Your search found 4 records
1 Tsiboe, F.; Zereyesus, Y. A.; Osei, E. 2016. Non-farm work, food poverty, and nutrient availability in northern Ghana. Journal of Rural Studies, 47(Part A):97-107. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.07.027]
Off farm employment ; Food security ; Nutrient availability ; Households ; Food consumption ; Poverty ; Gender ; Women's participation ; Labor ; Socioeconomic environment ; Econometric models ; Indicators / Northern Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047702)
(0.53 MB)
Despite the significant economic development in Ghana, northern Ghana has made little progress. Nationally, households engaged in the non-farm work are less likely to be categorized as poor, relative to those engaged in farming only. Given the well-established positive nexus between non-farm work and food security, this study extends the literature by analyzing the nexus between different types of non-farm work (own business, wage employment, and their combination) and household food nutrient availability in northern Ghana. Results from an application of a linear regression with endogenous treatment effects model to a sample of 3488 farming households and 5770 individuals indicate that, non-farm work positively affects food nutrient availability; and that farming households that own non-farm business are superior in terms of their nutrient availability and the extent of food security. Furthermore, households participating in the labor market in search of supplemental income do not appear to have better food security status relative to those engaged in farming only. Finally, females participating in non-farm work provide the largest contribution to household food nutrient availability. The study recommends the implementation of policies and building of infrastructure that foster the creation of non-farm income generating opportunities in northern Ghana, coupled with a framework that enables women to take advantage of these opportunities.
2 Dile, Y. T.; Karlberg, L.; Daggupati, P.; Srinivasan, R.; Wiberg, D.; Rockstrom, J. 2016. Assessing the implications of water harvesting intensification on upstream–downstream ecosystem services: a case study in the Lake Tana basin. Science of The Total Environment, 542:22-35. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.065]
Water harvesting ; Water requirements ; Water quality ; Water use ; Intensification ; Stream flow ; Upstream ; Downstream ; Ecosystem services ; Crop yield ; Supplemental irrigation ; Irrigation water ; Sediment ; Sustainable agriculture ; Intensification ; Ecology ; Decision support systems ; Ponds ; Watersheds ; Soils ; Assessment ; Nutrient availability ; Onions ; Food security ; Food production ; Economic aspects ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Africa South of Sahara / Lake Tana Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047928)
Water harvesting systems have improved productivity in various regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, they can help retain water in landscapes, build resilience against droughts and dry spells, and thereby contribute to sustainable agricultural intensification. However, there is no strong empirical evidence that shows the effects of intensification of water harvesting on upstream–downstream social–ecological systems at a landscape scale. In this paper we develop a decision support system (DSS) for locating and sizing water harvesting ponds in a hydrological model, which enables assessments of water harvesting intensification on upstream–downstream ecosystem services in meso-scale watersheds. The DSS was used with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for a case-study area located in the Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia. We found that supplementary irrigation in combination with nutrient application increased simulated teff (Eragrostis tef, staple crop in Ethiopia) production up to three times, compared to the current practice. Moreover, after supplemental irrigation of teff, the excess water was used for dry season onion production of 7.66 t/ha (median). Water harvesting, therefore, can play an important role in increasing local- to regional-scale food security through increased and more stable food production and generation of extra income from the sale of cash crops. The annual total irrigation water consumption was ~ 4%–30% of the annual water yield from the entire watershed. In general, water harvesting resulted in a reduction in peak flows and an increase in low flows. Water harvesting substantially reduced sediment yield leaving the watershed. The beneficiaries of water harvesting ponds may benefit from increases in agricultural production. The downstream social–ecological systems may benefit from reduced food prices, reduced flooding damages, and reduced sediment influxes, as well as enhancements in low flows and water quality. The benefits of water harvesting warrant economic feasibility studies and detailed analyses of its ecological impacts.
