https://hdl.handle.net/10568/133 Sun, 18 Jun 2023 12:09:32 GMT 2023-06-18T12:09:32Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99430 Introductory guidelines to participatory rangeland management in pastoral areas Flintan, Fiona E.; Cullis, A. Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99430 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75245 Crop residue allocation to livestock feed, soil improvement and other uses along a productivity gradient in Eastern Africa Duncan, Alan J.; Bachewe, Fantu; Mekonnen, Kindu; Valbuena, Diego; Rachier, Gideon O.; Lule, D.; Bahta, Mesfin; Erenstein, Olaf Crop residues are a key livelihood resource in smallholder mixed crop-livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. With expansion of arable land and resultant decline in grazing resources, crop residues are becoming an increasingly important component of livestock feeds. This demand for livestock feeds has implications for the long-term sustainability of such systems since failure to return biomass to soils has implications for soil quality and the capacity of soils to support long-term productivity. Biomass allocation patterns are likely to vary with overall level of productivity and hence availability. In this study we used a household survey to quantify crop residue allocation patterns across a gradient of productivity in Eastern Africa focusing on two sites in Ethiopia and one in Kenya. We assessed the underlying determinants of crop residue allocation patterns with a view to understanding how productivity increases through intensification will influence biomass allocation in Eastern Africa and how livelihood and natural resource management objectives could be optimized. Results showed that farmers strongly favour allocation of residues to livestock feeding but that allocation to soil increases along the productivity gradient. This reduced feeding to livestock and increased allocation to soil fertility is associated with smaller farm sizes leading to reduced animal traction needs for tillage, increased overall livestock productivity, increased use of inputs and a reduced reliance on farm-based activities in overall livelihood strategies. The implications of these trends are that productivity increases in smallholder systems are likely to reduce pressure on biomass in the long term and that measures that enhance the prospects for farmers to intensify their production systems are likely to increase soil health and sustainability objectives in general. A key conclusion of the work is that intensification of livestock production could reduce crop residue allocation to soils with long term implications for soil productivity. Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75245 2016-07-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/68491 Participatory analysis of vulnerability to drought in three agro-pastoral communities in the West African Sahel Ayantunde, Augustine A.; Turner, M.D.; Kalilou, A. Drought is one of the major climatic hazards impacting on the various sectors including crop and livestock in the West African Sahel. Pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the region are regularly affected by drought, with vulnerability differing with gender, age, wealth status (access to cropland and livestock endowment), geographic location, social networks, and previous exposure to drought. Effective interventions require regular monitoring of vulnerability to drought, for which various quantitative and qualitative approaches exist. Qualitative assessments of vulnerability rely on participatory approaches with emphasis on involvement of the local communities in the analysis of their vulnerability to climate-induced stresses. In this study, we used a participatory approach to assess the vulnerability of three agro-pastoral communities in Niger to drought. The specific objective of this study was to assess the strength and limitation of a participatory vulnerability approach using a case study. According to the respondents in all the study sites, the incidence of drought has become more frequent in the last three decades compared to previous decades (before 1970). The impacts of drought on livelihoods according to the participants included food shortage, famine, forced sale of livestock to buy grain, decimation of livestock herds, and massive exploitation of woody plant species. The main weakness of participatory vulnerability assessments is the scalability of findings, as they are often location-specific. Therefore, participatory assessment should be complemented with more rigorous quantitative approaches to enhance applicability of the results to other locations with similar contexts. Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/68491 2015-12-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/33437 Assessing the potential of dual-purpose maize in southern Africa: A multi-level approach Homann-Kee Tui, Sabine; Blümmel, Michael; Valbuena, Diego; Chirima, A.; Masikati, Patricia; Rooyen, Andre F. van; Kassie, Girma T. This paper explores the potential and challenges of increasing production of food and feed on existing maize fields in mixed crop-livestock systems in the semi-arid areas of southern Africa. It integrates results from different sources of data and analysis: 1. Spatial stratification using secondary data for GIS layers: Maize mega-environments combined with recommendation domains for dual-purpose maize were constructed for Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, stratifying the countries by demand factors (livestock densities and human population densities) and feed availability. Relative biomass contributions to feed resources from rangelands were compared to those from croplands to explore the usefulness of global datasets for feed supply estimations. 