Showing papers in "Agricultural and Food Science in 2016"

Toward climate-smart agriculture in West Africa: A review of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies and policy developments for the livestock, fishery and crop production sectors

Abstract: Many projections of the impact of climate change on the crop, livestock and fishery production sectors of African agriculture are reported in the literature. However, they may be arguably too general to understand the magnitude of impact and to inform adaptation strategies and policy development efforts that are tailored to promoting climate-smart agriculture in the West African region alone. This paper was synthesized from several scholarly literature and aimed at providing up-to-date information on climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, policies and institutional mechanisms that each agriculture subsector had put in place in dealing with climate change and its related issues in West Africa. For each subsector (crop, fishery and livestock), the current status, climate change impacts, mitigation and adaption strategies have been analyzed. In addition, we reviewed recent policy initiatives in the region that foster the development and adoption of climate-smart agricultural options to improve resilience of farming systems and livelihoods of smallholder farmers to climate change risks. From community to national and regional levels, various strategies and policies are also being taken to guide actions and investment for climate-smart agriculture in West Africa.

Food coping strategies in northern Ghana. A socio-spatial analysis along the urban–rural continuum

Abstract: Food insecurity is a worrying challenge worldwide, with sub-Sahara Africa most affected. Literature reveals that in developing countries, food insecurity is a largely ‘‘managed process’’, meaning people are active participants in responding to the risks they face in life. This paper focuses on how households cope with food shortages and how these food coping strategies vary along the urban–rural continuum. A transect approach was used to guide data collection in and around the city of Tamale in northern Ghana. A total of 19 Focus Group discussions, having eight participants each (four women, four men), were conducted between March and May 2014. Additionally, three qualitative in-depth interviews were also conducted, one each in the urban, periurban and rural area. In periurban and rural areas, gathering of wild food and selling of charcoal was widely practised, while in urban areas, most households tended to reduce the number of meals as a more frequent coping strategy. The study identified five coping strategies along the urban–rural continuum as the most severe in times of food insecurity, namely skipping a whole day without food, borrowing, buying food on credit, consuming seed stock and restricting adult intake in favour of children. Hunting, consuming less preferred food, taking occasional jobs and engaging in small trading were considered as not severe. Study results reveal that food coping strategies vary from one spatial entity to another in terms of frequency, severity and coping strategy indices along the urban–rural continuum. This information is useful for indicators to predict crisis (early warning), to understand shortfalls in access to adequate food (assessment), to allocate resources (targeting) or to track the impact of interventions (monitoring and evaluation).

First record of tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Tanzania

Abstract: Pest invasion has been a disruptive phenomenon in nature, the consequence being ecological and economical negative effect in natural ecosystem of the area. In agriculture, introduced insect pest has a devastating effect on food production. Such a phenomenon occurred in Ngabobo village, Ngarenanyuki, King’ori, in the Arumeru District of Tanzania, a key tomato production area, when boring Lepidoptera larvae were found on aerial parts of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants between 2014 and 2015. Larvae created blotched leaf galleries and superficial mines on fruits. The pest was identified as Tuta absoluta (Meyrick 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) by the leaf and fruit damage symptoms inflicted, the adult morphology as well as using specific pheromone traps (TUA optima lure) against adult male Tuta absoluta. This is the first record of tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Tanzania worth to report. This information will help to design sustainable management tactics against this notorious pest of tomato in the country and the neighbouring countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Resource use efficiency among maize farmers in Ghana

Abstract: Despite the enormous importance of maize in Ghana, maize farmers in the country continue to experience low yields, making Ghana self-insufficient in the production of the crop. For maize farmers to be helped to increase productivity, the focus should not only be on whether or not they have adopted productivity-enhancing technologies, but it is necessary to carefully examine whether they are even making maximum use of the technologies or inputs available to them. This study analysed resource use efficiency for Ghana’s maize farms. The data used were obtained through a cross-sectional survey of 576 maize farmers in the Northern Savannah, Transitional, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones of Ghana using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, stochastic frontier analysis and the ratio of marginal value product to marginal factor cost were the methods of analysis employed. The results showed that generally, maize farmers in Ghana were inefficient in their use of resources available to them. Fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, seed, manure and land were underutilized, while labour and capital were overutilized by the farmers. The results further showed that maize farmers in Ghana exhibit increasing returns to scale, indicating that the famers can increase their output by increasing the use of some of the key resources. Incentives and strategies aimed at encouraging farmers to optimize the use of fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, seed, manure and land are recommended to ensure improved maize productivity in Ghana. Currently, incentives and strategies could take the form of better management by government of the current fertilizer subsidy programme and efficient input distribution through farmer-based organizations to ensure easy access by farmers.

