Your search found 12 records
1 Sepaskhah, A. R.; Ilampour, S. 1995. Effects of soil moisture stress on evapotranspiration partitioning. Agricultural Water Management, 28(4):311-323.
Soil moisture ; Evapotranspiration ; Cowpeas ; Evaporation ; Lysimetry ; Sprinkler irrigation ; Water balance / Iran
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H017776)
2 Asante, S. K. 2010. Empowering farming communities in northern Ghana with strategic innovations and productive resources in dryland farming. CPWF project no.6, completion report, produced in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research -Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Ghana (CSIR-SARI); Council for Scientific and Industrial Research -Water Research Institute, Ghana (CSIR-WRI); Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research, Accra Ghana (ISSER); International water Management Institute, Ghana Office, Accra (IWMI); International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India (ICRISAT) 90p. (CPWF Project Report 6)
Development projects ; Dry farming ; Water productivity ; Cassava ; Water use efficiency ; Cowpeas ; Sorghum ; Millets ; Maize ; Fishery production ; Water storage ; Water harvesting / Ghana / Volta Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044041)
(2.76 MB)
3 Otoo, Miriam; Ibro, G.; Fulton, J.; Lowenberg-Deboer, J. 2012. Micro-entrepreneurship in Niger: factors affecting the success of women street food vendors. Journal of African Business, 13(1):16-28. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2012.657937]
Gender ; Women ; Employment ; Female labor ; Urban areas ; Street foods ; Merchants ; Entrepreneurship ; Informal sector ; Income ; Market research ; Regression analysis ; Models ; Cowpeas / Niger / Niamey / Maradi / Zinder
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044858)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15228916.2012.657937
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044858.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044858.pdf
(0.46 MB) (467.56KB)
Micro-entrepreneurship in the informal sector plays a vital role in generating employment and income in West Africa. In this article, the authors examine business success factors for micro-entrepreneurs involved in the production and sale of street foods in Niger, drawing on the resource-based view theory. Business success was measured by size of firm and vendor’s perception of enterprise growth. Their results indicate that business experience is an important success factor, while the need for cash is a constraint for business success. A rare resource, limited access to financial assets translates into limited opportunities for growth of these informal micro-enterprises into viable businesses.
4 Thornton, P.; Cramer, L. (Eds.) 2012. Impacts of climate change on the agricultural and aquatic systems and natural resources within the CGIAR’s mandate. [Contributing authors include Vladimir Smakhtin of IWMI]. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). 199p. (CCAFS Working Paper No. 23)
Climate change ; Adaptation ; Food security ; Natural resources ; Water resources ; Water use ; Agricultural production ; Bananas ; Barley ; Beans ; Cassava ; Chickpeas ; Cowpeas ; Faba beans ; Fisheries ; Aquaculture ; Forage crops ; Groundnuts ; Lentils ; Livestock ; Maize ; Millet ; Potatoes ; Rice ; Sorghum ; Soybeans ; Wheat ; Yams ; Agroforestry
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 577.22 G000 THO Record No: H045156)
(9.78MB)
The document attempts to distil what is currently known about the likely impacts of climatechange on the commodities and natural resources that comprise the mandate of CGIAR and its 15 Centres. It was designed as one background document for a review carried out by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) at the behest of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on what is known about the likely effects of climate change on food security and nutrition, with a focus on the most affected and vulnerable regions and populations. A total of 25 summaries covering 22 agricultural commodities, agroforestry, forests and water resources, present information on the importance of each commodity for food and nutrition security globally, the biological vulnerability of the commodity or natural resource to climate change, and what is known about the likely socioeconomic vulnerability of populations dependent partially or wholly on the commodity or natural resource. With a few exceptions, the likely impacts of climate change on key staples and natural resources in developing countries in the coming decades are not understood in any great depth. There are many uncertainties as to how changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will interact in relation to agricultural productivity; the resultant changes in the incidence, intensity and spatial distribution of important weeds, pests and diseases are largely unknown; and the impacts of climate change and increases in climate variability on agricultural systems and natural-resource-dependent households, as well as on food security and the future vulnerability of already hungry people in the tropics and subtropics, are still largely a closed book. CGIAR along with many other partners is involved in a considerable amount of research activity to throw light on these issues.
