A Diagnostic Appraisal of Sorghum Farming in Striga Endemic Areas of Eritrea

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench), the most important cereal crop in Eritrea, is grown in more than 210,000 ha annually but its productivity is hampered by many factors including: farmer perception, lack of appropriate varieties, undeveloped seed systems, drought stress and Striga infestation. This study was aimed at understanding the sorghum smallholder livelihoods, farming systems, Striga incidence and infestation levels, and types of varieties grown in Striga infested sorghum growing areas. A semi structured questionnaire and focused group discussions were used to gather information from a total of 136 randomly selected farmers from three Striga endemic sub-regions of Eritrea namely, Hamelmalo, Goluj, and Tesseney. The results indicated that the most important cereal crops in the study area were sorghum, pear millet, ground nut and sesame. The most important constraint to sorghum production was identified as drought stress followed by Striga infestation. The majority of the respondents (81.6%) reported that their sorghum was affected by Striga and the level of infestation varied from mild (10%) to severe (70% and above). Small-holder farmers also indicated that high grain yield, drought tolerance/resistance and Striga resistance were their most important criteria when selecting sorghum varieties. Up to 31 different landraces were listed as the most popular in the study area. The dominant source of seed for cultivation was the local varieties retained by farmers from previous harvests. The information documented from this study may be used in future as a basis for a participatory farmer-oriented sorghum breeding program.

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Utilization and Processing of Sorghum by Small Holder Farmers in Drought Prone Agro-ecological Zones of Kenya

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal ◽

10.14738/assrj.710.8540 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 116-121

Author(s):

Abdiaziz Beinah ◽

Catherine Kunyanga ◽

Kahiu Ngugi

Keyword(s):

Market Access ◽

Household Survey ◽

Value Addition ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Key Informant ◽

Small Holder Farmers ◽

Sorghum Production ◽

Small Holder ◽

Survey Questionnaires

Sorghum is an under-utilized crop and one of the most important cereal crops in semi-arid tropics. In Kenya, sorghum is grown in the often drought prone marginal agricultural areas of Eastern, Nyanza and Coast regions where there are many biotic and abiotic constraints that reduce its productivity. The aim of the present study was to assess the current utilization and processing practices by small holder farmers. Makueni County, a representative of drought prone areas situated in agro-ecological zone was selected since sorghum is a widely cultivated crop and the region has organized formally registered farmer groups. Key informant interviews (20), household survey questionnaires (300) and focus group discussions (12) with the farmers were conducted to gather data on sorghum production, challenges in production consumption and utilization, processing technology and market access. Key informant interviews (20), household survey questionnaires (300) and focus group discussions (12) with the farmers were conducted to gather data on sorghum production, challenges in production consumption and utilization, processing technology and market access. The main uses of sorghum include: Stiff porridge (ugali) (37.6%), thin porridge (uji) (35.2%), fried dough (mandazi) (3.1%), flat bread (chapatti) (2.6%),githeri(sorghum mixed with legumes) (8.0%), sorghum cake (1.2%), beverage (sorghum tea) (0.8%) and animal feed (8.5%). The greatest challenges that hinders utilization and limits processing of sorghum and value addition were lack of markets (12.3%), low volumes of production due to low productivity (3.5%), lack of capital (4.6%), pest and diseases (38.2%), lack of farm equipment (24.6%) and lack of processing knowledge (16.8%). This work recommended that more farmers training on sorghum value addition be conducted to create awareness on sorghum products utilization and to link the products to the markets.

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Community seed network in an era of climate change: dynamics of maize diversity in Yucatán, Mexico

Agriculture and Human Values ◽

10.1007/s10460-021-10249-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marianna Fenzi ◽