The humble sardine (small pelagics): fish as food or fodder

Abstract: The group of small pelagic fish is the largest species group landed globally. A significant proportion of this nutrient-rich food is processed and lost to livestock feed, fish feed, fish oil, pet food and omega-rich vitamins. The nutritional importance of small pelagics as an easily digestible protein source, rich in essential lipids with fatty acids (EPA/DHA), essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, is well known and documented. Small pelagics contain all the elements of a healthy and nutritionally optimal food source for humans and are an important contributor to the food and nutritional security of many poor, low-income households in developing countries. Large-scale and small-scale fisheries play an important role in contributing to food security and nutrition. Yet, all of the anchovy landings from large-scale fisheries are reduced to animal feed, fish oil and pet food in South Africa. The size of the species, labour costs and lack of incentives by the state are some of the challenges to redirecting anchovy for human consumption. This trend is also now prevalent in Tanzania, where most (84%) of the dagaa fished is reduced to fishmeal in Kenya, mainly to feed chickens. The main challenges are post-harvest handling and sanitation. The redirecting of small pelagics to human consumption will depend on the role of the state in Tanzania and South Africa in investing in post-harvest processing. The role small-scale fisheries play in providing fish for food security needs to be understood in the context of economic viability and of how data are reported in this sector as compared to large-scale fisheries.

Agrobiodiversity conservation enhances food security in subsistence-based farming systems of Eastern Kenya

Abstract: Globally, there is great concern about expanding agricultural activities due to their impact in the conservation of agrobiodiversity. African continent is known for its richness in biodiversity. In Kenya, there is a continuous unabated expansion of agriculture into natural habitats due to demographic and economic pressures posing a significant threat to biodiversity. Therefore, there is a need to study biodiversity loss and its regain through practices in agricultural landscapes. In this study, we assessed the status of agrobiodiversity and its contribution to food security in four agroecological zones of Eastern Kenya. Sixty households were sampled from two selected agroecological zones (upper and lower midland zones) in Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties. Structured questionnaires and checklists were used to collect the data. Thirty-nine crop species were identified dominated by vegetables, fruits, legumes and cereals with relative densities of 28.8, 20.5, 18.3 and 8.3 %, respectively. Embu Lower Midland and Tharaka-Nithi Lower Midland zones had relatively higher crop species richness of 243 and 240, respectively, and Shannon–Wiener diversity indices (H′) of 3.403 and 3.377, respectively, compared with Embu Upper Midland and Tharaka-Nithi Upper Midland zones with species richness of 229 and 207, respectively, and H′ of 3.298 and 3.204, respectively. Households from lower midland zones with high crop diversity and richness were more food secure compared with those from the Upper Midland zones with low crop diversity and richness. These findings suggest that farm production systems with high agrobiodiversity contributed more toward food security among smallholder farmers in the selected sites.

Potential of Kersting’s groundnut [ Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal & Baudet] and prospects for its promotion

Abstract: Kersting’s groundnut is a tropical crop, highly nutritious, adapted to drought-prone areas The crop is neglected both by researchers and by policy makers This paper aimed at providing relevant information on the current status of the crop and the prospects to promote its improvement and production To this end, available papers addressing any of the following aspect: distribution, nutritional value, cropping systems, post-harvest processing, usages, value chains, conservation status, genetic diversity and improvement of Kersting’s groundnut were reviewed In West Africa, the crop provides substantial income for rural population Kersting’s groundnut has several medicinal uses and cultural values as well However, because of its intensive labor requirement, low yield and non-availability of improved varieties, its cultivation is declining and it is even disappearing gradually in some growing areas The promotion of the crop’s value chains is an option for reversing the declining trend in Kersting’s groundnut cultivation In recent years, some progress has been recorded in the collection, characterization and ex situ conservation of the crop Thus, there are currently about 100 accessions conserved in various gene banks in Benin, Ghana, France and Belgium This is still insufficient as compared to the genetic resources available in ex situ for most of the grown legume crops To cope with this, extensive germplasm collection and their systematic characterization and evaluation coupled with new generation genomic tools need to be undertaken For this purpose, genomic resources developed for Kersting’s groundnut-related species will be valuable assets The exploitation of genomic resources will enable the development of core and mini-core collections for conservation and breeding purposes In addition, the use of genomic resources will speed up Kersting’s groundnut breeding programs Furthermore, the genetic base of the crop is extremely narrow and there is a need to broaden it for substantial genetic gain in breeding programs For this purpose, mutation induction has been proposed as technique to increase variability in the Kersting’s groundnut germplasm Invest in Kersting’s groundnut research is key to ensure the conservation and exploit the potential of the crop

Access to livelihood capitals and propensity for entrepreneurship amongst rice farmers in Ghana