5 Thornton, P.; Cramer, L. (Eds.) 2012. Impacts of climate change on the agricultural and aquatic systems and natural resources within the CGIAR’s mandate. [Contributing authors include Vladimir Smakhtin of IWMI]. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). 199p. (CCAFS Working Paper No. 23)
Climate change ; Adaptation ; Food security ; Natural resources ; Water resources ; Water use ; Agricultural production ; Bananas ; Barley ; Beans ; Cassava ; Chickpeas ; Cowpeas ; Faba beans ; Fisheries ; Aquaculture ; Forage crops ; Groundnuts ; Lentils ; Livestock ; Maize ; Millet ; Potatoes ; Rice ; Sorghum ; Soybeans ; Wheat ; Yams ; Agroforestry
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 577.22 G000 THO c2 Record No: H045997)
(9.78MB)
The document attempts to distil what is currently known about the likely impacts of climatechange on the commodities and natural resources that comprise the mandate of CGIAR and its 15 Centres. It was designed as one background document for a review carried out by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) at the behest of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on what is known about the likely effects of climate change on food security and nutrition, with a focus on the most affected and vulnerable regions and populations. A total of 25 summaries covering 22 agricultural commodities, agroforestry, forests and water resources, present information on the importance of each commodity for food and nutrition security globally, the biological vulnerability of the commodity or natural resource to climate change, and what is known about the likely socioeconomic vulnerability of populations dependent partially or wholly on the commodity or natural resource. With a few exceptions, the likely impacts of climate change on key staples and natural resources in developing countries in the coming decades are not understood in any great depth. There are many uncertainties as to how changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will interact in relation to agricultural productivity; the resultant changes in the incidence, intensity and spatial distribution of important weeds, pests and diseases are largely unknown; and the impacts of climate change and increases in climate variability on agricultural systems and natural-resource-dependent households, as well as on food security and the future vulnerability of already hungry people in the tropics and subtropics, are still largely a closed book. CGIAR along with many other partners is involved in a considerable amount of research activity to throw light on these issues.
6 Surendran, U.; Sandeep, O.; Joseph, E. J. 2016. The impacts of magnetic treatment of irrigation water on plant, water and soil characteristics. Agricultural Water Management, 178:21-29. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2016.08.016]
Irrigation water ; Wastewater treatment ; Magnetic water ; Saline water ; Magnetic field ; Experimentation ; Drip irrigation ; Soil moisture ; Electrical conductivity ; pH ; Total dissolved solids ; Plant growth ; Crop yield ; Cowpeas ; Brinjal / India / Kerala / Kozhikode
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047850)
(2.24 MB)
Magnetic treatment has remained a controversial process for antiscale treatment of industrial and domestic water treatment over the past many years. Hence a study was initiated to evaluate the magnetic treatment of irrigation water on growth and yield parameters of cow pea and brinjal using pot and field experiments. Also, the impact of magnetic treatment on water properties and soil moisture were also evaluated. Under pot experiment, the treatments tried are normal water, hard water 150 and 300 ppm, saline water 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm of both control and magnetic treated solutions, respectively. Two permanent magnets with the strength of 1800–2000 G was used. The results showed that magnetic treatment of irrigation water types led to an improvement in crop growth and yield parameters of cow pea. Magnetic treatments tend to reduce electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and salinity levels of all solutions except normal irrigation water, whereas a definite trend of increase in pH was noticed for all the treatments. Soil moisture study results showed that the differences in soil moisture for days 1–3 after irrigation with magnetized irrigation water were lesser than those for the control solutions. Irrigation with magnetized irrigation water caused higher soil moisture compared with the control for different solution of saline and hard water respectively. In the field experiment with brinjal also the magnetic treatment of normal and saline water improved the yield by 25.8 and 17.0% over control. Scanning electron microscope image analysis results confirmed that under magnetic treated hard water, there was variation in the crystal structure of calcium carbonate. The length of these crystals is more when compared to control solutions. These results indicated the beneficial effect of magnetically treated irrigation water on growth and yield of crops, the properties of water and confirmed the possibility of using low quality water for agriculture.