Paul Rogé ◽

Angel Cruz-Estrada ◽

John Tuxill ◽

Devra Jarvis

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Seed Systems ◽

Farming Community ◽

Climate Resilience ◽

Maize Diversity ◽

Climatic Period ◽

Small Holder Farmers

AbstractLocal seed systems remain the fundamental source of seeds for many crops in developing countries. Climate resilience for small holder farmers continues to depend largely on locally available seeds of traditional crop varieties. High rainfall events can have as significant an impact on crop production as increased temperatures and drought. This article analyzes the dynamics of maize diversity over 3 years in a farming community of Yucatán state, Mexico, where elevated levels of precipitation forced farmers in 2012 to reduce maize diversity in their plots. We study how farmers maintained their agroecosystem resilience through seed networks, examining the drivers influencing maize diversity and seed provisioning in the year preceding and following the 2012 climatic disturbance (2011–2013). We found that, under these challenging circumstances, farmers focused their efforts on their most reliable landraces, disregarding hybrids. We show that farmers were able to recover and restore the diversity usually cultivated in the community in the year following the critical climate event. The maize dynamic assessed in this study demonstrates the importance of community level conservation of crop diversity. Understanding farmer management strategies of agrobiodiversity, especially during a challenging climatic period, is necessary to promote a more tailored response to climate change in traditional farming systems.

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298 Can phenomics contribute to improved livelihood and food security in South Africa?

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.052 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 29-29

Author(s):

Carina Visser ◽

Allan De Freitas ◽

Este Van Marle Koster ◽

Herman Myburgh

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Activity Level ◽

Mating Period ◽

Livestock Sector ◽

Small Holder Farmers ◽

Nutritional Needs ◽

Small Holder ◽

Insight Into ◽

Extension Support

Abstract In South Africa, there are almost 14 million cattle, which constitute 1.6 million dairy and 12.5 million beef cattle. Of the latter, approximately 53% are kept in commercial systems and the remaining 47% in informal systems. Phenotypic and pedigree recording of livestock faces constraints in terms of the extensive nature of the farming systems and the large informal livestock sector consisting of communal and small-holder farmers, which is characterized by a general lack of resources such as financial, infrastructural and extension support. Animal recording thus remains a challenge in both the commercial and informal agricultural sectors. This review will evaluate the use of precision phenotyping in the beef and dairy cattle industries of South Africa, and highlight the challenges, limitations and possible impact of the technology. Measuring objective, relevant phenotypes, such as activity level, temperature, and weight of an individual animal over time, could assist in detecting sickness before it exacerbates to the point of death. Weight measurement would be especially useful in the developing sector, where infrastructure is not available and could provide insight into the nutritional needs of the livestock, timing of the mating period, the possibility of disease or internal and external parasites. Measuring vital parameters and using them to predict various future occurrences would empower emerging farmers to optimize productivity by providing critical information to the farmer at any given time. Phenomics will provide new and emerging farmers the opportunity to participate in the agriculture economy, which will have a lasting effect of upliftment and empowerment and also contribute to the country’s agriculture output and its gross domestic product. Farmers will benefit from the use of automated technologies in terms of improved animal welfare and economic sustainability in resource-poor areas.

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Small-holder farmers' access and rights to land: the case of Njombé in the littoral region of Cameroon

Afrika Focus ◽

10.21825/af.v27i3.4905 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amos Gyau ◽

Awah Ngum Faith ◽

Divine Fondjem-Tita ◽

Nji Ajaga ◽

Deliah Catacutan

Keyword(s):

Land Tenure ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Tenure Security ◽

Littoral Region ◽

Key Informant ◽

Small Holder Farmers ◽

Small Holders ◽

Productive Land ◽

Small Holder

In Cameroon, agriculture constitutes the main livelihood for a large portion of the population. Against this background, land tenure security is of crucial importance for agricultural production and off-farm activities. This article aims to foster understanding of small-holder farmers’ access to land in the Njombé-Penja district of Cameroon. Data was collected using focus group discussions with small-holders, key informant interviews, eld observations and formal surveys. Results indicate that the current land tenure situation often limits small-holder farmers’ access to productive land. This often results in conflicts between various actors including plantation agriculture, rural elites and research institutions, and hence threatens small-holders’ security for food and livelihoods. We conclude that there is a need to revisit existing policies for land allocation to multinational companies in order to protect small-holder producers’ rights and security, and to harmonize the various tenure systems as a means to avoid competing claims among various actors. Key words: land tenure, small holder, rights, access

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Integrated management of Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica in sorghum: A review

Australian Journal of Crop Science ◽

10.21475/ajcs.20.14.01.p1749 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 36-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Mrema ◽

Hussein Shimelis ◽

Mark Laing ◽

Learnmore Mwadzingeni

Keyword(s):

Integrated Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Striga Hermonthica ◽

