Evaluating Sustainable Intensification of Groundnut Production in Northern Ghana Using the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework Approach

The sustainable intensification of crop production system requires the efficient use of resources. A 3-year on-farm experiment was conducted to determine the sustainability of plant density for groundnut production in Northern Ghana using the sustainable intensification assessment framework (SIAF). The SIAF allows the assessment of the sustainable intensification potential of the agricultural system in five domains: productivity, economics, environment, human, and social. The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design with six groundnut varieties (early maturity type: Chinese, Yenyewoso, and Samnut 23, and late maturity type: Azivivi, Mani pinta, and Samnut 22) as the horizontal plot factor and four plant densities (22, 15, 11, and 9 plant/m2) as the vertical plot factor. Using the SIAF as a guide, data on grain and fodder yield (productivity), net income and benefit cost ratio (economic), vegetative cover at 30, 40, and 50 days after planting and harvesting and biological nitrogen fixation (environment), calorie and protein production (human), and technology rating by gender (social) were recorded to calculate the sustainability indices of the treatments. The results showed that the sustainability indices for the Yenyewoso and Mani pinta groundnut varieties were above 1 in all the regions, indicating that both groundnut maturity types are sustainable for cultivation in the Northern regions of Ghana. Planting both groundnut maturity types at a density of 22 plant/m2 increased the sustainability index threefold compared with the farmer practice (9 plant/m2) and 79% compared with the 11 and 15 plant/m2. This suggests that planting groundnut at a density of 22 plant/m2 will sustainably intensify groundnut production in Northern Ghana and similar agro-ecologies across West Africa.

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Potential impact of groundnut production technology on welfare of smallholder farmers in Ghana

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0260877 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. e0260877

Author(s):

Bekele Hundie Kotu ◽

Abdul Rahman Nurudeen ◽

Francis Muthoni ◽

Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon ◽

Fred Kizito

Keyword(s):

Plant Density ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Planting Density ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Adoption Rate ◽

Potential Impact

This study was conducted to assess the potential impact of applying a new groundnut planting density on welfare of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. We used data from on-farm experiments, focus group discussions, and a household survey. We followed three steps in our analysis. First, we conducted cost-benefit analysis in which we showed the economic advantage of the new technology over the farmers’ practice. Second, we predicted adoption rates along timeline using the Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT). Third, using the results of the first and the second steps, we estimated the potential impact of the technology on poverty at household level using a combination of methods such as economic surplus model and econometric model. The cost-benefit analysis shows that increasing plant density increases farmers’ financial returns i.e., the benefit-cost-ratio increases from 1.05 under farmers’ practice to 1.87 under the best plant density option, which is 22 plants/sqm. The adoption prediction analysis shows that the maximum adoption rate for the best practice will be 62% which will take about nine years to reach. At the maximum adoption rate the incidence of extreme poverty will be reduced by about 3.6% if farmers have access to the international groundnut market and by about 2% if they do not have. The intervention will also reduce poverty gap and poverty severity. The results suggest that policy actions which can improve farmers’ access to the international market will enhance farmers’ welfare more than the situation in which farmers have access to domestic markets only. Furthermore, promoting a more integrated groundnut value-chain can broaden the demand base of the produce resulting in higher and sustainable impact of the technology on the welfare of groundnut producers and beyond.

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Economic optimum plant density of irrigated early-maturity soybean in southern Alberta

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.1139/cjps-2021-0026 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tram T.N. Thai ◽

Danny G. Le Roy ◽

Manjula S. Bandara ◽

James E. Thomas ◽

Francis J Larney

Keyword(s):

Plant Density ◽

Profit Maximization ◽

Seeding Density ◽

Early Maturity ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Southern Alberta ◽

