Small-scale farming accounts for 78% of total agricultural production in Kenya and contributes to 23.5% of the country’s GDP. Their crop production activities are mostly rainfed subsistence with any surplus being sol...Small-scale farming accounts for 78% of total agricultural production in Kenya and contributes to 23.5% of the country’s GDP. Their crop production activities are mostly rainfed subsistence with any surplus being sold to bring in some income. Timely decisions on farm practices such as farm preparation and planting are critical determinants of the seasonal outcomes. In Kenya, most small-scale farmers have no reliable source of information that would help them make timely and accurate decisions. County governments have extension officers who are mandated with giving farmers advisory services to farmers but they are not able to reach most farmers due to facilitation constraints. The mode and format of sharing information is also critical since it’s important to ensure that it’s timely, well-understood and usable. This study sought to assess access to geospatial derived and other crop production information by farmers in four selected counties of Kenya. Specific objectives were to determine the profile of small-scale farmers in terms of age, education and farm size;to determine the type of information that is made available to them by County and Sub-County extension officers including the format and mode of provision;and to determine if the information provided was useful in terms of accuracy, timeliness and adequacy. The results indicated that over 80% of the farmers were over 35 years of age and over 56% were male. Majority had attained primary education (34%) or secondary education (29%) and most farmers in all the counties grew maize (71%). Notably, fellow farmers were a source of information (71%) with the frequency of sharing information being mostly seasonal (37%) and when information was available (43%). Over 66% of interviewed farmers indicating that they faced challenges while using provided information. The results from the study are insightful and helpful in determining effective ways of providing farmers with useful information to ensure maximum benefits.展开更多
This study is development of the coffee value chain in small scale of farmers on highland in the upper northern region of Thailand with case study of Pamieng community,Muangpan District,Lampang Province,Thailand.The o...This study is development of the coffee value chain in small scale of farmers on highland in the upper northern region of Thailand with case study of Pamieng community,Muangpan District,Lampang Province,Thailand.The objective is the use of the value chain model for the value added of product(coffee).The results from objective to conduct in the value chain of Pamiang’s coffee bring economic benefits and community based environmental benefits and also show the cost and return of coffee production in the value chain of Pamieng’s coffee which found that the farmers have a way to reduce costs in order to increase returns.The most coffee growing is on highland,therefore it is very important to take care of the entire value chain to deliver the highest value to society and customers.展开更多
A study on community soil fertility management concepts and practices was conducted through rapid and participatory method of research in 15 villages of the Gourma region in Eastern part of Burkina Faso. These investi...A study on community soil fertility management concepts and practices was conducted through rapid and participatory method of research in 15 villages of the Gourma region in Eastern part of Burkina Faso. These investigations aimed at determining farmers＇ knowledge on soil resources： local soil taxonomy and indicators of soil degradation, soil fertility management practices, and capacity for adoption of new technologies in soil fertility management. The results of the study showed that the main parameter for soil classification for all the investigated villages was soil texture composition; soil degradation was evaluated according to crops yield decrease and the development Striga sp. in 100% of the investigated villages; the use of organic manure and long term fellow were the main practices for soil fertility management; concerning the villages where modem technologies of soil fertility management were introduced, the lack of tools and capacity building were the main limiting factors of the adoption of these improved practices at small scale farmers＇ level. Even if discordance between scientific and local soil taxonomy were revealed by our investigations; significant similarities between indigenous and scientific indices of soil degradation were noticed. With regard to the actual magnitude of soil degradation; the local techniques of soil fertility management need to be improved and accessible to a big number of farmers.展开更多