Abstract: This paper examines rice farmers’ access to livelihood capitals (natural, financial, physical, social and human) and the relationship and propensity for entrepreneurship capacities amongst rice farmers in the northern and Ashanti regions of Ghana. A simple random and purposive sampling method was used to select a sample size of 301 rice farmers in the two regions. A structured questionnaire was used in conducting the study. The data was analysed with IBM SPSS version 21 using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. Wilcoxon sign rank test, paired t test and Pearson correlation coefficient were also used for the analysis on the access to livelihoods, significance and relationship to entrepreneurial activities of the farmers. Farmers’ access to natural capitals was stronger. Similarly, the Wilcoxon sign rank test and test statistics for the physical capital also revealed a significant difference in the farmers’ physical capitals with all the measured variables including irrigation infrastructure (z = −5.581; p = 0.000), processing facilities (z = −5.904; p = 0.000), and market access (z = −6.171; p = 0.000), after been exposed to the technology interventions. The test statistics shows significant difference in all the measured variables with the p value (p > 0.05) for the human capitals of the farmers. It also showed that farmers’ credit from family and friends, access to bank loans and loans from farmer groups all increased from 47 to 52 %; 26 to 37 % and 28 to 78 %, respectively. Generally farmers’ access to all the five livelihood capitals was significant and higher. On the access to livelihood capitals and its entrepreneurial abilities, natural capitals before (t = 1.789, p = 0.074), natural livelihood after (t = 1.664, p = 0.096), social capital after (t = 1.838, p = 0.066), and physical capital before (t = 2.87, p = 0.004) showed a significantly positive relationship with their entrepreneurial capacities. The study revealed that farmers’ access to stronger livelihood capitals improves on their internal locus of control, improves their farming management abilities and ultimately boosts their agricultural entrepreneurial capabilities. The study recommends that farmers should leverage on their human capitals (farming skills taught them) to improving on all other livelihood capitals for better business sense and culture and entrepreneurial skills.

Effect of Bacillus subtilis on phosphorus uptake by cucumber as affected by iron oxides and the solubility of the phosphorus source

Abstract: In this work, we examined the effects of Bacillus subtilis strain QST713 by assessing plant P uptake from variably P compound .The experiment performed involved three factors: (i) P source [KH 2 PO 4 at 100 mg kg –1 , and phosphate rock (PR) at 100 or 200 mg kg –1 ]; (ii) plant inoculation with QST713 (inoculated and non-inoculated); and (iii) Fe oxide (ferrihydrite) in the growth medium (0 or 300 mg kg –1 concentration of citrate–ascorbate-extractable Fe). Ferrihydrite decreased dry matter yield in plants by more than 50 %. Inoculation with QST713 increased plant growth, and total accumulation of P and P uptake in plants. Overall, QST713 increased P uptake by 40 %, the effect being independent of the presence of ferrihydrite and P source. The increased P uptake observed can be ascribed to increased solubilization of P and to increased root growth.. Therefore, QST713 improves P nutrition in plants grown on media with a high P adsorption capacity irrespective of the solubility of the P compound.

A review on the legislative aspect of artificial fruit ripening

Abstract: Fruit ripening is a natural process in which a fruit goes through various physical and chemical changes and gradually becomes sweet, colored, soft, and palatable. Fruit ripening process can also be stimulated by applying artificial fruit ripening agents. Farmers and vendors often use artificial ripening agents to control the rate of fruit ripening. However, because of the potential health hazards related to the ripening agents, artificial fruit ripening process is highly debatable throughout the world. There are existing laws and guidelines to control artificial fruit ripening process. This article highlights the legal aspects of artificial fruit ripening and fruit adulteration throughout the world. Different laws and acts of both the developed and developing countries to control and prohibit artificial fruit ripening and adulteration using hazardous chemicals are discussed here. The technical and economic issues related to artificial fruit ripening are also addressed in this study. This article aims at developing awareness among government agencies, policymakers, farmers, vendors, and scientists, as since it will take collective participation of different stakeholders to address different aspects of artificial fruit ripening issues and to provide an effective solution.

Spatio-temporal analysis of the impact of climate, cropping intensity and means of irrigation: an assessment on rice yield determinants in Bangladesh

Abstract: Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important staple food for almost half of the global population. Improvement of rice yield is of global concern and is influenced by a wide variety of regional factors including climate and agricultural management. This research addresses the need to understand the relative influence of these factors and develop geographically explicit determinants of rice yield across Bangladesh. The specific objectives of this study were (a) to assess spatial and temporal variation in rice yield, cropping intensity and means of irrigation, and (b) to evaluate the relative importance of spatio-temporal change in climate, cropping intensity and means of irrigation on rice yield. A database on rice yield, management practices (cropping intensity and means of irrigation) and climate was collected from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and Bangladesh Meteorological Department, respectively, for the years of 1981–2010. Linear mixed models were used to assess the influence of different determinants on rice yield. The results indicate that irrigation, particularly groundwater irrigation, had a stronger influence on rice yield than climatic conditions and cropping intensity in Bangladesh during the study period. Temperature and rainfall showed negative impacts on yield. Rice yield also declined when cropping intensity increased. Both climate and groundwater extraction need to be considered in future policy development. However, the current extraction rate of groundwater may not be sustainable in the future to increase rice yield. The study concludes that spatio-temporal differences in observed yield allow interpretation of potential determinants that are important for food policy development in Bangladesh.