Soybean Genotypes ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

The Difference ◽

Lower Plant

With soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed cost increasing in Alberta, understanding economic optimum plant density (EOPD) could help growers save on input expenses. A study was conducted at two irrigated locations in southern Alberta (Bow Island and Lethbridge), in three growing seasons (2014–16), using two maturity group (MG) 00 soybean genotypes, two row spacings (RS; narrow, 17.5 cm; wide, 35 cm), and three seeding densities (SD; 30, 50 and 80 seeds m-2). Exponential plant density-yield relationships were used to estimate EOPD. The earlier MG 00.4 genotype compensated yield at lower plant density (39 vs. 43 plants m-2) and emergence (74 vs. 80%) than the later MG 00.8 genotype. The EOPD gaps between environments, genotypes, and RS were minimal (from 1–3 plants m-2), resulting in only 1.3–2.0% differences in grain yield (37–56 kg ha-1), and gross revenue at EOPD ($16–24 ha-1). The overall EOPD estimate was 46 plants m-2, regardless of environment, genotype or RS. The study highlighted the difference between agronomic production and profit maximization in choosing an optimum plant density, and the need to establish a seeding density calculator for irrigated soybean in southern Alberta.

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Climate Smart Agriculture: A New Approach for Sustainable Intensification

Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology ◽

10.9734/cjast/2020/v39i2330862 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 138-147

Author(s):

Gayatri Sahu ◽

Pragyan Paramita Rout ◽

Suchismita Mohapatra ◽

Sai Parasar Das ◽

Poonam Preeti Pradhan

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Sustainable Intensification ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Agricultural System ◽

World Population ◽

Resource Degradation ◽

Security Challenge ◽

Smart Agriculture

World population is increasing day by day and at the same time agriculture is threatened due to natural resource degradation and climate change. A growing global population and changing diets are driving up the demand for food. The food security challenge will only become more difficult, as the world will need to produce about 70 percent more food by 2050 to feed an estimated 9 billion people. Production stability, agricultural productivity, income and food security is negatively affected by changing climate. Therefore, agriculture must change according to present situation for meeting the need of food security and also withstanding under changing climatic situation. Agriculture is a prominent source as well as a sink of greenhouse gases (GHGs). So, there is a need to modify agricultural practices in a sustainable way to overcome these problems. Developing climate smart agriculture is thus crucial to achieving future food security and climate change goals. It helps the agricultural system to resist damage and recover quickly by adaptation and mitigation strategies. Sustainable Intensification is an essential means of adapting to climate change, also resulting in lower emissions per unit of output. With its emphasis on improving risk management, information flows and local institutions to support adaptive capacity, CSA provides the foundations for incentivizing and enabling intensification. Since climate smart agriculture is defined along three pillars (productivity increases, building resilience and adapting, and GHG emission reduction), key concepts such as productivity, resilience, vulnerability and carbon sequestration provide indicators for future empirical measurements of the climate smart agriculture concept.

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Production Economics and Determinants of Carrot (Daucus carota L.) production in Chitwan, Nepal

International Journal of Social Sciences and Management ◽

10.3126/ijssm.v7i4.32473 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 234-241

Author(s):

Nabin Pandey ◽

Swodesh Rijal ◽

Himal Adhikari ◽

Binod Bhantana ◽

Madhusudhan Adhikhari

Keyword(s):

Daucus Carota ◽

Large Scale ◽

Household Head ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Proper Solution ◽

Gross Margin ◽

Microsoft Excel ◽

Physiological Disorder ◽

Daucus Carota L ◽

Use Of Resources

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an important agricultural commodity in the world. A study was conducted for comparative analysis of demographic, economics assessment, and determinants of carrot production between ward no. 11 and ward no. 15 of the Bharatpur metropolitan of Chitwan district. Altogether 80 carrot growers, 40 from ward no. 11 and 40 from ward no. 15 of Bharatpur metropolitan were randomly selected. Pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary information from randomly selected farmers. Carrot growers were interviewed using face to face method in November 2019. Moreover, Two Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and two Key Informant Interviews (KII) were performed. All the data were entered in Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Statistics 20) and Microsoft Excel (Ms-2013) and analysis was done by using Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and Stata. In the majority of respondents, Poultry manure cost (37.16%) occupied the major portion of the cost of production followed by seed cost (30.18%). The average gross margin per kattha for carrot production found NRs. 4726.62 and the Benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was 1.50. The probability of cultivation of carrot on large scale was found to be 31.12% higher for the male gender of household head and 27% higher for the schooling of the household head. Farmers use the Nepa Drim, F1 variety which incurred higher cost in the seed. Splitting (26.25%) was identified as the most critical problem followed by cracking (21.15%) in the cultivation of carrot. It is recommended that the farmers involved in carrot farming in the study sites should be provided with Subsidy on seed, proper solution of physiological disorder problems and proper technical knowledge for optimizing the use of resources would help to increase the profit of carrot production in the Chitwan district of Nepal. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 7, Issue-4: 234-241

