Abstract Background Climate is a key input of rain-fed agriculture. Climate variability and change has been the most important determinant of crop yields in Kenya and other parts of the world. However, there has been not much research on local understanding of the effect of climate variability on maize yields in Arid and Semi arid Lands (ASALs) of lower eastern Kenya counties. The effect of three climatic parameters on maize yields on different temporal and spatial scales was evaluated in or...
ABSTRACT The main objective of the research was to examine the prospects and challenges of developing and implementing precision agriculture (PA) in cocoa production in Ghana. Correlational research design was used to collect data using a multistage sampling technique from major stakeholders including scientists (n=12), cocoa extension agents (CEAs) (n=63) and cocoa farmers (n=416) in the cocoa industry in Ghana. Content-validated questionnaires and structured interview schedules were used fo...
ABSTRACT The role of the media in development issues cannot be over emphasized. The media is the vehicle through which masses are mobilized and policies are explained. Famine is basically an agricultural question, agriculture being a sector that has not been effectively and reliably investigated through the media. The basic tenets of the social responsibility theory emphasizes that the media has certain obligations to society. Apart from acting as a people's watchdog, the media should mainta...
ABSTRACT This study assessed livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Ihemi Cluster based on male and female headed-households. The methodology involved a cross-sectional research design with sample size of 150 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was used to select Ihemi Cluster among other Clusters of the SAGCOT intervention and stratified sampling technique was used to select respondents. The main methods of data collection used were structured household questionnaires and focus group d...
Abstract: The effects of climate change have hit the agriculture sector in Africa hard. Making adjustments to adapt to the changing environment is critical for countries like Ethiopia, whose primary source of income is subsistence agriculture, which is heavily reliant on rainfall. As a result, establishing context-specific adaptation approaches is crucial for reducing the adverse effects of climate change. This study was conducted at Sofi district, Harari Regional State, Ethiopia, to compare...
Abstract: In Botswana crop production has been the most vulnerable component of the agricultural sector due to its heavy reliance on rainfed agriculture. At the same time, the availability of rainfall is uncertain due to natural climatic variability which is worsened by climate change. Already the local farmers have knowledge of the climatic conditions around them, and from time to time, they have been adjusting their farming practices in line with the prevailing climatic conditions. Climate...
ABSTRACT In West Africa, artisanal gold mining competes with agriculture, more specifically crop farming and livestock keeping. Mali is not an exceptional to this observation. In Sikasso region, women and youths have been reported to abandon agricultural activities for artisanal gold mining. It is against this background that this study was conducted to assess the factors that influenced households to be engaged in artisanal gold mining, to evaluate its impacts on water quality, subsistence ...
ABSTRACT This paper analysed policy correlates of agricultural production and agricultural production sustainability outcomes in Ghana and Nigeria. It underscores the influence of political systems and international development agendas as correlates of agricultural production and agricultural production sustainability outcomes. This is to the extent of providing evidence policy on agricultural production and agricultural production sustainability outcomes. Ghana and Nigeria have comparable fa...
A producer and a buyer enter into a two-party contract when they practice contract farming. A buyer commits to purchasing output from a producer at a predetermined price, quality and timing (Bellemare & Bloem, 2018). In many nations around the globe, contract farming is used to link smallholders’ farmers to profitable markets for higher incomes and better living conditions (Barrett et al., 2012). Early in the nineteenth century, the North American agricultural sector saw the introduction of...
ABSTRACT Green (fresh) maize (Zea mays L.) provides food security and income to farmers especially when other crops are still in the field. However, research on green maize variety is scarcely reported in literature or information on suitable genetic material (germplasm) for green maize production. Developing maize for fresh maize production in the southeastern Nigeria was carried out in the Center for Agricultural Research, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal Univ...
ABSTRACT Green (fresh) maize (Zea mays L.) provides food security and income to farmers especially when other crops are still in the field. However, research on green maize variety is scarcely reported in literature or information on suitable genetic material (germplasm) for green maize production. Developing maize for fresh maize production in the southeastern Nigeria was carried out in the Center for Agricultural Research, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal Universi...
ABSTRACT The study of Agriculture in education contributed significantly in political, social and economic realms of development. Academic results of Agriculture in most secondary schools in Kisumu West Sub-County was challenged by factors including inadequate learning resources, the discipline of the students, improper approach to teaching, poor mastery of the content, overloading of teachers, denial of field trips and strikes. Effective and proper supervision and curriculum implementation ...
Abstract Traditional agricultural extension services intended to serve agro-pastoralists in Tanzania and Sub-Saharan Africa at large have failed to make significant impacts, due partly to the lack of knowledge-sharing practices to disseminate timely agricultural and livestock-keeping information. A key problem has been inadequate access to information due to weak linkages and interactions between agricultural and livestock research institutions; including, the lack of knowledge and informatio...
ABSTRACT The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has adopted mobile phone for extension delivery. However, much was unknown the competencies and frequency of mobile phone use by farmers and extension agents. The study used descriptive correlation design to assess mobile phone use in agricultural extension delivery in Eastern Region, Ghana. Multi-stage sampling and structured interview schedule were used to collect data from 95 AEAs and 330 farmers. Statistical tools such as frequencies, percenta...
ABSTRACT Weed control is one of the most difficult tasks on an agricultural farm. Three methods of weed control are commonly known in agriculture. These are mechanical, chemical and biological control. Mechanical weed control is easily adopted by farmers once they get convinced of its advantages. Mechanical weed control not only uproots the weed between the crop rows but also keeps the soil surface loose, ensuring better soil aeration and water intake capacity. Weeding by mechanical devices...