While dairy production has the potential to diversify smallholder agriculture and increase incomes, there are multiple constraints. One is the consistent provision of quality feed. High protein, leguminous fodder shrubs – also referred to as Fodder Tree Technology (FTT) – can help address this constraint, yet adoption levels are generally low. Implemented in Kenya and Malawi, the Shrubs for Change

Legume agronomic research in Southern Africa has often focused on integrating legumes into smallholder cereal cropping systems, but there is limited information available on the feasibility and soil health implications of continuous cropping legumes in the region. Continuous legumes may be suitable in areas with large livestock populations where a premium is placed on high-quality forage, or where

Low and slow adoption of innovative technologies among smallholder farmers in Tunisia is a key agricultural development problem partly related to the existing technology transfer approach used in the country. The objective of this study is to analyse how to design innovative technology transfer strategies more effective in terms of increasing female and male farmers’ adoption of an improved barley

Enhanced-efficiency nitrogen (N) fertilizers (EENFs) such as slow-release polymer-coated urea (PCU) and deep placement of urea briquettes (UBs) improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by reducing N losses and increasing nitrogen uptake by plants. Multilocation field trials (81) with cauliflower were conducted across two agroecological regions covering seven districts during two crop-growing seasons between

Nutrient deficiency is a major constraint in tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) production in Ethiopia. In the past, a blanket recommendation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers has been applied regardless of the diversity of agroecological zones and soil types. As crop responses declined with widespread deficiencies of nutrients, farmers have lost interest in applying the recommended

The use of fertilizers in balanced and adequate amounts is a prerequisite for increasing crop productivity and production. Unbalanced plant nutrient management continues to be a major factor contributing to low maize (Zea mays L.) yields due to lack of information on the dose–responses to macronutrients on different soil types in Ethiopia. This study was carried out to quantify maize yield response

The use of chemical fertilizers is among the main innovations brought by the 1960s Green Revolution. In Ethiopia, fertilizer application during the last four decades has led to significant yield gains, yet yield remains below its potential across much of the country. One of the main challenges responsible for low yield response to fertilizer application has been the use of ‘blanket’ recommendations

Macadamia in Australia is traditionally grown in semi-arid climates with hot and humid summers and cool winters supporting rainfed cultivation. Recent industry expansion into more northern, drier production areas of Queensland, Australia, requires supplementary irrigation for successful macadamia production. However, ever-increasing demand for irrigation water in these areas is both competitive and

Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the major cereal crop used as staple crop in the arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Low sorghum yields are attributed to soil, climate and topographic factors. We investigated sorghum yield response to factorial combination of nitrogen and phosphorous (NP) as well as potassium (K), sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn), and how the position of farmers’ fields

The study at hand measures the value of improving data governance and access in the Supporting Soil Health Interventions (SSHI) project in Ethiopia. We applied two separate but interlinked models, one qualitative and one quantitative, to create a new framework enhancing the traditional cost–benefit analysis. The qualitative analysis provided novel insights into the specific types of value and the mechanisms

Direct belowground nitrogen (N) transfer has often been reported where plants with contrasting nutrients acquisition strategies (N2-fixing and non-fixing) co-occur, and there is still a gap in the knowledge of the extent of this transfer in the top soil under the field conditions. However, assessment under field conditions is challenging. We hypothesized a practical application of the analysis of natural

Production of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by parasitic striga weeds and attack by stemborers and the invasive fall armyworm (FAW), compounded by increasing hot and dry conditions. A climate-smart push-pull technology (PPT) significantly reduces effects of these biotic challenges. To improve further resilience of the system to climate change, more adapted and suitable companion

A number of studies across sub-Saharan Africa have recently reported poor crop responses and low agronomic use efficiencies of applied nitrogen (AEN), phosphorus (AEP) and potassium (AEK). However, the conditions under which non-responsiveness occurs, its underlying causes and its probability of occurrence on different soil types are not well understood. Using data from 542 sites and 14 soil types

Meeting the burgeoning global demand for both food and energy requires substantial yield increases through the efficient use of inputs like fertilizers. Prompted by the result of a soil survey expedition in the late 1950s, which signaled a widespread deficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), plant nutrition research in Ethiopia began in the 1960s, focusing on the response of prioritized cereals

Seeds can deteriorate rapidly under high heat and humidity, making it challenging and potentially costly to store orthodox seeds effectively in the tropics, thereby affecting agriculture development. This work explores the effectiveness of novel, low-cost technologies for storing seeds in warm, humid, resource-constrained environments, focusing on maintaining the viability of seeds already dry prior