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Effect of plant density on grain yield and yield stability of sorghum hybrids differing in maturity

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9900257 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 257 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

LJ Wade ◽

ACL Douglas

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Plant Density ◽

Maximum Yield ◽

Yield Stability ◽

Early Maturity ◽

Yield Level ◽

Wide Range ◽

Plant Densities ◽

The Stability ◽

Sorghum Grain

The extent and significance of the maturity x density interaction in dryland grain sorghum, and its implications for yield stability, were examined for 3 hybrids over 6 locations. Site mean grain yield ranged from 0.44 to 4.96 t/ha. Early maturity was superior in environments truncated by water stress, while late maturity was superior in favourable environments. Mid-season maturity provided greater stability of grain yield. Maximum yield by each hybrid at each yield level did not differ significantly from yield at a density of 75 000 plants/ha. The highest grain yields should be obtained with plant densities of 50000-100000 plants/ha under rainfed conditions, where yield expectations range from 0 to 5.0 t/ha. The results demonstrate the stability of sorghum grain yield over a wide range of plant density and crop maturity. Regression analysis aided data presentation and interpretation.

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Soil Amendments and Rotation Effects on Soybean and Maize Growths and Soil Chemical Changes in Northern Ghana

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2017/4270284 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. A. L. Kanton ◽

S. S. J. Buah ◽

A. Larbi ◽

A. M. Mohammed ◽

J. K. Bidzakin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Amendments ◽

Block Design ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

East Region ◽

Continuous Maize ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Phosphorus And Potassium ◽

Benefit Cost

A four-year field trial was conducted at Bonia in the Upper East Region of Ghana to evaluate soybean-maize rotation amendment systems. The treatments included soybean without amendment, inoculated soybean, inoculated soybean with fertisol, inoculated soybean with phosphorus and potassium (P, K), inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol, inoculated soybean with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, K), and continuous maize. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Inoculation negatively affected yields by 2% and 14% in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Soil amendments with P, K or N, P, K increased yields within 45–51%, fertisol increased by 95%, and integration of P, K and fertisol recorded 76% increment of inoculated soybean. Yields of maize increased by 1%, 20%, 25%, 43%, 44%, and 46% under inoculated soybean, inoculated soybean with N, P, K, inoculated soybean with P, K, inoculated soybean with fertisol, soybean without amendment, and inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol, respectively. Maize after inoculated soybean with fertisol and maize after inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol consistently scored higher benefit-cost ratio across the two years of experimentation. Thus, the two systems are conceivable for recommendation to the farmers in northern Ghana.

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Assessing the Economic and Energy Use Efficiencies of Direct Seeded and Transplanted Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Lamjung, Nepal

International Journal of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology ◽

10.3126/ijasbt.v4i2.14854 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 172-177

Author(s):

K. Thapa ◽

A. Shrestha ◽

M. P. Neupane ◽

L. P. Amgain

Keyword(s):

Oryza Sativa ◽

Energy Use ◽

Oryza Sativa L ◽

Block Design ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Energy Use Efficiency ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Input Ratio

