scholarly journals Beekeeping management practices and gap analysis of beekeepers at different agro-ecological zones of Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 260-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godifey Guesh ◽  
Bezabeh Amssalu ◽  
Mazengia Hailu ◽  
Tesfay Yayneshet
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Tigray Region ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

IMPLEMENTATION OF PERMANENT RAISED BEDS CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASED CROP YIELD AND PROFITABILITY IN THE NORTHEASTERN TIGRAY REGION, ETHIOPIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 807-817
Author(s):  
AMANUEL A. GEBRU ◽  
TESFAY ARAYA ◽  
TSEGAY WOLDE-GEORGIS ◽  
JAN NYSSEN ◽  
FRÉDÉRIC BAUDRON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Marginal Rate ◽  
Economic Productivity ◽  
Tigray Region

SUMMARYA major problem faced by small-scale farmers in northern Ethiopia is reduced crop yield due to increasing soil degradation resulting from repeated tillage and inadequate agronomic management practices. These practices have left soils and rainfed crops susceptible to hazardous climatic events such as droughts. Sustainable farm practices such as minimum tillage and surface residue retention have been shown to improve soil health and crop productivity. The objectives of this field study were thus to evaluate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on crop yield and economic productivity over 6 years in the eastern Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Using a barley–wheat rotation from 2010 to 2016, the applied treatments were (i) permanent raised beds (PRB); (2) semi-permanent raised beds (SPB) and (3) conventional tillage (CT). Average barley and wheat biomass and grain yields in PRB and SPB treatments were consistently greater than yields under CT each year. In addition, the highest marginal rate of return was obtained in PRB and SPB compared to CT in all years (2010–2016). These results suggest that the CA practices of PRB and SPB can improve crop yield and profit compared to CT practices in the Tigray region.

A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF MAIZE THROUGH STRIGA HERMONTHICA CONTROL IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Y. KAMARA ◽  
J. ELLIS-JONES ◽  
P. AMAZA ◽  
L. O. OMOIGUI ◽  
J. HELSEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Trap Crops ◽  
Maize Varieties ◽  
New Varieties ◽  
Farmer Groups ◽  
Local Farmers ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

SUMMARYStriga hermonthica is a parasitic weed that attacks maize, sorghum and other staple cereal crops and has long been considered one of the greatest biotic constraints to cereal production in Africa. Use of resistant or tolerant maize varieties, a maize–legume rotation using trap crops that stimulate suicidal germination of Striga and the application of nitrogen fertilizer are all effective in reducing infestation and damage. This paper reports on the use of a participatory research and extension approach in assessing the performance and scaling-up of integrated Striga control packages in three agro-ecological zones in Borno State, Nigeria. The participatory process which encourages close interaction between research, extension and farmers, involved 30 local communities and 228 farmers representing 193 farmer groups in identifying their own problems and seeking solutions to them. Results showed not only effective Striga control but productivity increases of over 200%. The involvement of local farmers and groups in the evaluation process, firstly, helped to confirm that Striga control can best be achieved using soyabean followed by Striga-resistant maize together with productivity-increasing management practices and, secondly, promoted farmer-to-farmer extension. A participatory adoption assessment exercise indicated widespread adoption of new varieties and management practices, despite the need for increased labour. Great potential exists to scale out the results to similar areas of Guinea and Sudan savannas in the West Africa region.

scholarly journals Productivity, nutrient balance, and economics of monsoon rice under different nutrient management practices in two agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-40
Author(s):  
M.A.H.S. Jahan ◽  
Akbar Hossain ◽  
Jagadish Timsina ◽  
M.A.R. Sarkar ◽  
M. Salim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Nutrient Balance ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
Benefit Cost ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