Increasing yields in farmer fields is a priority to address increasing food demands. The study was conducted within four wheat-growing areas in Ethiopia: Debre Birhan, Hosaina, Sinana and Maychew. The objectives were to identify (1) best-bet soil fertility management options based on agronomic performance and economic evaluation and (2) key yield-reducing factors in farmer fields based on an agronomic

The potential yield of improved maize varieties usually cannot be fully realised mainly due to inappropriate soil nutrient management practices in most parts of Ethiopia. Site-specific fertiliser recommendations are rarely used in the farming systems of Ethiopia. There is also a lack of data to develop or validate decision support tools for targeting specific crop production. A study was conducted

Application of biochar to rice has shown to elicit positive environmental and agricultural impacts due to its physicochemical properties. However, the relationship between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rice yield, and soil nutrient status under biochar amendment remains unclear. In this study, rice yield and methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were quantified in response to biochar application

Although soybean is emerging as an important commercial crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), its productivity on smallholder farms is very low. Soybean requires application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer and inoculation with the right rhizobium strains to achieve optimum biological nitrogen fixation and higher yields. However, subsistence farmers in SSA rarely invest in P fertilizers and inoculants due

Fertilizer nitrogen (N) management in any region following standard general recommendations discount the fact that crop response to N varies between sites and seasons. To devise field-specific N management in wheat at jointing stage (Feekes 6 growth stage) using atLeaf meter and leaf colour chart (LCC), eight field experiments were conducted in three wheat seasons during 2017–2020 in the West Delta

Optimisation of fertiliser use and site-specific nutrient management are increasingly becoming critical because of the growing need to balance agricultural productivity with the growing demand for food and environmental concerns. Trials to determine responses of crops to fertilisers have been widely conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with increasing emphasis on the development of economically optimum

SummaryThe North China Plain (NCP) is an important agricultural area, where conventional tillage (CT) is used year-round. However, long-term CT has damaged the soil structure, threatening agricultural sustainability. Since 2002, we have conducted a long-term tillage experiment in the NCP to explore the effects of different types of tillage on soil and crop yield. As part of long-term conservation tillage

Increasing barley production in the face of declining soil fertility on smallholder farms is a critical challenge in Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the optimum rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) fertilizers under a balanced fertilization of other macro- and micronutrients (zinc and boron) and (2) quantify the agronomic efficiency of N

SummaryRice is the staple crop of Guinea Bissau, and its production system is based on human labor with very limited possibility of mechanization, particularly in the Mangrove ecosystem. Due to this and to the low possibilities of controlling environment parameters, such as water level and availability, the genetic resistance to extreme abiotic factors was identified as a key point for increasing yields

This paper examines whether rice adoption decision differs between sole decision-making and collaborative decision-making in which household members jointly decide on rice varietal selection. Overall, the results show that the majority of rice farmers currently cultivate older rice varieties. The average varietal age is 22 years. Adopters and non-adopters are significantly different in several observed

Crop rotations under no-till (NT) have been a strategy to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhancing the cropping system efficiency. However, there is still controversy on the role of grasses and legumes, and species diversity and their impacts. This study aimed to assess the GHG emissions, SOC, and Nitrogen (TN) in a soybean production system managed

SummaryThe experiment was carried out in three crop cycles as plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon at five locations on Florida muck soils (histosols) to evaluate the genotypes, test locations, and identify the superior and stable sugarcane genotypes. There were 13 sugarcane genotypes along with three commercial cultivars as checks included in this study. Five locations were considered as environments

In Indonesia, management practices that reduce soil fertility could be limiting cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production. To address this, we investigated the effects of fertilizers and organic amendments comprising different combinations of NPK + urea, dolomite, and manure-based compost on soil properties and cocoa productivity. We extended an existing field experiment in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, to

SummaryThe development of high-yielding, short-duration super-rice hybrids is important for ensuring food security in China where multiple cropping is widely practiced and large-scale farming has gradually emerged. In this study, field experiments were conducted over 3 years to identify the yield formation characteristics in the shorter-duration (∼120 days) super-rice hybrid ‘Guiliangyou 2’ (G2) by

Reducing soil evaporation by different agricultural practices is important not only for water saving but also for its applicability by farmers. In wheat fields, the goal of efficient water management is to save water and increase yield. At present, the combined effects of maize-straw mulching (M) and crop density (D) on soil evaporation and temperature, wheat performance, and water use efficiency (WUE)