Farmer knowledge identifies a competitive bean ideotype for maize–bean intercrop systems in Rwanda

Abstract: Plant genotypes are rarely developed for mixed cropping systems despite the potential of these systems to provide multiple ecosystem services. One of the most ubiquitously grown mixed cropping systems is a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) intercrop, but there is little consensus among researchers, and few known studies document farmer knowledge, about superior bean genotypes specifically for this intercrop system. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) is a well-accepted method of selecting varieties with farmers and could be a useful tool for identifying genotypes for intercrops. We used sole crop and intercrop PPB on-farm trials (n = 13) and interviews (n = 59) to document farmer knowledge about climbing bean genotypes and adaptation for intercrops in Rwanda, where smallholder farmers have traditionally grown beans and maize for generations. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that farmers considered distinct attributes for different cropping systems. In intercrops, farmer evaluation prioritized five factors: universal traits and trait-based competitive ability, intrinsic competitive ability, environmental adaptation, and management. Farmers consider intrinsic competitive ability crucial, whereas most other studies have neglected this attribute in intercrop breeding strategies. Furthermore, farmers identified specific attributes that constitute an intercrop bean ideotype: adaptation, restricted height, columnar plant structure, even distribution of pods, fewer leaves, and earlier maturity. Farmers also had specific techniques for testing cropping system and environment interactions. PPB on-farm trial evaluations and interviews with farmers allowed us to combine traditional agroecological knowledge with plant breeding research to generate new knowledge that contributes to our understanding of intercrop breeding and bean traits for intercrops. Farmers demonstrated sophisticated understanding of methods to identify genotype adaptation, competitive ability, and specific traits that together create a bean ideotype for maize–bean cropping systems. Empowering farmers through on-farm testing of diverse genotypes, and even populations, could be a practical solution to expensive genotype by environment trials and improve the identification of highly adaptive and productive genotypes for diverse and resilient cropping systems.

Yield and quality of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seeds in response to foliar application of boron

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a 3-year field experiment conducted on soil with moderate levels of boron (B) in north-eastern Poland to determine the influence of foliar application of B (0, 150 and 300 g ha-1) on the yield components, yield, mineral composition, nutritional value and feed value of winter oilseed rape seeds. Foliar application of B at the beginning of bud formation in winter oilseed rape increased seed yield by 0.19 (3%) at the lower B fertilization level to 0.26 Mg ha-1 (4%) at the higher B fertilization level. The observed increase in the yield of winter oilseed rape seeds in response to foliar application of B can be attributed to this micronutrient’s positive influence on seed production in siliques. Foliar fertilization with B increased B content and decreased Zn and Fe levels in the seeds of winter oilseed rape. When B fertilizer was applied at the rate of 150–300 g ha-1, the N and Ca content of the evaluated seeds increased. The fertilizer improved the nutritional value (crude fat content, fatty acid concentrations) of seeds, but deteriorated their feed value (total protein content, acid detergent fiber concentrations, neutral detergent fiber concentrations, quantitative and qualitative composition of glucosinolates).

Combining soil fertilization, cropping systems and improved varieties to minimize climate risks on farming productivity in northern region of Burkina Faso

Abstract: In search of options to cope with climate change and variability, a trial combining fertilization and improved varieties of millet and cowpea (intercropped or as sole crop) was conducted on three sites (Lemnogo, Tibtenga and Ramdolla) in the northern region of Burkina Faso. The application of cattle manure (3 t ha−1), micro-dose (3 g hole−1 equivalent to 62 kg ha−1) of a mineral fertilizer composed of 14 % N, 23 % P2O5 and 14 % K2O (NPK), their combination and a control (no manure and no NPK) as four soil fertilization options, two improved varieties of millet (SOSAT-C88 and IKMP5), two varieties of cowpea (KVX 396-4-5-2D and KVX 61-1) and two cropping systems (millet–cowpea intercropping, sole crop) were tested on-farm for two seasons (2013 and 2014). During the third season a survey was conducted on the acceptability by farmers of the tested combinations as a way of buffering or coping with rainfall variability. Two-year trial revealed that the combination of manure and NPK applied to the intercropping of millet and cowpea significantly increased crop production (land equivalent ratio = 1.83 ± 0.18 and 1.78 ± 0.20, intercropping millet variety IKMP5 with cowpea KVX 61-1 and intercropping millet variety SOSAT-C88 with cowpea KVX 396-4-5-2D, respectively). During erratic rainfall year, intercropping millet IKMP5 and cowpea KVX 61-1 performed the best, while under well-distributed rainfall conditions, intercropping millet SOSAT-C88 with cowpea KVX 396-4-5-2D displayed higher production, respectively, for millet and cowpea. Some varieties were not well accepted by most farmers (based on a survey of 36 farmers) mainly because of loss in grains before harvest for millet IKMP5 (97 %) and high grain attacks by insects in storage for cowpea KVX 61-1 (89 %). The alternative for farmers rejecting these varieties could be the intercropping of millet SOSAT-C88 and cowpea KVX 396-4-5-2D fertilized with manure. Making weather forecasts and related agronomic advices available to farmers in this region will allow them to better plan their agricultural practices such as mineral fertilizer application and will also be a great move toward climate-smart agriculture. Developing more performant storage measures that drastically reduce insect attacks for some of the tested varieties (cowpea KVX 61-1, for instance) could contribute to promoting their adoption.