7 Walker, T. S.; Alwang, J. (Eds.) 2015. Crop improvement, adoption, and impact of improved varieties in food crops in Sub-Saharan Africa. Montpellier, France: CGIAR; Wallingford, UK: CABI. 450p.
Crop improvement ; Food crops ; Adoption ; Improved varieties ; Genetic improvement ; Performance evaluation ; Diffusion ; Agricultural research ; Research programmes ; Investment ; Technological changes ; Monitoring ; Impact assessment ; Rural poverty ; Food security ; Cassava ; Cowpeas ; Soybeans ; Yams ; Maize ; Rice ; Wheat ; Groundnuts ; Pearl millet ; Pigeon peas ; Sorghum ; Potatoes ; Sweet potatoes ; Barley ; Chickpeas ; Faba beans ; Lentils / Africa South of Sahara / West Africa / Central Africa / Southern Africa / East Africa / South Asia / Ethiopia / Eritrea / Sudan / Uganda / Rwanda / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 338.10967 G110 WAL Record No: H047766)
(6.30 MB) (6.30 MB)
8 Thierfelder, C.; Mhlanga, B. 2022. Short-term yield gains or long-term sustainability? – a synthesis of conservation agriculture long-term experiments in southern Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 326:107812. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107812]
Conservation agriculture ; Long-term experiments ; Sustainable intensification ; Climate-smart agriculture ; Cropping systems ; Intercropping ; Diversification ; Productivity ; Trends ; Soil fertility ; Maize ; Cowpeas ; Zero tillage ; Crop yield ; Smallholders ; Rain / Southern Africa / Malawi / Mozambique / Zambia / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050779)
(4.95 MB)
Southern Africa is likely to be heavily affected by a changing climate and the brunt will have to be shouldered by smallholder farmers in rural areas. Long-term experiments on climate-smart sustainable intensification practices offer the opportunity to evaluate and assess the potential impact of a more variable climate on crop productivity. Here, we used meta-analytic and meta-regression approaches to assess the response of different Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems across experiments as compared to conventional practices (CP) of varying experimental duration, established in trial locations of Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe under an increasingly variable climate. We assessed how different agro-environmental yield response moderators such as type of crop diversification and amount of rainfall affect maize yield responses. Smallholder farmers, often living below the poverty line, are primarily concerned about short-term gains from agriculture systems accepting loss in longer-term sustainability. We therefore aim to identify cropping systems that may provide both short-term gains and longer-term sustainability. Results show that: a) long-term trends in yield performance are a result of many factors; b) the greatest yield gains between the best performing CA and least performing treatments at each location ranged between + 34% and + 117%; c) the greatest yields were found in direct seeded rotation systems; d) type of crop diversification and type of crop used in the diversification strategy affect yield response, with rotations involving legumes being more responsive than any practice without diversification; e) CA systems gains increase with time of practice as compared to CP and these responses are more pronounced under low to moderate rainfall, and in well drained soils. We therefore conclude that crop yield response under CA is determined by many yield defining agro-environmental factors and benefits of CA become more apparent with time.