Summary Continuous rotation of rice with wheat in rice–wheat system has resulted in stagnant yields and reduced profit margins while deteriorating the soil health. Legume incorporation in existing rice–wheat rotations might be a viable option to improve soil health and productivity. We investigated the influence of puddled transplanted flooded rice and direct-seeded rice on weed dynamics, soil health

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices are becoming more important in Mediterranean rainfed areas due to their potential to minimize climatic risk, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil quality and water availability. Due to minimum soil disturbance and crop residue retention, the soil environment for crop growth and development can differ between CA and conventional tillage (CT) practice. However

Soil degradation is characterized by loss of soil organic matter, decline in fertility, imbalance in elemental content, deterioration of soil structure, and overall a deterioration of soil environment. According to the classification method of Pieri et al. (1992), the soil is classified into different degradation classes by calculating the soil structural stability index (St) of each sample point.

SummarySoil and nutrients losses due to soil erosion are detrimental to crop production, especially in the hilly terrains. An experiment was carried out in three consecutive cropping seasons (2012–2015) with four treatments: sole maize; sole maize with plastic mulch; maize and cowpea under plastic mulching; and maize and soybean under plastic mulching in randomized block design (RBD) to assess their

SummaryStudies on the effect of nanofertilizers (NF) in physiological performance of plants is scarce, especially that related to substances encapsulated into silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in cocoa plants. The effect of foliar application of SiO2-NF on nutrient contents, gas exchange, photochemical activity, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble protein (TSP), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency

The economic hardship of dairy producers has worsened in the last decade because of increasing costs of production. A field survey with 51 dairy farmers was conducted to explore strategies to mitigate economic hardship. Factor and cluster analyses were conducted to characterize the farmers and their farms. Differences among groups regarding changes adopted to increase incomes, to reduce costs, and

Predicting in-season crop yield is a unique tool for drawing important crop management decisions for precision farming. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in northwestern India under different agro-climatic zones to predict and validate spring maize yield using various in-season spectral indices. The spectral properties measured with leaf color chart (LCC), chlorophyll meter (SPAD meter)

SummaryInoculation of symbiotic N2-fixing rhizobacteria (rhizobia) in legumes is an alternative to reduce synthetic N fertiliser input to crops. Even though common bean benefits from the biological N2 fixation carried out by native rhizobia isolates, the low efficiency of this process highlights the importance of screening new strains for plant inoculation. Two rhizobial strains (SEMIA 4108 and SEMIA

Pera sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) is the most important mid-season sweet orange cultivar in Brazil, not only because of its desirable fruit quality for both juice processing and the fresh fruit market, but also because there is a lack of adequate mid-season alternative sweet orange cultivars. This study aimed to evaluate the horticultural performance of other sweet oranges in an attempt

SummaryPlastic film (PF) mulching is widely applied in agriculture to improve water-use efficiency (WUE) and crop production. However, without efficient recovery, the residual plastic fragments in arable land threaten soil health and food security. Degradable films are generally considered as alternatives to conventional PF to mitigate PF pollution. A 2-year field experiment was conducted in 2016 and

East African highland bananas and climbing beans are important crops for food and income in the highlands of Uganda. Intercropping of banana with legume crops is a common practice, yet climbing bean intercropping with perennials has rarely been studied in Uganda. To understand how best to improve the production system, we assessed the effects of pruning of banana leaves on light availability for climbing

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia typically use subsidised, ammonium-based rice fertilisers that in combination with poor agricultural practices have resulted in soil acidification, loss of organic matter, aluminium toxicity and lower soil fertility. As a result, these soils are only marginally appropriate for replanting cocoa to boost production. A field experiment was performed

In this study, the CERES-Maize model was calibrated and evaluated using data from 60 farmers’ fields across Sudan (SS) and Northern Guinea (NGS) Savannas of Nigeria in 2016 and 2017 rainy seasons. The trials consisted of 10 maize varieties sown at three different sowing densities (2.6, 5.3, and 6.6 plants m−2) across farmers’ field with contrasting agronomic and nutrient management histories. Model

Manure and chemical fertilizers have different effects on soil properties, the nitrogen cycle, and crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different fertilizer applications under the same N input on soil physicochemical properties and soil bacterial communities and to explain the contributions of soil properties to grain yield. Manure substitution of chemical fertilizer was conducted

SummaryMaize production is central to rural livelihoods in the hills of Nepal. Access to affordable improved maize seed has long been a barrier to productivity gains and livelihood improvement. This study evaluates the direct and indirect (spillover) impacts of a community-based seed production program in Nepal using a quasi-experimental method for selected outcome indicators. Our results show that