Genetic variability in storage root bulking of cassava genotypes under irrigation and no irrigation

Abstract: Early bulking in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a very important trait in semi-arid ecologies of the tropics. Farmers tend to select early-maturing cassava varieties to escape terminal drought and destruction by domestic animals during the dry season. However, early harvesting is associated with yield penalty due to unavailability of high-yielding early-maturing cassava varieties. In order to develop early-bulking cassava varieties for the savanna ecologies, this study was carried out to assess genetic variation in the pattern of storage root bulking and as well as traits associated with early storage root bulking under moisture stress and well-watered conditions. Twenty cassava genotypes were arranged in a randomised complete block design with three replications under irrigation and no irrigation. The genotypes were sequentially harvested at 6, 8, 10 and 12 months after planting to study their pattern of dry matter accumulation. Irrigation water was supplied using a drip irrigation system with a discharge capacity of 1.6 l/h. Analysis of variance indicated significant effect of genotype, harvesting time and irrigation on most of the yield traits studied. The interaction between genotype and irrigation effect was significant for all traits except mean storage root weight, storage root girth, storage root length and storage root dry matter content. Apart from storage root girth and storage root dry matter content, genotype × harvesting time interaction was not significant. Pearson correlation analysis of root yield at different times showed significant positive correlation between early storage root yield and final root yield indicating the possibility of selecting early-bulking genotypes with high yield potential. The study indicated that dry matter is partitioned more for root elongation than expansion in root girth under moisture stress conditions compared with irrigation, resulting in high storage root length: girth ratio. This ratio can be used to study the pattern of photosynthates accumulation in cassava roots under stress conditions. The study helped to provide improved understanding of the genetic basis and the mechanism of storage root bulking in cassava under moisture stress conditions, which can be exploited to develop high-yielding cassava varieties for drought-prone areas to ensure food security.

Building local institutional capacity to implement agricultural carbon projects: Participatory action research with Vi Agroforestry in Kenya and ECOTRUST in Uganda

Abstract: Smallholders have begun to take advantage of a growing pool of investment in climate change mitigation. Meanwhile, early movers in this area are working to develop innovative models that will allow projects to be financially sustainable and scalable while benefiting local actors. This study focuses on two of these projects in East Africa, managed by Vi Agroforestry in Kenya and ECOTRUST in Uganda. They engaged in a participatory action research process to identify ways that local actors could take on expanded roles within the projects. Results are presented as case studies which include project context, roles of local project actors, actions selected, and the outcomes of the actions on the key actors targeted. The actions focused on building the capacities of community-based intermediaries, facilitating partnerships with local government and local non-governmental organizations, and supporting a more active role played by women. Key findings from this process were that community-based intermediaries can play a leading role in land management trainings; local government involvement is critical to project success; local non-governmental organizations and businesses can play central roles in training and providing market incentives to farmers to implement sustainable practices; and women’s roles in projects can grow if project benefits are aligned with their needs and trainings are made more accessible. These cases demonstrate that there is substantial scope for the responsibilities within agricultural carbon projects, and by extension climate-smart agriculture initiatives more broadly, to be institutionalized at the local level. However, regardless of the institutional setup, due to carbon market factors beyond the control of these projects, the financial case for smallholder projects that rely solely on financing from carbon credits remains challenging to these projects and others like them. As programmatic and policy-led approaches grow from these project models, it may be easier to find ways to integrate carbon financing with support for climate change adaptation, rural development, and ecosystem services provision. With these new models, the ability to institutionalize management and implementation capacity at the local level will remain critically important.

Role of inland fishery and aquaculture for food and nutrition security in Nepal

Abstract: Fish as a food is generally acceptable to all regardless of region, religion, race, gender and age across Nepal. The aquaculture and open-water capture fishery contributes about 2 % of agricultural gross domestic production; this share of fisheries sector is tiny but promising having a fastest 8–9 % annual growth rate. Nevertheless, the contribution of fisheries sector is big from nutritional security perspective to poor and marginalized communities and thus cannot be ignored. Generally, the role and importance of the inland water fisheries had been rarely elaborated with perspectives to food and nutritional security in Himalayan landlocked country. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to elucidate the role and potential of inland fisheries for food and nutrition security in Nepal. Information was collected from secondary sources to estimate per capita fish consumption. The per capita consumption was calculated dividing the total fish production by population of specific year, which showed that per capita fish consumption has increased from 125 g in 1975 to 2060 g in year 2013, at least nine times below compared with average global consumption. The value of per capita fish consumption would increase, if native shellfish (gastropod, crab, shrimp, and turtle), frogs and aquatic plants such as foxnut (Euryale ferox) and water chest nut (Trapa sp) which are consumed by ethnic communities are added. In the fish production among the five development regions of the country, Central Development Region was at the top, while Far-Western Development Region was at the bottom. However, on altitudinal basis southern plains contribute highest production, while least is in mountain areas although potentiality of cold-water aquaculture seems high. These imply that support services and innovation should be extended in the Western Development Region and mountainous regions in addition to the plains for improving fisheries-based food and nutrition security.

