Coastal saline soils are increasing year by year caused by climate change and human activities.Most of the coastal saline soils are idle due to their high salinity level and few crops can grow normally.Salinity tolera...Coastal saline soils are increasing year by year caused by climate change and human activities.Most of the coastal saline soils are idle due to their high salinity level and few crops can grow normally.Salinity tolerant legumes are naturally tolerant to salt,which can ecologically cover the coastal saline soil,enhance soil fertility by symbiotic nitrogen fixation and increase the smallholder farmers’benefits in terms of forage,green manure,food or medicine.However,few reports are available for the systematic evaluation of salinity tolerant legumes.This review summarizes and evaluates currently available salinity tolerant legume species that could potentially be used and discusses their potential for integration into smallholder mixed coastal systems of the Asia-Pacific region.Fourty four salinity tolerant legumes were summarized,six of them showed a high level of salinity tolerance,17 of them showed a moderate level of salinity tolerance and 21 of them showed potential salinity tolerance but need to be further studied.Many gaps such as combined tolerance evaluation,nitrogen fixation efficiency,animal feeding experiments and salinity tolerant rhizobia screening/inoculants exist.Case studies demonstrate legumes could be used to reclaim coastal saline soils,but commitment and support from government and public services are necessary to address both seed system and extension needs,through the provision of adequate incentives,policies and development efforts.展开更多
Background:Cattle farming plays a pivotal role in Africa's agricultural and livestock sector,poised for growth due to population expansion and rising per capita consumption of animal-sourced food.Forages are a pri...Background:Cattle farming plays a pivotal role in Africa's agricultural and livestock sector,poised for growth due to population expansion and rising per capita consumption of animal-sourced food.Forages are a primary source of feed for dairy cattle,significantly impacting production costs.While local forage varieties are preferred by dairy farmers,there has been an increase in the adoption of improved forages in recent years.However,the overall adoption rate is still low,for example,due to underdeveloped forage seed markets.Methods:This study describes the dynamics,challenges,and potential of these markets in Kenya and selected East African countries,focusing on(i)market evolution over the past decade,(ii)forthcoming market prospects,and(iii)bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.Data were gathered in 2022 through qualitative interviews with stakeholders representing six segments of the forage seed sector across six countries.Results:We found a sustained growth of the improved forage seed market in recent years.The main challenges for further growth are high seed prices,regulatory difficulties,and limited producer knowledge.Conclusions:Thefindings unveil positive dynamics in the region's forage seed market,fueled by the engagement and determination of stakeholders who recognize the manifold benefits that it holds for both the dairy industry and economic growth.The realization of this market's potential requires addressing prevailing challenges,including elevated seed costs,intricate variety registration processes,and a pervasive lack of awareness among farmers.K E Y W O R D S animal productivity,dairy,improved forages,market development,sustainability,tropical forages adoption projects.The need to involve governmental entities and seed companies is recognized since both actors have so far mostly worked individually.None-theless,the strong partnership between the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and Grupo Papalotla is highlighted as an example of coordinated work between research and a seed company.Further opportunities for improvement of the seed market are outlined in Table 2.展开更多
基金funded by the National Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation Project(2017FY100600)Feeds and Forages flagship of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock,the Key Research and Development Program of Hainan(321RC646)China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-22)。
文摘Coastal saline soils are increasing year by year caused by climate change and human activities.Most of the coastal saline soils are idle due to their high salinity level and few crops can grow normally.Salinity tolerant legumes are naturally tolerant to salt,which can ecologically cover the coastal saline soil,enhance soil fertility by symbiotic nitrogen fixation and increase the smallholder farmers’benefits in terms of forage,green manure,food or medicine.However,few reports are available for the systematic evaluation of salinity tolerant legumes.This review summarizes and evaluates currently available salinity tolerant legume species that could potentially be used and discusses their potential for integration into smallholder mixed coastal systems of the Asia-Pacific region.Fourty four salinity tolerant legumes were summarized,six of them showed a high level of salinity tolerance,17 of them showed a moderate level of salinity tolerance and 21 of them showed potential salinity tolerance but need to be further studied.Many gaps such as combined tolerance evaluation,nitrogen fixation efficiency,animal feeding experiments and salinity tolerant rhizobia screening/inoculants exist.Case studies demonstrate legumes could be used to reclaim coastal saline soils,but commitment and support from government and public services are necessary to address both seed system and extension needs,through the provision of adequate incentives,policies and development efforts.
文摘Background:Cattle farming plays a pivotal role in Africa's agricultural and livestock sector,poised for growth due to population expansion and rising per capita consumption of animal-sourced food.Forages are a primary source of feed for dairy cattle,significantly impacting production costs.While local forage varieties are preferred by dairy farmers,there has been an increase in the adoption of improved forages in recent years.However,the overall adoption rate is still low,for example,due to underdeveloped forage seed markets.Methods:This study describes the dynamics,challenges,and potential of these markets in Kenya and selected East African countries,focusing on(i)market evolution over the past decade,(ii)forthcoming market prospects,and(iii)bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.Data were gathered in 2022 through qualitative interviews with stakeholders representing six segments of the forage seed sector across six countries.Results:We found a sustained growth of the improved forage seed market in recent years.The main challenges for further growth are high seed prices,regulatory difficulties,and limited producer knowledge.Conclusions:Thefindings unveil positive dynamics in the region's forage seed market,fueled by the engagement and determination of stakeholders who recognize the manifold benefits that it holds for both the dairy industry and economic growth.The realization of this market's potential requires addressing prevailing challenges,including elevated seed costs,intricate variety registration processes,and a pervasive lack of awareness among farmers.K E Y W O R D S animal productivity,dairy,improved forages,market development,sustainability,tropical forages adoption projects.The need to involve governmental entities and seed companies is recognized since both actors have so far mostly worked individually.None-theless,the strong partnership between the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and Grupo Papalotla is highlighted as an example of coordinated work between research and a seed company.Further opportunities for improvement of the seed market are outlined in Table 2.