Agricultural production on the Mahafaly Plateau in SW-Madagascar has traditionally been based on subsistence rain-fed agriculture, with yields declining as a result of low soil fertility, recurrent droughts, and erratic rainfall. Market-oriented vegetable production in this area may help households improve their nutrition and diversify their income. In field trials between the 2013 and 2016 dry cropping

The area of individual leaves in oil palm has been conventionally estimated from a regression equation that is based on the size and number of leaflets. The aim of the present study is to verify the accuracy of this equation, which became standard in oil palm research. Therefore, true leaf area, measured with a video camera, was estimated from the product of number of leaflets per leaf (n) with mean

In the Northern mountainous region of Vietnam, cassava–cowpea intercropping system has been widely promoted with support from the local agricultural department. However, cowpea yield is often limited because of a low Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) activity due to its low natural nodulation and lack of available effective Rhizobium products. The aim of this study was to identify the most effective

The cover crops Mucuna pruriens var. utilis and Pueraria phaseoloides were introduced to African farmers to improve crop production on degraded soils, yet they appear not to be adopted at scale. In the humid forest zone of West and Central Africa, the dominant Acrisols and Nitisols are inherently poor even when not degraded through agriculture. In this zone, sole maize cropping and vegetable production

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) has a Mediterranean origin and was spread to Western Europe, Africa and South Asia. Over time, this grain legume crop has become important in South Asia, where it is often affected by waterlogging at germination. Therefore, varieties with waterlogging tolerance of seeds at germination are needed. This study evaluated waterlogging tolerance in a grass pea diversity panel

A survey was conducted of Indonesian cocoa farms to assess the extent of yield variation and factors associated with this variation. The survey of 120 farms during the course of 3 years encompassed four provinces in Sulawesi (South, South-East, West and Central), Western Sumatra, Lampung, East Java and West Papua. A high degree of yield variation was observed between farms, the average over 3 years

Food security under smallholder farming can be improved through innovative intensification of cropping systems. Maize (Zea mays L.) – mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) – common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) sequential intercropping was studied to evaluate the patterns of radiation capture and radiation use efficiency and to determine the effects of leaf removal and row orientation on performance

Cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata) is usually submitted to pre-harvest burndown with herbicides aiming to an early harvest. We aimed to quantify the residues of paraquat, diquat, glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate in cowpea grains subjected to two timings of pre-harvest burndown. Three identical experiments were installed in Dourados (Lat. 22° S), Sinop (Lat. 11° S) and Teresina (Lat. 05° S), Brazil

Agricultural extension requires close communication with farmers, and researchers must consider farmers’ perspectives on crop management. Farmers tend to take into account the canopy appearance when they decide on fertilizer application, and this is often neglected in crop management recommendations by researchers. Our objectives were to dissect the growth characteristics that farmers implicitly account

The objective of the study was to characterize small-scale dairy production systems to identify the technological preferences according to the farmer and farm characteristics and to analyze the importance and role of the information communication technologies (ICTs) in the dissemination of information related to management and livestock activities. To collect the data, a survey was applied to 170 small-scale

Climbing beans play a central role in food security of rural households in the densely populated highlands of East and Central Africa. Soil fertility degradation and the lack of nutrient inputs are major limitations to yield of beans and other crops. We conducted field trials in Northern Rwanda in Kinoni and Muko villages to evaluate the effect of mineral N, P, and K fertilizers (both alone and in

This study identified decision variables influencing fertilizer adoption and optimal fertilizer rates among smallholder farmers in the Ethiopian highlands. The fertilizer adoption and fertilizer use were examined in four regional states using a questionnaire survey, which was administered to 2880 farm households. A double hurdle model was used to analyze factors influencing the two independent decisions

To improve the national average yield of potato in Ethiopia, which is very low as compared to its potential, factors that influence technical efficiency of potato production need to be determined. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of technical efficiency using a cross-sectional data collected from 368 randomly selected potato producers in Northern Ethiopia using

Proximal plant sensing with active canopy sensors offers a leap in the non-destructive assessment of crop agronomic information. For managing fertilizer nitrogen (N), sensor readings must be translated using functional models or algorithms to fertilizer amounts. Six field experiments were conducted in three wheat seasons in the West Nile Delta in Egypt to develop and validate an algorithm based on

White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is an important tuber crop in a number of countries, but especially in West Africa where it serves as a food staple as well as a cash crop as excess production is sold in local markets. But the availability of quality planting material, most notably seed yams, for yam production remains an important constraint for farmers. Techniques have been developed to help address