This paper researches the behavior of using soil testing formula fertilizer at farms of different sizes.The study develops a probit model based on peasant household survey data from 11 grain production areas.The resul...This paper researches the behavior of using soil testing formula fertilizer at farms of different sizes.The study develops a probit model based on peasant household survey data from 11 grain production areas.The results prove that：First,obvious differences exist in the distribution of formula fertilizer use ratio among farms of different sizes;large-scale farmers are the highest,small-scale farmers are the lowest.Second,from external factors,the increased yield of corn,soil testing services,and information dissemination,it is clear that training has a significant positive effect on farmers’use behavior;the influence of soil testing services is the greatest.Third the higher the degree of organization,marketization and scale of a farm,the more likely the farmer is to use soil testing formula fertilizer.Policy recommendations are made on the basis of the empirical research presented in this paper.展开更多
Biochar has potentials for soil fertility improvement, climate change mitigation and environmental reclamation, and charred biomass can be deliberately incorporated into soil for long-term carbon stabilization and soi...Biochar has potentials for soil fertility improvement, climate change mitigation and environmental reclamation, and charred biomass can be deliberately incorporated into soil for long-term carbon stabilization and soil amendment. Many different methods have been used for biochar production ranging from laboratory to industrial scales. However, in countryside of developing countries, biomass is generally used for cooking but not charred. Biochar production techniques at farmer scale have remained poorly developed. We developed and tested biochar production kilns for farmers with a dimension of 50.8 cm × 38.1 cm （height × diameter）, using three different setups for optimizing oxygen （02） limitation and syngas circulation： airtight with no syngas circulation （Model I）, semi-airtight with external syngas circulation （Model II） and semi-airtight with internal syngas circulation （Model III）. A comparative assessment of these biochar production kiln models was made considering biochar pyrolysis time, fuel to biomass ratio, biochar to feedstock ratio and thermogravimetric index （TGI）. Among the models, the best quality biochar （TGI ---- 0.15） was obtained from Model I kiln taking the longest time for pyrolysis （12.5 h） and the highest amount of fuel wood （1.22 kg kg-1 biomass）. Model III kiln produced comparatively good quality biochar （TGI = 0.11）, but with less fuel wood requirement （0.33 kg kg-1 biomass） and shorter pyrolysis time （8.5 h）. We also tested Model III kiln in a three times larger size under two situations （steel kiln and pit kiln）. The biochar to feedstock ratio （0.38） and quality （TGI =0.14） increased slightly for the larger kilns. Quality of biochar was found to be mainly related to pyrolysis time. The costs for the biochar stove and pit kiln were US$ 65-77, while it was US$ 154 for the large size steel kiln. Model III kiln can potentially be used for both cooking and biochar production at farmer scale.展开更多
文摘Small-scale farming accounts for 78% of total agricultural production in Kenya and contributes to 23.5% of the country’s GDP. Their crop production activities are mostly rainfed subsistence with any surplus being sold to bring in some income. Timely decisions on farm practices such as farm preparation and planting are critical determinants of the seasonal outcomes. In Kenya, most small-scale farmers have no reliable source of information that would help them make timely and accurate decisions. County governments have extension officers who are mandated with giving farmers advisory services to farmers but they are not able to reach most farmers due to facilitation constraints. The mode and format of sharing information is also critical since it’s important to ensure that it’s timely, well-understood and usable. This study sought to assess access to geospatial derived and other crop production information by farmers in four selected counties of Kenya. Specific objectives were to determine the profile of small-scale farmers in terms of age, education and farm size;to determine the type of information that is made available to them by County and Sub-County extension officers including the format and mode of provision;and to determine if the information provided was useful in terms of accuracy, timeliness and adequacy. The results indicated that over 80% of the farmers were over 35 years of age and over 56% were male. Majority had attained primary education (34%) or secondary education (29%) and most farmers in all the counties grew maize (71%). Notably, fellow farmers were a source of information (71%) with the frequency of sharing information being mostly seasonal (37%) and when information was available (43%). Over 66% of interviewed farmers indicating that they faced challenges while using provided information. The results from the study are insightful and helpful in determining effective ways of providing farmers with useful information to ensure maximum benefits.
基金This research was supported by Thailand Science Research and Innovation(TSRI).