Abstract Inherently poor soil fertility and non-adoption of fertilizer recommendations based on soil test and yield targets by farmers limit the productivity and profitability from monsoon rice in Bangladesh and much of South Asia. In the Level Barind Tract (LBT; AEZ-25) and the High Ganges River Floodplain (HGR; AEZ-11) agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Bangladesh, monsoon (aman/kharif) season transplanted rainfed rice (known as T. aman rice) is grown in large areas after maize, wheat and/or mungbeans, with residues of each crop removed from the field after grain harvest. This results in lower grain yield and lower profits in these AEZs as compared with other AEZs. Nutrient management, based on soil test, yield targets, or integrated use of inorganics and organics for each AEZ together with retention of crop residue, has the potential to increase rice yield, reduce production cost and increase income. With this hypothesis, this study was conducted to determine the optimum nutrient management practices for achieving higher yield, maintaining apparent soil nutrient balance, and obtaining high profits from monsoon rice. Twelve nutrient management options were evaluated, of which the first six were: (i) 80-16-44-12-2 kg ha-1 of N, P, K, S, Zn respectively for a high yield goal (T1; ‘HYG’); (ii) 56-12-32-8- 1.5 kg ha-1 respectively for a medium yield goal (T2; ‘MYG’); (iii) 65-13-32-9-2 kg ha-1 respectively plus 5 t ha-1 cowdung as integrated plant nutrient management system (T3, ‘IPNS’); (iv) 67-14-41-9-2 kg ha-1 respectively as a soil test-based fertilizer management strategy (T4; ‘STB’); (v) 40-9-11-0-0 kg ha-1 respectively as per farmers’ practice (T5; ‘FP’) and (vi) 0-0-0-0-0 kg ha-1 as a control (T6; ‘CON’). The remaining six treatments were the same as above but each also included the crop residue incorporation (CRI), i.e., (vii) T7, ‘HYG+CRI’; (viii) T8, ‘MYG+CRI’; (ix) T9, ‘IPNS+CRI’; (x) T10, ‘STB+CRI’; (xi) T11 ‘FP’+CRI’; and (xii) T12, ‘CON+CRI’. In both AEZs, STB plus CRI resulted in the highest rice yield (p≤0.05) followed by ‘STB’ and ‘IPNS+CRI’. In comparison with ‘FP’ and ‘CON’, each without CRI, balances were positive (p≤0.05) for P, S, Zn and B but were negative for N and K in ‘HYG’, ‘MYG’, ‘IPNS’ and ‘STB’ with or without CRI. In both AEZS, STB nutrient management had the highest (p≤0.05) net returns (526 & 487 US$ ha-1, respectively), highest benefit cost ratio (BCR; 3.54 & 3.36) and highest marginal benefit cost ratio (MBCR; 10.47 & 10.19). These were followed by STB+CRI’ and ‘IPNS’, while they were lowest (p≤0.05) for CON and FP. We recommend that nutrient application, based on soil test with incorporation of mungbean residue, followed by IPNS, could be the best strategies for achieving high yield, improving soil fertility and for fetching a higher profit from monsoon rice in Bangladesh and similar soils and growing environments of South Asia.

scholarly journals Soil Fertility Level and Cropping Practices Determining Soybean Yield in Northern East and Center of Benin

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
F. O. Chabi ◽  
G. D. Dagbenonbakin ◽  
C. E. Agbangba ◽  
B. Oussou ◽  
G. L. Amadji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Yield Variability ◽  
Soil Fertility Management ◽  
Soybean Yield ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Fertility Management ◽  
Cropping Practices ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