9 Mugiyo, H.; Chimonyo, V. G. P.; Kunz, R.; Sibanda, M.; Nhamo, L.; Masemola, C. R.; Modi, A. T.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Mapping the spatial distribution of underutilised crop species under climate change using the MaxEnt model: a case of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Climate Services, 28:100330. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2022.100330]
Crop production ; Underutilized species ; Spatial distribution ; Climate change adaptation ; Food security ; Nutrition security ; Sorghum ; Cowpeas ; Amaranthus ; Taro ; Machine learning ; Models ; Forecasting / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051487)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880722000486/pdfft?md5=6c4991c59d70a740431da7b2b337a330&pid=1-s2.0-S2405880722000486-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051487.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051487.pdf
(9.38 MB) (9.38 MB)
Knowing the spatial and temporal suitability of neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) is important for fitting them into marginal production areas and cropping systems under climate change. The current study used climate change scenarios to map the future distribution of selected NUS, namely, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), amaranth (Amaranthus) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. The future distribution of NUS was simulated using a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model using regional circulation models (RCMs) from the CORDEX archive, each driven by a different global circulation model (GCM), for the years 2030 to 2070. The study showed an increase of 0.1–11.8% under highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), and marginally suitable (S3) for sorghum, cowpea, and amaranth growing areas from 2030 to 2070 across all RCPs. In contrast, the total highly suitable area for taro production is projected to decrease by 0.3–9.78% across all RCPs. The jack-knife tests of the MaxEnt model performed efficiently, with areas under the curve being more significant than 0.8. The study identified annual precipitation, length of the growing period, and minimum and maximum temperature as variables contributing significantly to model predictions. The developed maps indicate possible changes in the future suitability of NUS within the KZN province. Understanding the future distribution of NUS is useful for developing transformative climate change adaptation strategies that consider future crop distribution. It is recommended to develop regionally differentiated climate-smart agriculture production guidelines matched to spatial and temporal variability in crop suitability.
10 Iyabano, A.; Klerkx, L.; Leeuwis, C. 2023. Why and how do farmers’ organizations get involved in the promotion of agroecological techniques? Insights from Burkina Faso. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 28p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2023.2164881]
Farmers organizations ; Organic agriculture ; Agroecology ; Sustainability ; Soil fertility ; Resilience ; Food systems ; Agroforestry ; Composts ; Crops ; Cereals ; Cowpeas ; Water conservation ; Villages ; Case studies / Burkina Faso / Sahel
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051624)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/21683565.2023.2164881?needAccess=true&role=button
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051624.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051624.pdf
(1.73 MB) (1.73 MB)
Agroecological techniques (AET) have been recognized by many farmers, NGOs, and farmers’ organizations (FOs) as a promising solution for slowing down the persistent soil fertility degradation in West African drylands. In the context of Burkina, the promotion of AET is the result of the interactions between NGOs and farmers’ knowledge through the intermediation of FOs. Although numerous studies have highlighted the instrumental role of FOs in the dissemination of AET in Burkina, there are limited studies focusing on the historical dynamic of FOs’ involvement in the promotion of agroecology. To address this gap, this study aims to answer the following questions: why and how do FOs get involved in the promotion of agroecological techniques, and how do they define the term agroecology or agroecological techniques? A multiple case study approach was used to provide the answer to these questions. The results from the case studies reveal that the FOs’ promotion of AET is largely connected to their aim of fulfilling one of the following three goals: enhancing the productivity of commercial crops; improving the resilience of subsistence farmers; enhancing both the productivity of commercial crops and the resilience of subsistence farmers. The quest to achieve these goals explained their constant interaction with external partners to get the necessary assistance for the provision of agroecological support services to their farmers. Furthermore, the results of the study also reveal that the Farmers’ Organizations’ definitions of agroecology or agroecological terms are mostly associated with the interpretation of agroecology as a collective practice encompassing both economic and ecological aspects of Burkinabè agriculture. A broader insight is that while FOs can fulfill important roles in agroecology transitions this comes with diverse interpretations of agroecology, in which FOs facilitate the hybridization of existing farmers ’practices with those proposed by external actors. The study hence shows the complexity related to the local actors’ definitions of agroecological terms and the broader implication is that in the debate on agroecology transitions, these blended or hybrid forms of agroecology should receive more attention. Areas for future research include drivers of FOs choice making processes in how they approach agroecology, and subsequently the influence of FOs on the drivers of farmers’ decisions toward AET.