文摘This study is development of the coffee value chain in small scale of farmers on highland in the upper northern region of Thailand with case study of Pamieng community,Muangpan District,Lampang Province,Thailand.The objective is the use of the value chain model for the value added of product(coffee).The results from objective to conduct in the value chain of Pamiang’s coffee bring economic benefits and community based environmental benefits and also show the cost and return of coffee production in the value chain of Pamieng’s coffee which found that the farmers have a way to reduce costs in order to increase returns.The most coffee growing is on highland,therefore it is very important to take care of the entire value chain to deliver the highest value to society and customers.
文摘A study on community soil fertility management concepts and practices was conducted through rapid and participatory method of research in 15 villages of the Gourma region in Eastern part of Burkina Faso. These investigations aimed at determining farmers＇ knowledge on soil resources： local soil taxonomy and indicators of soil degradation, soil fertility management practices, and capacity for adoption of new technologies in soil fertility management. The results of the study showed that the main parameter for soil classification for all the investigated villages was soil texture composition; soil degradation was evaluated according to crops yield decrease and the development Striga sp. in 100% of the investigated villages; the use of organic manure and long term fellow were the main practices for soil fertility management; concerning the villages where modem technologies of soil fertility management were introduced, the lack of tools and capacity building were the main limiting factors of the adoption of these improved practices at small scale farmers＇ level. Even if discordance between scientific and local soil taxonomy were revealed by our investigations; significant similarities between indigenous and scientific indices of soil degradation were noticed. With regard to the actual magnitude of soil degradation; the local techniques of soil fertility management need to be improved and accessible to a big number of farmers.
基金The Agricultural Scicence and Technology Innovation Program(ASTIP-IAED-2017-06)
文摘This paper researches the behavior of using soil testing formula fertilizer at farms of different sizes.The study develops a probit model based on peasant household survey data from 11 grain production areas.The results prove that：First,obvious differences exist in the distribution of formula fertilizer use ratio among farms of different sizes;large-scale farmers are the highest,small-scale farmers are the lowest.Second,from external factors,the increased yield of corn,soil testing services,and information dissemination,it is clear that training has a significant positive effect on farmers’use behavior;the influence of soil testing services is the greatest.Third the higher the degree of organization,marketization and scale of a farm,the more likely the farmer is to use soil testing formula fertilizer.Policy recommendations are made on the basis of the empirical research presented in this paper.
基金supported by Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU),Bangladesh
文摘Biochar has potentials for soil fertility improvement, climate change mitigation and environmental reclamation, and charred biomass can be deliberately incorporated into soil for long-term carbon stabilization and soil amendment. Many different methods have been used for biochar production ranging from laboratory to industrial scales. However, in countryside of developing countries, biomass is generally used for cooking but not charred. Biochar production techniques at farmer scale have remained poorly developed. We developed and tested biochar production kilns for farmers with a dimension of 50.8 cm × 38.1 cm （height × diameter）, using three different setups for optimizing oxygen （02） limitation and syngas circulation： airtight with no syngas circulation （Model I）, semi-airtight with external syngas circulation （Model II） and semi-airtight with internal syngas circulation （Model III）. A comparative assessment of these biochar production kiln models was made considering biochar pyrolysis time, fuel to biomass ratio, biochar to feedstock ratio and thermogravimetric index （TGI）. Among the models, the best quality biochar （TGI ---- 0.15） was obtained from Model I kiln taking the longest time for pyrolysis （12.5 h） and the highest amount of fuel wood （1.22 kg kg-1 biomass）. Model III kiln produced comparatively good quality biochar （TGI = 0.11）, but with less fuel wood requirement （0.33 kg kg-1 biomass） and shorter pyrolysis time （8.5 h）. We also tested Model III kiln in a three times larger size under two situations （steel kiln and pit kiln）. The biochar to feedstock ratio （0.38） and quality （TGI =0.14） increased slightly for the larger kilns. Quality of biochar was found to be mainly related to pyrolysis time. The costs for the biochar stove and pit kiln were US$ 65-77, while it was US$ 154 for the large size steel kiln. Model III kiln can potentially be used for both cooking and biochar production at farmer scale.