Adoption of improved citrus orchard management practices: a micro study from Drujegang growers, Dagana, Bhutan

Abstract: Citrus ranks top among the agricultural export commodities of Bhutan both in terms of volume and value. However, citrus cultivation practices still remain traditional with very low yield and inferior fruit quality. This study adopted community approach to identify basic components of citrus orchard management. Citrus growers of Drujegang were trained on citrus orchard management and assessed the impact of training on the adoption of management technology and subsequent effect on the yield and household (HH) income for 40 randomly selected individuals. Statistical results showed significant difference both in terms of adoption of improved orchard management practices (p = 0.04) and HH income generation (p = 0.01). Adoption of improved management practices increased from 4.54 % (in 2012) to over 16 % (in 2014) with a mean yield increase of 27.5 % (212 kg acre−1) over previous year. Similarly, mean production increased from 5376 (2012) to 11,993 (2014) kg HH−1. Thus, average annual HH income from the sale of citrus increased from Nu. 82,641 (in 2012) to 164,307 (in 2014). Hands-on training on basic orchard management increased the rate of adoption and resulted in increased yield and production. Huge potential exists in enhancing the livelihood of citrus growers by taking forward the available orchard management technology to growers through appropriate research and extension intervention. Therefore, replication of similar participatory approach at community level is recommended in other parts of the country.

Spatial and temporal variation in weather events critical for boreal agriculture: II Precipitation

Abstract: There is great temporal and spatial variation in precipitation in Finland. Both drought episodes and repeated, abundant rains may interfere with crop growth, yield and quality formation, and many agricultural operations (such as tillage, sowing, crop protection and harvesting). The windows for optimal operations are often narrow due to the short growing season and variable weather conditions. Field traffic at high soil moisture may e.g. cause soil compaction. Also, the high environmental footprint on agriculture under high latitude conditions is often attributable to fluctuations in precipitation. The station-wise precipitation observations from the Finnish Meteorological Institute for the time period of 54 years (1961‒2014) were interpolated to a regular 10 km × 10 km grid covering the whole country. Several successive time slices were used to calculate the likelihood of: 1) drought periods and 2) periods with repeated rains with above normal precipitation sum so that both of these lasted for at least a) two weeks or b) three weeks. We demonstrated substantial spatial and temporal variation in the likelihood of drought and repeated rains: drought episodes were common during the early half of the growing season, while again repeated rains with high accumulated precipitation (lasting for two weeks) became common in the latter part of the growing season. Though, we highlighted in this paper some examples of how these events may affect agriculture and their environmental impacts, the datasets published here may be applied for many other assessments.

Chemical, enzymatic and physical characteristic of cloudy apple juices

Abstract: In this study cloudy juices from six apple cultivars: ‘Alwa’, ‘Fiesta’, ‘Gloster’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Mutsu’ and ‘Pinova’ were characterized in respect of polyphenols content by UPLC, PME (pectin methylesterase) activity, color, viscosity, and stability of turbidity. Apple cultivar affected significantly the chemical, enzymatic and physical properties of juices. Total quantitated polyphenols ranged from 686.63 mg l-1 (‘Gloster’) to 988.63 mg l-1 (‘Alwa’), and polymeric proanthocyanidins were a dominant group of these compounds. All of products contained also high content of phenolic acids, mainly chlorogenic. The thermal treatment of juices did not cause a complete inactivation of pectin methylesterase. Taking into account the % of residual enzyme activity, the pasteurization was more efficient in the case of ‘Fiesta’ and ‘Pinova’ juices (13% and 14% of the initial activity, respectively). Examined juices were characterized by low values of a stable turbidity (18.07–37.75%), despite relatively high viscosity (2.40–9.60 mPas).

Cocoa farming households in Ghana consider organic practices as climate smart and livelihoods enhancer

Abstract: Several state and non-state organizations are promoting organic agriculture as a climate smart option among cocoa farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana. In this study, flora diversity and livelihoods position in organic and conventional farming were measured and compared. The experiment included 32 households with young plantations. Jaccard similarity, Shannon (H′) and Simpson (D) diversity indices were measured to assess species similarity, abundance, evenness and dominance. The sustainable livelihoods indicators were food security, income, vulnerability and well-being. The results showed that the species are quite similar. The H′ index for organic farms was slightly higher (0.808) than that of conventional farms (0.762); the D index (0.051) for organic was better than the conventional (0.084). The organic farmers studied had better sustainable livelihoods outcomes than the conventional farmers. Since organic farming has more biodiversity, farmers should be encouraged to practise it to improve livelihoods outcomes and enhance climate change mitigation.

Performance and meat quality of Nordic Red and Aberdeen Angus bulls offered faba bean or field pea based whole crop legume-cereal silages

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of silage plant species (faba bean and field pea based whole crop legume-cereals vs. grass) on performance and meat quality of growing Aberdeen Angus (AA) and Nordic Red (NR) bulls. A 2×3 factorial design was used. The experiment comprised 30 AA and 30 NR bulls. Both breeds were randomly allotted to the three feeding treatments. The compositions (g kg-1 dry matter) of diets were: 1) grass silage (650) plus rolled barley (350), 2) faba bean-wheat silage (650) plus rolled barley (350) and 3) pea-wheat silage (650) plus rolled barley (350). The experimental diets were offered as total mixed rations ad libitum. The AA bulls grew faster, had better feed conversion rates and superior dressing proportion and carcass conformation compared to the NR bulls. Replacing grass silage by whole crop legume-cereal silages in the diet did not have remarkable effects on animal performance, carcass characteristics or meat quality.