11 Mbangi, A.; Nongqwenga, N.; Mabhaudhi, T. 2023. Calibration accuracy of requirement factor and sorption studies for fertilizer recommendation. Agrosystems, Geosciences and Environment, 6(3):e20401. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20401]
Fertilizer application ; Sorption isotherms ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Equilibration ; Plant growth ; Parameters ; Biomass ; Leaf area index ; Crop yield ; Soil solution ; Physicochemical properties ; Cowpeas ; Mustard ; Maize / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052103)
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20401
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052103.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052103.pdf
(0.20 MB) (209 KB)
The inconsistent and incoherent approaches by fertilizer recommendations to index crop response has prompted the search for alternative approaches. Some of the problems stem from the overlooking of fundamental soil properties that govern the soil solution, which is where plant roots absorb nutrients for growth. A comparison was made between two contrasting equilibration techniques to evaluate their precision in estimating crop response. Sorption isotherms for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) were compared to requirement factors. Phosphorus sorption isotherms were determined following the batch equilibration technique. Potassium was developed following equilibration with graded K levels. The requirement factors of both P and K were determined following a 6-week incubation with four different levels of fertilization. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), mustard (Brassica juncea), and maize (Zea mays) were used as test crops. The growth parameters measured included biomass (g), height (cm), and leaf area index. At harvest, yield (g pot-1) and uptake (mg pot-1) were also recorded. Linear correlation studies were carried out to evaluate the association between treatments and the growth parameters of the tested crops. Results showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) in maize growth parameters between the equilibration methods, despite the sorption isotherms estimating higher levels of P and K. The sorption isotherms for P and K were 1.7 and 9.8 times higher than their respective requirement factors. The crop response, although relatively similar in both methods, was weakly correlated with the sorption-estimated nutrient levels, indicating an overestimation of nutrients. Therefore, the requirement factors were deemed to be a more precise equilibration technique for estimating nutrient levels.
12 Mndzebele, B.; Ncube, B.; Fessehazion, M.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Modi, A. T. 2023. Assessment of the effects of NPK fertilizer on edible yield and agro-biological parameters in a cowpea–amaranth intercrop. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1210984. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1210984]
NPK fertilizers ; Cowpeas ; Amaranthus ; Intercropping ; Crop yield ; Cropping systems ; Yield losses ; Parameters ; Food security ; Nutrition security ; Biomass ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Phosphate fertilizers ; Potassium ; Land use / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052404)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1210984/pdf?isPublishedV2=False
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052404.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052404.pdf
(0.49 MB) (497 KB)
Introduction: Estimates indicate that food and nutritional demand in sub-Saharan African nutrient-poor soils will exceed the high population demand. Vegetables such as amaranth and cowpea are key in contributing to food and nutritional security. Fertilizers are used to mitigate low nutrient levels in soils. This study aimed to investigate the yield parameters of cowpea and amaranth vegetables.
Methods: The experiment was designed with a 2 × 4 factorial treatment structure in a completely randomized design, with intercropping and fertilizer level as treatment factors and with four replications.
Results and discussion: The biomass of amaranth and cowpea increased with increased fertilizer application up to the level of 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer. A measure of land utilization showed values greater than one. Crop comparison showed that cowpea was more aggressive, had higher actual yield loss, and was highly competitive compared to amaranth. More income could be obtained from intercropping. The research shows the benefits of fertilizer application in improving the biomass of amaranth and cowpea. Overall, the application of NPK fertilizer at levels up to 100%, based on the results of this study, resulted in higher biomass accumulation and improved intercropping indices.
Methods: The experiment was designed with a 2 × 4 factorial treatment structure in a completely randomized design, with intercropping and fertilizer level as treatment factors and with four replications.
Results and discussion: The biomass of amaranth and cowpea increased with increased fertilizer application up to the level of 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer. A measure of land utilization showed values greater than one. Crop comparison showed that cowpea was more aggressive, had higher actual yield loss, and was highly competitive compared to amaranth. More income could be obtained from intercropping. The research shows the benefits of fertilizer application in improving the biomass of amaranth and cowpea. Overall, the application of NPK fertilizer at levels up to 100%, based on the results of this study, resulted in higher biomass accumulation and improved intercropping indices.
Powered by DB/Text WebPublisher, from
