Abstract: Agroecological farming systems such as maize–legume intercropping (MLI) and push-pull technology (PPT) have been introduced to mitigate losses from pests. Nevertheless, the regionwide maize yield gained from practicing such farming systems remains largely unknown. This study compares the performance of two uncomplex and interpretable models, namely the hybrid fuzzy-logic combined with the genetic algorithm and symbolic regression, to predict maize yield. Specifically, the study a...
Abstract Anthropogenic activities can destroy or drastically reduce the organic carbon contents of soils. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two land use management practices (arable land and oil palm land), soil depth and topography on soil organic carbon contents. The study was carried out in Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. At each location, three topographic units were identified as upper slope, middle slope and lower slope at 50 m apart. A mini pit of 150 cm by 100 cm ...
ABSTRACT Declining soil fertility has been found to be the main cause of reduction in crop yields. These soils lose their fertility through erosion, leaching and crop removal. Organic fertilizers prepared from human waste has been found to have a greater potential of being used to manage soil fertility and hence increase crop yields. The present study is to determine the nutrients content and effect of Asase Gyefo Organic Fertilizer (AGOF) prepared from human waste on the growth, yield and sh...
Abstract Goat production has been argued to offer an alternative and potentially lucrative livelihood option to poor subsistent farmers in Southern Africa. Many small-scale farming families raise indigenous goats which are considered to be the poor-man’s cattle due to their relative importance to the asset base of poor farming households. The practical implementation of poverty alleviation and reduction interventions at community level however often falls short of expectations and this stud...
ABSTRACT: Agriculture is the cornerstone of Kenya’s economy with most households depending on it for food and livelihood. Women provide the largest share of agricultural labour in many households. Despite the important role that women play, they are discriminated in the area of access to and control over the agricultural benefits. In agriculture, tea farming was the main foreign exchange earner in the year 2011. But despite the important role tea farming plays in Kenya, there are gender ine...
ABSTRACT In spite of the numerous efforts being made by researchers within the agricultural sector to link farmers with improved and modern methods of farming, there are still a lot of farmers operating at subsistence levels. This research examines an additional rather than a substitutional means to assist in the effective linkage of agricultural research and processes to farmers in Ghana. This is done by exploring how Theatre (using Theatre for Development processes) can be used as a vehic...
ABSTRACT Evidence has shown that Time Allocation (TA) to various activities by gender has implications for the poverty status of households. Yet, there is little empirical evidence on the influence of TA on household poverty in rural Nigeria. Hence, the influence of gender TA on the poverty status of rural farming households in Southwestern Nigeria (SWN) was investigated. Oyo and Osun states were randomly selected from SWN. Two rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly chosen from eac...
Abstract: Recently, due attention was given to whether contract farming brings a holistic impact on the livelihood of smallholder farmers or not. Hence, the objectives of this study were to identify the determinants of dairy contract farming, its enforcement, and impact on milk production efficiency and annual income using data collected from 424 (192 participants and 232 non-participants) randomly selected milk-producing farmers from three districts of the North Shewa zone of Oromia Regiona...
Abstract The study entitled ‘ An investigation into the suitability of guano fertilizer on farming in Gokwe North District- Chireya Ward 5 in Midlands Province in Zimbabwe’, was carried out to find out the solution to the problems caused by chemical fertilizers like health hazards, pollutions on water, air, soil only to mention but a few. The study employed an explanatory research design and a qualitative research paradigm. Farmers, agricultural officers, agricultural teachers, local auth...
Abstract: Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally eco-friendly renewable energy. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of cow manure (CM) and Datura stramonium leaves (DSL) in five mix ratios (100%CM, 60%CM:40%DSL, 50%CM:50%DSL, 40%CM:60%DSL and 100%DSL) were evaluated under mesophilic condition at 38ºC using a batch mode digester over 30 days fermentation. In all the treatments, physico-chemical parame...
Abstract: Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally eco-friendly renewable energy. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of cow manure (CM) and Datura stramonium leaves (DSL) in five mix ratios (100%CM, 60%CM:40%DSL, 50%CM:50%DSL, 40%CM:60%DSL and 100%DSL) were evaluated under mesophilic condition at 38ºC using a batch mode digester over 30 days fermentation. In all the treatments, physico-chemical parame...
Abstract: A study was conducted in Dikicha Kebele, Miyo District, Borana Zone of Southern Ethiopia, to compare woody species diversity, uses, and regeneration status, and soil organic carbon of conserved and non -conserved adjacent sub-watersheds. In each sub-watersheds, four transect lines were systematically laid parallel to each other at 200 m interval. Ten nested sample plots were established at interval of 50m along each transect lines. The main plots had 30m X 30m while sub-plots had 5...
ABSTRACT Data from HD-1 well, offshore Tano Basin was subjected to optical and organic geochemical analysis to reveal the palynostratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and hydrocarbon potential of the said well. Organic geochemical studies of Total Organic Carbon and Rock-Eval pyrolysis analysis as well as the microscopic investigation of the 44 slides of ditch cuttings from a depth of 3370ft – 7290ft shows four (4) types of Palynofacies associations in the HD-1 well based on the sedimentary organ...
BSTRACT Soil erosion by water is a growing problem in Tanzania particularly in mountainous areas. The control of soil erosion is one of the most significant issues, which results in improving crop production as well as smallholders income. A study was carried out to assess hillside ditches performance in controlling soil erosion in a banana-maize farming system in Kiroka Village, Morogoro, Tanzania. The study intended to characterize the soils, determine soil loss and assess the social econom...
Abstract: Land degradation and climate change is the global challenge, where their impact is profoundly seen in developing countries including our country (Woolf et al., 2018). The Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) is one of the national climate smart initiatives (CSI) implemented to address the persistent land degradation and climate challenges in the country. However, the PSNP effect on Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes and its carbon storage potential is not yet studied at l...