Economics of beekeeping as pollination management practices adopted by farmers in Chitwan district of Nepal

Abstract: When the natural pollinator’s declines, beekeeping can contribute to the pollination services, assuring crop yields, and can also be used to strengthen the livelihoods through commercialization to increase economic revenue. A farmers’ survey and field experiment were conducted on 2011 to assess the economics of beekeeping as pollination management practices adopted by the farmers of Chitwan district, Nepal. Samples of 75 respondents from the list of beekeeper farmers of Chitwan district were selected randomly. Information was obtained from individual respondents through a pretested questionnaire and group discussion. Furthermore, to assess the benefit of bee pollination 15 experimental plots were selected to see the effect of bee pollination on mustard crop yield. From the study, the gross income (rupees/hives), productivity (rupees/man-day), average cost (rupees/hives), and gross benefit (rupees/hives) as a result of keeping bees were found to be 4475.23, 1506.30, 2526.66, and 1948.57, respectively. The benefit–cost ratio of beekeeping was found to be significantly higher, at 1.8. The contribution of the bee pollination on the mustard crop production was found significantly higher than that on the mustard production without the insect pollination. This research finding will provide the new ways of thinking on the relationship between beekeeping and their importance on the crop production. The pollination shortage due to pollinator declines can be mitigated through the beekeeping which helps to uplift the sustainable livelihoods of the farmers through income generation.

Fumonisin B1 and beauvericin accumulation in wheat kernels after seed-borne infection with Fusarium proliferatum

Abstract: Fusarium proliferatum is a fungal pathogen causing ear rot of maize. The fungus infects a range of other plants but the economic impact of these diseases has not been established. Recently, F. proliferatum and its mycotoxin fumonisin were found in wheat grains. Here we report that seed-borne infection of wheat with F. proliferatum resulted in systemic colonization of wheat plants and contamination of wheat grains with fumonisins and beauvericin. F. proliferatum strains originating from different hosts were able to infect wheat via seeds. Colonization of wheat plants with the fungus was highest in the stems, followed by leaves; one third of the strains reached kernels, causing accumulation of fumonisins and beauvericin to 15–55 µg kg -1 . The results show that seed-borne infection of wheat with F. proliferatum can lead to contamination of wheat kernels with mycotoxins fumonisins and beauvericin.

The effect of rootstock on apple tree bearing stability in a cooler climate

Abstract: The effect of rootstock on apple yield, productivity and alternate bearing was investigated at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry during a six-year period in a full bearing orchard. Apple cultivars ‘Ligol’ and ‘Auksis’ grafted on M.26 semi-dwarf rootstock; M.9, B.396, P 66, P 67 and Pure 1 dwarf rootstocks; and P 59, P 22, P 61, P 62 and PB.4 super-dwarf rootstocks were tested. Rootstock had a significant effect on apple tree growth, average yield and cumulative yield efficiency. Alternate apple bearing did not depend on rootstock vigour. Constant correlations between bearing regularity, average yield and cumulative yield efficiency were not established and differed on a cultivar or rootstock level. On the average of both tested cultivars, a more regular apple yield was recorded on Pure 1, P 59 and B.396 rootstocks. A significantly higher alternate bearing index was established on P 67, P 62 and M.9 rootstocks.

Urban harvests: food security and local fish and shellfish in Southcentral Alaska

Abstract: Alaska is known for its many fisheries, which support an extensive global marketplace, a thriving tourism industry, and also contribute much to diets of many Alaskans. Yet, some research has suggested that Alaska’s food security has been impacted negatively by the development of export-oriented commercial fisheries and tourism-oriented sport fisheries. In this paper, we discuss two sets of interviews that we completed with participants in two food fisheries in the Kenai Peninsula region of Southcentral Alaska: sockeye dipnet fishing and razor clam digging. We encountered a great deal of cultural and socioeconomic diversity among the participants of each, though a far greater proportion of the clam fishery were Alaska Native than in the salmon fishery. In both fisheries, people report participating both as a matter of food security and family tradition. Likewise, participants in both fisheries reported a great deal of experience with and knowledge of the fisheries. Many clam diggers worried that the fishery was being overharvested, despite the apparent abundance of clams that year, and this proved prescient to the fishery’s closure 2 years later. In the salmon fishery, some people were similarly concerned about the sustainability of the fisheries. Ultimately, our paper provides a descriptive account of participants in these two fisheries and sheds light on how important wild food harvests can be to the food security of Alaska’s urban residents. We recommend that future resource management policies continue to support the role of fisheries in local food security.