To meet the basic food needs of expanding human population a productive sustainable agricultural system must become a major priority in Nepal. An on-farm study was conducted to investigate the economic and energy use efficiencies of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under direct seeded (DSR) and transplanted (TPR) conditions at Lamjung campus. Five varieties of rice differing in phenology and growth (viz. US382, Sukha dhan, NR10676, NR10490 and Khumal10) were tested in Randomized Complete Block Design under DSR and TPR conditions with three replications. The statistical resulted revealed that the average grain yield was highest for TPR-NR10490 (7.52t ha-1), whereas the lowest in DSR- NR10676 (1.96t ha-1). The output energy obtained from grain and biomass yield was highest under TPR-NR10490 (2.05x105MJ ha-1) followed by the lowest in DSR-NR10676 (7.35x104MJ ha-1). In TPR-NR10490 the most energy use efficiency (output-input ratio of 9.22) was obtained whereas in TPR-Sukha dhan, energy use efficiency (output-input ratio of 1.01) was least. Partial-factor productivity and nutrient uptake was highest in TPR-NR10490 and the lowest in DSR- NR10676. The maximum productivity and profitability was recorded in TPR-NR10490 while reverse in DSR-Sukha dhan. The benefit cost ratio was found highest in TPR- NR10490 (4.45) and lowest in DSR-Sukha dhan (2.31). From above result, NR10490 was found to be the best variety under transplanted condition.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(2): 172-177

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Performance of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan. L) Varieties under Different Spacings During Rabi Season

Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology ◽

10.9734/cjast/2020/v39i3130990 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 61-66

Author(s):

K. Indudha Reddy ◽

A. V. Ramanjaneyulu ◽

M. V. Nagesh Kumar ◽

C. V. Sameer Kumar ◽

M. Venkata Ramana

Keyword(s):

Seed Yield ◽

Plant Density ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Rabi Season ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

Pooled Data ◽

Net Returns ◽

Long Duration ◽

Plant Densities ◽

Benefit Cost

An experiment was conducted with the objective of ascertaining the feasibility of cultivation of pigeonpea during rabi season in the alfisols of Southern Telangana Zone. Further, it was designed to understand the performance of pigeonpea genotypes at various plant densities and also the economics of pigeonpea cultivation during rabi season. It consisted of 12 treatments with four plant densities in main plots and three genotypes in sub plots in split plot design. The pooled data of 2015-16 and 2016-17 revealed that significantly higher seed yield (1532 kg ha-1) was recorded at plant density of 60 cm × 10 cm spacing than at 45cm × 10cm (1332 kg/ha), 75 cm × 10 cm (1321 kg/ha) and 90 cm × 10 cm (1141 kg/ha). Among the genotypes, the seed yield in PRG-158 (1547 kg/ha) and Asha (ICPL 87119) (1591 kg/ha) was on par with each other but significantly higher than in PRG-176 (857 kg/ha). The higher gross returns (Rs. 77366 ha-1), net returns (Rs.46733 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.53) was recorded at plant density of 60 cm × 10 cm spacing than at other tested plant densities (45 cm × 10 cm, 75 cm × 10 cm and 90 cm × 10 cm). Among the genotypes, Asha (ICPL 87119) registered highest gross returns (Rs. 80346 ha-1), net returns (Rs.49711 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.62) followed by PRG-158 (gross returns of Rs. 78124ha-1, net returns of Rs.47489 ha-1 and benefit cost ratio of 2.55) and PRG-176 (gross returns of Rs. 43279ha-1, net returns of Rs.13144 ha-1 and benefit cost ratio of 1.44). Thus, the spacing of 60 cm × 10 cm is recommended for the cultivation of pigeonpea during rabi season in alfisols of Southern Telangana Zone with long duration varieties like PRG-158 and Asha (ICPL-87119).