Management Options ◽

Potential Yield ◽

Striga Resistance ◽

Sorghum Breeding ◽

Sorghum Production ◽

Sorghum Genotypes ◽

Economic Constraints

Potential yield of sorghum [Sorghum biocolor (L.) Moench] in the semi-arid agro-ecologies of East Africa is curtailed by several biotic, abiotic and socio-economic constraints. Striga is one of the major biotic constraints that causes up to 90% yield losses in sorghum in the region. In these regions Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica, are widely distributed, and severely affecting sorghum production and productivity. Several Striga management strategies are available that can be integrated to synergistically combat the weed. The use of resistant sorghum genotypes that are compatible with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae (FOS), a biocontrol agent of Striga, together with host plant resistance could promote integrated Striga management (ISM). This strategy is yet to be explored in most SSA countries where sorghum serves as a staple food crop for millions of households. This review discusses the management options available to control S. hermonthica and S. asiatica in sorghum. Breeding sorghum for Striga resistance and compatibility to FOS are highlighted as key components of integrated Striga management.

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Involving small holder farmers in the agricultural land use planning process using Analytic Hierarchy Process in rice farming systems of Kilombero Valley, Tanzania

African Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.5897/ajar2018.13714 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 395-405 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H. J. Massawe Boniface ◽

K. Kaaya Abel ◽

K. Slater Brian

Keyword(s):

Land Use Planning ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Planning Process ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Rice Farming ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Kilombero Valley ◽

Small Holder Farmers ◽

Hierarchy Process ◽

Small Holder

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Agronomic performance and farmer preferences for biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties in Zimbabwe

10.4160/9789290605669 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Southern Africa ◽

The Other ◽

Agronomic Performance ◽

Local Varieties ◽

Sensory Acceptance ◽

Small Holder Farmers ◽

Set Up ◽

On Farm ◽

Small Holder

This report summarizes the findings of a study carried out to evaluate the agronomic performance and sensory acceptance by small holder farmers of six biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) varieties that were first introduced from CIP’s sweetpotato breeding hub for Southern Africa in Mozambique. The study was participatory and carried out under different agroecological environments in Zimbabwe. The six OFSP varieties, namely Alisha, Victoria, Delvia, Sumaia, Namanga and Irene were planted in the 2019/20 agricultural season along with two non-biofortified white-fleshed local varieties, namely Chingova and German II, at seven DR&SS research stations (Kadoma, Marondera, Harare, Henderson, Gwebi, Makoholi and Panmure) and 120 farmer managed on-farm trial sites in 12 LFSP districts of Bindura, Gokwe North, Gokwe South, Guruve, Kwekwe, Makoni, Mazowe, Mount Darwin, Mutasa, Mutare, Shurugwi and Zvimba. At all but one of the research stations, two trials were set up, one under irrigation and the other under rain-fed conditions. On-farm trials were established following the Mother-Baby Trial approach with 2 mother trials and 8 baby trials per district. In each of the districts, one mother trial was planted under irrigation while the other was rain-fed. All the baby trials were rain-fed.

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Rural Roads Are Paving the Way for Land-Use Intensification in the Uplands of Laos

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030330 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 330

Author(s):

Jean-Christophe Castella ◽

Sonnasack Phaipasith

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Management Practices ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Rural Roads ◽

External Resources ◽

Hybrid Maize ◽

The Impact

Road expansion has played a prominent role in the agrarian transition that marked the integration of swidden-based farming systems into the market economy in Southeast Asia. Rural roads deeply altered the landscape and livelihood structures by allowing the penetration of boom crops such as hybrid maize in remote territories. In this article, we investigate the impact of rural road developments on livelihoods in northern Laos through a longitudinal study conducted over a period of 15 years in a forest frontier. We studied adaptive management strategies of local stakeholders through the combination of individual surveys, focus group discussions, participatory mapping and remote-sensing approaches. The study revealed the short-term benefits of the maize feeder roads on poverty alleviation and rural development, but also the negative long-term effects on agroecosystem health and agricultural productivity related to unsustainable land use. Lessons learnt about the mechanisms of agricultural intensification helped understanding the constraints faced by external interventions promoting sustainable land management practices. When negotiated by local communities for their own interest, roads may provide livelihood-enhancing opportunities through access to external resources, rather than undermining them.

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