Root adaptation and ion selectivity affects the nutritional value of salt-stressed hydroponically grown baby-leaf Nasturtium officinale and Lactuca sativa

Abstract: The response of watercress (Nasturtium officinale L.) to salinity has been scarcely addressed in literature despite its growing importance in the baby-leaf market and its wide cultivation in salt-affected agricultural regions. This work evaluates the effect of salinity (2.5, 5 and 10 dS m-1) on productive and quality features of watercress compared with another crop widely cultivated for the baby-leaf sector (lettuce, Lactuca sativa). In watercress, a linear relationship (R2=0.75) was observed between yield decrease and Cl– accumulation in leaves, whereas yield was not affected by salinity in lettuce. NaCl application increased Na+ accumulation at the expense of Ca2+ uptake in the leaf tissues of both crops, but also of K+ in watercress. Health-related features were improved by salinity (e.g. increased phenolics and reduced nitrates), especially in watercress, with limited sensorial quality evaluation effects.

Spatial and temporal variation in weather events critical for boreal agriculture: I Elevated temperatures

Abstract: Variation in temperature challenges crop production and animal farming. Elevated temperatures are often harmful, though may also open opportunities at high latitudes. Impacts depend on the vulnerability of the object, production system and their resilience to climatic variability. The station-wise temperature observations from the Finnish Meteorological Institute for a time period of 54 years (1961‒2014) were interpolated to a regular 10 km × 10 km grid covering the whole country. Several successive time slices were used to measure the likelihood for: 1) elevated temperatures of a) ≥1 °C above normal for three weeks, b) ≥2 °C above normal for two weeks and c) ≥3 °C above normal for one week, and 2) heatwaves with daily maximum temperature >25 °C for: a) 5 days (short) or b) 14 days (long episode). We also estimated the likelihood of warm winds in the early growing season which may enhance pest migration. We found large spatial and temporal variations in the likelihoods of elevated temperatures with many impacts on crop production, animal farming and welfare. In fact, only 1 °C temperature elevation may already be harmful, though in some cases also beneficial depending on region and vulnerability or adaptation of the object and production system. Though we show only some examples of the potential impacts of temperature variation on high latitude agro-ecosystems, these data are valuable as such for much wider applications in agriculture and beyond that.

Effect of nutrition education on the knowledge scores of urban households with home gardens in Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract: Home gardens are an old agricultural practice playing a key role in household food security and diversity. Proximity of gardens to the home facilitates easy access to food and reduces household expenditure. Home gardens combined with nutrition education could improve household diets both quantitatively and qualitatively. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a nutrition education intervention on families with home gardens in Morogoro, Tanzania. Two cross-sectional nutrition surveys were conducted at different time points, the baseline in October–November 2013 and endline in May–June 2014. Between the surveys, an intervention consisting of three interactive nutrition education sessions was conducted in December 2013. The study targeted forty households owning home gardens in urban areas of Morogoro municipality. Mixed methods were used to collect data, including semi-structured questionnaires for quantitative data and focus group discussions for qualitative data. The estimated marginal means showed small statistically non-significant improvements in knowledge scores for vitamin A (p = 0.145, partial η 2 = 0.065) and iron (p = 0.403, partial η 2 = 0.022). There were more positive scores observed for both nutrients at endline compared with baseline. Composite knowledge scores calculated for participants showed improvements in the category with scores between 3 and 6 points, for both nutrients. While a statistically significant improvement in knowledge scores was not observed, an increase in number of positive scores and composite knowledge scores indicate an improvement in nutrition knowledge among participants. These results show that families having home gardens and who are provided with nutrition education can improve the quality of their household diets. Nutrition education in combination with other agricultural interventions could be a potential tool to improve nutritional status and should be integrated into public health programmes and strategies.

The effect of weakened resilience on food insecurity in protracted crisis: the case of South Sudan

Abstract: This study aims to determine predictors of food insecurity in a typical setting where resilience of population is weakened as a result of protracted crises. South Sudan is used as a case study. The rationale of the study is anchored on the perception that food insecurity risk is a function of weak resilience, which in turn is a function of the absence of a combination of certain characteristics and livelihood endowments of a household or a population. Analysis explores the use of SAS® SURVEYLOGISTIC procedure, as it has been established to be useful in analysis of data from sample surveys. The procedure is known for its valid statistical inference. Employing a survey logistic model with generalised logit link function determined all fitted fixed effects to be statistically significant. Analysis showed that characteristics of households and agriculture (including livestock and fishing) were typically associated with acceptable level of food consumption and implying that the absence of these factors demonstrated weakened resilience and thus increased risk of food insecurity. Analysis also examined the odds of each level of fixed effect compared to the reference level in relation to the food consumption score (the response or outcome variable). Findings were interesting, but largely confirmed what was expected (see Table 5). For instance, it was found out that households headed by younger adults aged 17 years or less fared three times worse than those aged 60 years and above. It was also shown that smaller households fared better than larger ones. The odds of a household with three or less members were twice as worse as those with seven or more members. We conclude that the method exerted reasonable statistical efficiency for fulfilling the study end, thus providing sufficient evidence for food security analysts and development policy makers in the course of developing appropriate interventions for early preparedness and crises response.