3 Belay, S. A.; Assefa, T. T.; Prasad, P. V. V.; Schmitter, Petra; Worqlul, A. W.; Steenhuis, T. S.; Reyes, M. R.; Tilahun, S. A. 2020. The response of water and nutrient dynamics and of crop yield to conservation agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands. Sustainability, 12(15):5989. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155989]
Conservation agriculture ; Water use ; Nutrient availability ; Crop yield ; Highlands ; Supplemental irrigation ; Conventional tillage ; Irrigation water ; Water management ; Crop management ; Pepper ; Growth period ; Fertilizers ; Phosphorus ; Nitrogen ; Leachates ; Rain ; Runoff ; Evapotranspiration / Ethiopia / Dengeshita
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049873)
(2.48 MB) (2.48 MB)
Smallholder agriculture constitutes the main source of livelihood for the Ethiopian rural community. However, soil degradation and uneven distribution of rainfall have threatened agriculture at present. This study is aimed at investigating the impacts of conservation agriculture on irrigation water use, nutrient availability in the root zone, and crop yield under supplementary irrigation. In this study, conservation agriculture (CA), which includes minimum soil disturbance, grass mulch cover, and crop rotation, was practiced and compared with conventional tillage (CT). We used two years’ (2018 and 2019) experimental data under paired-t design in the production of a local variety green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The results showed that CA practices significantly (a = 0.05) reduced irrigation water use (13% to 29%) and runoff (29% to 51%) while it increased percolated water in the root zone (27% to 50%) when compared with CT practices under the supplementary irrigation phase. In addition, CA significantly decreased NO3-N in the leachate (14% to 44%) and in the runoff (about 100%), while PO4-P significantly decreased in the leachate (33% to 50%) and in the runoff (16%) when compared with CT. Similarly, CA decreased the NO3-N load in the leachate and in the runoff, while the PO4-P load increased in the leachate but decreased in the runoff. The yield return that was achieved under CA treatment was 30% higher in 2018 and 10% higher in 2019 when compared with the CT. This research improves our understanding of water and nutrient dynamics in green pepper grown under CA and CT. Use of CA provides opportunities to optimize water use by decreasing irrigation water requirements and optimize nutrient use by decreasing nutrient losses through the runoff and leaching.
4 Sanogo, K.; Birhanu, B. Z.; Sanogo, S.; Ba, A. 2023. Landscape pattern analysis using GIS and remote sensing to diagnose soil erosion and nutrient availability in two agroecological zones of southern Mali. Agriculture and Food Security, 12:4. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00408-6]
Landscape ; Soil erosion ; Nutrient availability ; Soil fertility ; Agroecological zones ; Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation ; Models ; Geographical information systems ; Remote sensing ; Land use change ; Land cover change ; Soil conservation ; Water conservation ; Farmland / Mali / Bougouni / Koutiala
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051834)
https://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s40066-023-00408-6.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051834.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051834.pdf
(2.82 MB) (2.82 MB)
Background: Soil is a basic natural resource for the existence of life on earth, and its health is a major concern for rural livelihoods. Poor soil health is directly associated with reduced agricultural land productivity in many sub-Saharan countries, such as Mali. Agricultural land is subjected to immense degradation and the loss of important soil nutrients due to soil erosion. The objective of the study was to diagnose the spatial distribution of soil erosion and soil nutrient variations under different land use in two agroecological zones of Southern Mali using the Geographical Information System (GIS) software, the empirically derived relationship of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, in-situ soil data measurement and satellite products. The soil erosion effect on agricultural land productivity was discussed to highlight the usefulness of soil and water conservation practices in Southern Mali.
Results: The results of the land use and land cover change analysis from 2015 to 2019 revealed significant area reductions in water bodies, bare land, and savanna woodland for the benefit of increased natural vegetation and agricultural land. There was significant variation in the annual soil loss under the different land use conditions. Despite recordings of the lowest soil erosion rates in the majority of the landscape (71%) as a result of field-based soil and water conservation practices, the highest rates of erosion were seen in agricultural fields, resulting in a reduction in agricultural land area and a loss of nutrients that are useful for plant growth. Spatial nutrient modelling and mapping revealed a high deficiency and significant variations (p < 0.05) in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and carbon (C) in all land use and land cover types for the two agroecologies.
Conclusions: The study highlighted the inadequacies of existing field-based soil and water conservation practices to reduce soil erosion and improve landscape management practices. The findings of the study can inform land management planners and other development actors to strategize and prioritize landscape-based intervention practices and protect catchment areas from severe erosion for the enhanced productivity of agricultural fields.
Results: The results of the land use and land cover change analysis from 2015 to 2019 revealed significant area reductions in water bodies, bare land, and savanna woodland for the benefit of increased natural vegetation and agricultural land. There was significant variation in the annual soil loss under the different land use conditions. Despite recordings of the lowest soil erosion rates in the majority of the landscape (71%) as a result of field-based soil and water conservation practices, the highest rates of erosion were seen in agricultural fields, resulting in a reduction in agricultural land area and a loss of nutrients that are useful for plant growth. Spatial nutrient modelling and mapping revealed a high deficiency and significant variations (p < 0.05) in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and carbon (C) in all land use and land cover types for the two agroecologies.
Conclusions: The study highlighted the inadequacies of existing field-based soil and water conservation practices to reduce soil erosion and improve landscape management practices. The findings of the study can inform land management planners and other development actors to strategize and prioritize landscape-based intervention practices and protect catchment areas from severe erosion for the enhanced productivity of agricultural fields.
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