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Finger Millet Production in Ethiopia: Opportunities, Problem Diagnosis, Key Challenges and Recommendations for Breeding

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132313463 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 13463

Author(s):

Adane Gebreyohannes ◽

Hussein Shimelis ◽

Mark Laing ◽

Isack Mathew ◽

Damaris A. Odeny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Finger Millet ◽

Construction Material ◽

Principal Component ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Local Market ◽

Potential Yield ◽

Early Maturity ◽

Future Production ◽

Improvement Programs ◽

Hand Weeding

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a highly nutritious crop, predominantly grown in the semi-arid tropics of the world. Finger millet has a niche market opportunity due to its human health benefits and being rich in calcium, iron and dietary fiber and gluten-free. Ethiopia is the center of the genetic diversity of the crop. However, the productivity of finger millet in the country is low (<2.4 tons ha−1) compared with its potential yield (6 tons ha−1). The yield gap in Ethiopia is due to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses and socio-economic constraints that are yet to be systemically documented and prioritized to guide future production and improved variety development and release. The objective of this study was to document finger millet production opportunities, constraints and farmer-preferred traits in Ethiopia as a guide to variety design in improvement programs. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was undertaken in six selected districts of the Southern Nation Nationalities People Region (SNNPR) and Oromia Region in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 240 and 180 participant farmers through a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion, respectively. Finger millet was the most important crop in the study areas grown mainly for a combination of uses, including for food, feed and cash (reported by 38.8% of respondent farmers), food and feed (14.5%), food and cash (13.7%), food (11.5%) and food, cash, feed and construction material (9.7%). Hand weeding was used by 59.2% of the respondent farmers, followed by hand weeding and chemical herbicides (40.8%). Finger millet was mainly planted as a sole crop (reported by 97.0% respondents), mixed (1.7%) and sole and mixed (1.3%). About 75.6% of respondent farmers only practiced finger millet rotation with other crops. Respondent farmers indicated their source of fresh seed was from the Bureau of Agriculture (49.1%), farmer-to-farmer seed exchange (22.1%), own saved seed (7.5%), local producers (7.5%), research institutions (5.8%), unknown sources (4.1%), local market (3.5%) and cooperatives (0.42%). The total cost of finger millet production per hectare was calculated at 1249 USD with a total income of 2139 USD/ha, making a benefit to cost ratio of 1.71:1.00 and indicating the relatively low yield gains using the currently grown varieties. The main constraints to finger millet production in the study areas were drought stress (reported by 41.3% respondents), lack of improved varieties (12.9%), lack of financial resources (11.3%), small land holdings (10.8%), limited access to seed (10.0%), a shortage of fertilizers (5.4%), poor soil fertility (4.6%), shortage of draught power (1.3%), labour shortages (1.3%) and high labour costs (1.3%). The most important farmer-preferred traits in a finger millet variety were high grain yield, compact head shape, ‘enjera’-making quality, high marketability and early maturity, resolved through principal component analysis. The above-mentioned production constraints and farmer-preferred traits are strategic drivers to enhance finger millet productivity and need to be incorporated into Ethiopia’s finger millet breeding and technology development.

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Identification of Opportunities for Applying the Circular Economy to Intensive Agriculture in Almería (South-East Spain)

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10101499 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1499 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

José A. Aznar-Sánchez ◽

Juan F. Velasco-Muñoz ◽

Daniel García-Arca ◽

Belén López-Felices

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Intensive Agriculture ◽

High Yield ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Transfer Of Knowledge ◽

Product Packaging ◽

Agriculture Sector ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

The Government

The use of intensive high-yield agricultural systems has proved to be a feasible alternative to traditional systems as they able to meet the objective of guaranteeing long-term sustainability in the supply of food. In order to implement these systems, it is necessary to replace the traditional model of “extract-use-consume-dispose” with a model based on the principles of the Circular Economy (CE), optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the generation of waste. Almería has become a paradigm of this type of high-yield agricultural system, with the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world. This study analyses the opportunities that the CE can offer the intensive agriculture sector in Almería in order to obtain long-term sustainability. The results show a wide variety of alternatives, both on an agricultural exploitation level and in the case of the product packaging and wholesale centers. The priority areas of action are waste management, the prevention of product waste and the improvement in the efficiency of the use of water and energy. The principal limitations for adopting circular practices are the large investment required, the limited transfer of knowledge between the different users and the lack of sufficient support from the government and the sector.

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