: (i) minimizing mechanical soil disturbance and seeding directly into untilled soil, (ii) using cover crops and/or crop residues (mainly residue retention), (iii) diversification of crops in associations, sequences and rotations and (iv) controlled traffic that lessen soil compaction. The CA technologies involving no- or minimum-tillage with direct seeding and bed planting, residue management and crop diversification have potential for improving productivity and soil quality, mainly by soil organic matter build-up. Conservation agriculture systems appear to be appealing options to achieve sustainable and intensive crop production under different agroecological environments because they use available resources efficiently and maintain soil fertility. However, there is a need for wider scale testing of these new technologies under diverse production systems, as the CA technologies are site specific and therefore appraisal of CA is important to have significant adoption.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Guesh Assefa ◽  
Meresa Weleslasie

Conservation agriculture (CA) technologies involve minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover through crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations for achieving higher productivity. Today tillage is seen destroying activity that leads to decline in organic matter and destruction of soil structure. Hence, the objective of this study was then to improve soil moisture and structure through minimizing soil disturbance which can be explained by the obtained yield response of sorghum. The research was undertaken at twenty one (21) interested farmers’ piece of land (10 m x 10 m) at Tanqua Abergelle Wereda in specific sites called Sheka Tekli and Agbe tabias’, it was successful only at thirteen (13) farmer’s land at Sheka Tekli. The conservation farming practices such as basin was prepared two weeks earlier from its sowing date. Grain yield and farmers perception on each practice of conservation agriculture were collected and subjected to simple descriptive statistics. Accordingly, the grain yields obtained from tied-ridger and basin technologies were 1.6 t/ha and 1.31 t/ha, respectively. However, conventional tillage revealed the lowest grain yield of sorghum. Farmers have shown great interest and promise to adopt tie ridger than basin due to lower yield. Therefore technology promotions and popularization on the study and similar agro ecological areas should be carried out in collaboration with stakeholders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 254-259
Author(s):  
Enoch Rabotata ◽  
◽  
Jabulani Makhubele ◽  
Themba Baloyi ◽  
Prudence Mafa ◽  
...  

Migration and xenophobia are realities that cannot be ignored globally. Recently, there has been a plethora of xenophobic attacks as a result of structural and socio-economic conditions in South Africa. This paper aimed to establish the impact of xenophobic attacks on the livelihoods of migrants in selected provinces of South Africa. Researchers opted for a qualitative study using a case study design. Participants were drawn from the population in Limpopo, North-West and Mpumalanga Province. A snowball sampling technique was used to sample seven migrants from Zimbabwe, India, and Ethiopia using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically. The study revealed that most migrants who reside in the rural areas of South Africa seldom experience xenophobic attacks, and therefore their livelihoods are not always negatively affected. The study concluded that displacement, deportation, and loss of income due to xenophobic attacks are experiences of undocumented migrants in the cities and not in the rural areas. This study also makes recommendations that migration management policies be implemented fully in the rural areas because this is where undocumented migrants find comfort.


Author(s):  
Aoife Girvan ◽  
Graeme Mitchell

Abstract The agricultural sector is important to Northern Ireland (NI) as it accounts for almost 10% of all jobs and 75% of all land usage. Despite a reduction in fatalities in other sectors, the number of fatalities in the agricultural sector in NI has remained stubbornly consistent. This research looked to use qualitative data to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and factors that influence health and safety measures and controls. Using a snowball sampling technique, a number of semi structure interviews were undertaken with participants to explore these areas. The findings of these semi-structured interviews identified six key themes: the importance of health and safety; the impact of poor health and safety; different generational attitudes; fear; time management and finance. This revealed that although participants feel they have some level of knowledge around health and safety, they felt this was lacking. However, a lack of knowledge did not mean they were unaware of the importance of health and safety and its potential impacts, although they perceived that farmers of a different generation to themselves were more at risk. Participants also indicated they were willing to make value judgements, where the need for action and cost of health and safety outweighs the importance implementing appropriate measures and control. Therefore, despite understanding the importance of health and safety, until the cost benefit equation is rebalanced for farmers in NI they still face significant risks to their health and safety.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-74
Author(s):  
Fonteh Athanasius Amungwa

This paper examines the impact of community education and challenges facing Centres for Education and Community Action as a rural development strategy in Cameroon. The study was conducted in the North-West Region of Cameroon, employing field observations, semi-structured interviews with key informants using a convenient sampling technique and through elaborate review of documents. These research instruments were blended into what is termed triangulation and the data collected was analysed descriptively. The main focus of qualitative analysis is to understand the ways in which people act and the accounts that people give for their actions. This paper posits that extreme dependence on the provision of Western formal education cannot solve the problems of a rapidly changing society like Cameroon, which is facing a long-term economic crisis and persistent unemployment issues of graduates. Consequently, education should be redefined in the context of the prevailing economic crisis to make it responsive to the aspirations of rural communities. Findings showed that community education had contributed towards rural development immensely but has suffered many challenges due to neglect of the field in the policy agenda. This paper recommends the integration of community education with formal education to facilitate group and community betterment in particular and rural transformation in general.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
M. Munir Syam AR ◽  
Djoko Nestri Kwartatmono

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi faktor yang mendorong petani garam untuk menjual garam pasca panen/pungut secara langsung atau tidak langsung dan menganalisis dampak penerapan strategi tersebut terhadap tingkat kesejahteraan petani garam. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Desa Karanganyar, Kec. Kalianget, Kab. Sumenep. Objek dalam penelitian ini difokuskan pada produk garam. Teknik sampling yang digunakan adalah snowball sampling dengan informan yang berasal dari petani garam dari desa Karanganyar. Data diperoleh melalui observasi, dokumentasi dan indepth interview secara langsung kepada informan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat empat faktor yang mempengaruhi petani garam dalam menerapkan strategi penjualan langsung atau tidak langsung yaitu harga garam, kebutuhan, kuantitas hasil produksi, dan gudang penyimpanan. Ketika harga garam mahal maka petani garam akan menggunakan strategi penjualan langsung. sebaliknya, ketika harga turun petani kecil tidak memiliki pilihan strategi selain menjual langsung tetapi petani dengan  skala besar lebih fleksibel.Kata Kunci: Garam, Kesejahteraan, Strategi AbstractThis study aims to explore the drivinf factors of salt farmers to sell salt directly or indirectly and analyze the impact of implementing this strategy on the welfare level of salt farmers. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach. This research was conducted in Karanganyar Village, Kalianget, Sumenep district.. The object of this study is focused on salt products. The sampling technique used snowball sampling with informants who came from salt farmers from Karanganyar village. Data obtained through observation, documentation and in-depth interviews with informants. The results of this study indicate that there are four factors that influence salt farmers in implementing direct or indirect sales strategies, namely the price of salt, needs, quantity of production, and warehouse. When the price of salt is high, salt farmers will use a direct selling strategy. otherwise when prices fall small farmers have no choice of strategy other than selling directly but large scale farmers are more flexible.Keywords: Salt, Welfare, Strategy


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