Soybean is a food security crop in Benin due to its high nutritional value but its yield in the farmers’ cropping system is very low. The present study aims to provide appropriate response to the yield variability among fields in two agro-ecological zones of Benin namely: Southern Borgou zone (AEZ 3 in the north) and cotton zone of central Benin (AEZ 5). Soil samples were collected from 0-20 cm depth in 120 fields (50 in the AEZ 3 and 70 in the AEZ 5). pH (water), soil organic carbon (Walkley and Black method), total nitrogen (Kjeldahl method), CEC (0.01 N ammonium acetate at pH 7 method) and available phosphorus (Bray 1) were determined in the laboratory of Soil Science Water and Environment (LSSEE) of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin (INRAB). Cropping system (crop rotations, soil fertility management practices) were also collected using an open ended questionnaire. Classification and regression trees (CARTs) models were used for data analyses. Soybean yield variability among the agro-ecological zones were registered and the highest yield recorded was less than 1 t.ha-1. Considering soil characteristics, soil organic matter level was the most important variable determining yield variability. Furthermore, quantities of P applied and farmyard manure were cropping practices inducing yield variability (86.4% and 15% of the variability respectively). Our results also show that, yield differences noticed among the agro-ecological zones were induced by CEC and pH (water). The study suggested promotion of integrated soil fertility management practices to sustain soybean yield in the study area.

scholarly journals Towards Understanding Variability in Droughts in Response to Extreme Climate Conditions over the Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6910
Author(s):  
Adil Dilawar ◽  
Baozhang Chen ◽  
Arfan Arshad ◽  
Lifeng Guo ◽  
Muhammad Irfan Ehsan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Precipitation Extremes ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Climate Extreme ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

Here, we provided a comprehensive analysis of long-term drought and climate extreme patterns in the agro ecological zones (AEZs) of Pakistan during 1980–2019. Drought trends were investigated using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at various timescales (SPEI-1, SPEI-3, SPEI-6, and SPEI-12). The results showed that droughts (seasonal and annual) were more persistent and severe in the southern, southwestern, southeastern, and central parts of the region. Drought exacerbated with slopes of −0.02, −0.07, −0.08, −0.01, and −0.02 per year. Drought prevailed in all AEZs in the spring season. The majority of AEZs in Pakistan’s southern, middle, and southwestern regions had experienced substantial warming. The mean annual temperature minimum (Tmin) increased faster than the mean annual temperature maximum (Tmax) in all zones. Precipitation decreased in the southern, northern, central, and southwestern parts of the region. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a robust increase in temperature extremes with a variance of 76% and a decrease in precipitation extremes with a variance of 91% in the region. Temperature and precipitation extremes indices had a strong Pearson correlation with drought events. Higher temperatures resulted in extreme drought (dry conditions), while higher precipitation levels resulted in wetting conditions (no drought) in different AEZs. In most AEZs, drought occurrences were more responsive to precipitation. The current findings are helpful for climate mitigation strategies and specific zonal efforts are needed to alleviate the environmental and societal impacts of drought.

Stock and stability of organic carbon in soils under major agro-ecological zones and cropping systems of sub-tropical India

2021 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 107317
Author(s):  
Nirmalendu Basak ◽  
Biswapati Mandal ◽  
Ashim Datta ◽  
Manik Chandra Kundu ◽  
Arvind Kumar Rai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

scholarly journals Implications of food-for-work programs for consumption and production diversity: Evidence from the Tigray Region of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethelhem Legesse Debela ◽  
Gerald E. Shively ◽  
Stein T. Holden
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Transfer Programs ◽  
Crop Choice ◽  
Tigray Region ◽  
Food Variety ◽  
Production Diversity

AbstractFood-based transfer programs have the potential to change diets or alter basic crop mixes. This study empirically investigates the associations between participating in food-for-work (FFW) programs and the diversity of food consumption and production. Four waves of panel data from the Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia, covering the period 2001–2010, are used to estimate a series of panel data regressions. A dose-response model is used to measure how the intensity of FFW participation aligns with dietary outcomes. Results show that FFW participants had greater household dietary diversity compared with non-participants, with an average magnitude equivalent to one-fifth of a standard deviation in the food variety score. When items directly provided by the FFW program are excluded from the variety score, the overall effect is statistically weaker, but similar in sign and magnitude, suggesting modest “crowding in” of dietary diversity from FFW participation. FFW participation was not correlated with changes in production diversity, suggesting that the labor demands of the program did not alter crop choice. Findings have relevance for interventions that aim to improve food security and promote dietary quality in low-income populations.

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