2. Verification through farming systems analysis: the potential demand for maize residues as feed (maize cropping patterns, maize yields and uses, feed deficits) was compared at contrasting sites, based on household survey data collected on 480 households in 2010. 3. Maize cultivar analysis: Genotypic variability of maize cultivars was compared to evaluate the potential contribution (stover quantity and quality) of dual-purpose maize to reduce feed deficits. The study results illustrate high spatial variability in the demand for and supply of maize residues. Northern Malawi is characterized by high livestock density, high human population density and high feed availability. Farmers achieve maize yields of more than 2 t/ha resulting in surplus of residues. Although livestock is important, southwest Zimbabwe has low livestock densities, low human populations and low feed availability; farming systems are more integrated and farmers make greater use of maize residues to address feed shortages. Central Mozambique also has low cattle densities, low human populations and low feed availability. More rangelands are available but maize yields are very low and livestock face severe feed shortages. The investigation of 14 advanced CIMMYT maize landraces cultivars and 15 advanced hybrids revealed significant variations in grain and stover yield and fodder quality traits. Where livestock densities are high and alternative feed resources are insufficient, maize cultivars with superior residue yield and fodder quality can have substantial impact on livestock productivity. Cultivars at the higher end of the quality range can provide sufficient energy for providing livestock maintenance requirements and support about 200 g of live weight gain daily. Maize cultivars can be targeted according to primary constraints of demand domains for either stover quantity or stover fodder quality and the paper proposes an approach for this based on voluntary feed intake estimates for maize stover. Sun, 01 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/33437 2013-09-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16872 A model to evaluate the sustainability of mixed crop-livestock systems Hendriks, C. Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16872 2011-04-27T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16871 Crop residue tradeoffs in crop-livestock systems—Improving livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: Regional case studies Gerard, Bruno G. Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16871 2011-04-27T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16700 Biomass pressures in mixed farms: Implications for livelihoods and ecosystems services in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa Valbuena, Diego; Erenstein, Olaf; Homann-Kee Tui, Sabine; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Duncan, Alan J.; Gerard, Bruno G.; Teufel, Nils Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16700 2012-03-26T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16674 Conservation agriculture in mixed crop-livestock systems: Scoping crop residue trade-offs in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia Valbuena, Diego; Erenstein, Olaf; Homann-Kee Tui, Sabine; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Claessens, Lieven; Duncan, Alan J.; Gerard, Bruno G.; Rufino, Mariana C.; Teufel, Nils; Rooyen, Andre F. van; Wijk, Mark T. van Conservation Agriculture (CA) is being advocated to enhance soil health and sustain long term crop productivity in the developing world. One of CA's key principles is the maintenance of soil cover often by retaining a proportion of crop residues on the field as mulch. Yet smallholder crop–livestock systems across Africa and Asia face trade-offs among various options for crop residue use. Knowledge of the potential trade-offs of leaving more residues as mulch is only partial and the objective of this research is to address some of these knowledge gaps by assessing the trade-offs in contrasting settings with mixed crop–livestock systems. The paper draws from village surveys in 12 sites in 9 different countries across Sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia. Sites were clustered into 3 groups along the combined population and livestock density gradients to assess current crop residue management practices and explore potential challenges to adopting mulching practices in different circumstances. Results show that although high-density sites face higher potential pressure on resources on an area basis, biomass production tends to be more substantial in these sites covering demands for livestock feed and allowing part of the residues to be used as mulch. In medium-density sites, although population and livestock densities are relatively lower, biomass is scarce and pressure on land and feed are high, increasing the pressure on crop residues and their opportunity cost as mulch. In low-density areas, population and livestock densities are relatively low and communal feed and fuel resources exist, resulting in lower potential pressure on residues on an area basis. Yet, biomass production is low and farmers largely rely on crop residues to feed livestock during the long dry season, implying substantial opportunity costs to their use as mulch. Despite its potential benefit for smallholder farmers across the density gradient, the introduction of CA-based mulching practices appears potentially easier in sites where biomass production is high enough to fulfil existing demands for feed and fuel. In sites with relatively high feed and fuel pressure, the eventual introduction of CA needs complementary research and development efforts to increase biomass production and/or develop alternative sources to alleviate the opportunity costs of leaving some crop residues as mulch. Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10568/16674 2012-06-01T00:00:00Z