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Aufsatz
Competitive interaction between guava and weeds: Effect on initial growth
(2019-12-03)
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is one of the 50 most consumed fruits in the world. However, weed competition compromises fruit production in cultivation areas. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the competitive interaction between guava plants and common infesting species on initial growth. Guava seedlings were cultivated during 60 days with Bidens subalternans DC., Waltheria indica L. or Commelina benghalensis L. in a randomized block design with four replicates. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse condition ...
Aufsatz
Liming effects on reproductive growth and yield components of maize grown on an acid rainforest soil
(2019-12-03)
Maize was planted on limed and unlimed plots to study the effect of soil acidity on reproductive growth and yield components of the crop in Owerri southeastern Nigeria. Eight (8) maize varieties (Factor A) and two lime levels (0 and 2 t ha-1, Factor B) were arranged as a factorial experiment in a randomised complete block design with three replications. The number of days to 50 % anthesis and silking, anthesis-silking interval (ASI), physiological maturity and grain filling duration were measured to determine the ...
Aufsatz
In the search for low-cost year-round feeds: Pen-level growth performance of local and crossbred Ugandan pigs fed forage- or silage-based diets versus commercial diet
(Kassel University Press, 2018-12-04)
Smallholder pig farmers in East Africa report that lack of feed, seasonal feed shortages, quality and cost are key constraints to pig rearing. Commercially prepared pig diets are too expensive and people and pigs compete for food. Smallholder farmers typically feed nutritionally unbalanced diets, resulting in low average daily gain (ADG) and poor farmer profits. Our objective was to compare the ADG of Ugandan pigs fed forage- or silage-based or commercial diets. Ugandan weaner-grower pigs were randomly assigned to ...
Aufsatz
Smallholder goat production in the Namaacha and Moamba districts of southern Mozambique
(Kassel University Press, 2019-01-10)
Goat rearing is one of the most common livestock farming activities in Mozambique and has the potential to play a powerful role in improving the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers. This study was conducted to investigate the status of goat husbandry practices in rural areas of southern Mozambique. Data were collected from a total of 45 smallholder goat keepers in three different villages through questionnaires complemented by interviews. Most households were dependent on crop production and livestock as their main ...
Aufsatz
Farm and farmer capital foster adoption of improved quality agrochemical inputs in the cotton-wheat zone of the Punjab, Pakistan
(2019-12-23)
Adoption of yield-enhancing agricultural inputs fosters agricultural intensification in low-income countries. In Pakistan, initial adoption of agrochemicals is already widespread; the low quality of much of the inputs contributes to severe health, environmental and enduring pest problems, however. While the positive influence of farm capital and farmer capital on initial adoption is well documented, the adoption of improved quality inputs is little researched. We reduce the knowledge gap investigating smallholder ...
Aufsatz
Agri-environmental evaluation of traditional and alternative corn production systems in Chiapas, Mexico
(Kassel University Press, 2011)
This study evaluates the effects of environmental variables on traditional and alternative agroecosystems in three Ejidos (communal lands) in the Chiapas rainforest in Mexico. The tests occurred within two seasonal agricultural cycles. In spring-summer, experiments were performed with the traditional slash, fell and burn (S-F-B) system, no-burn systems and rotating systems with Mucuna deeringiana Bort., and in the autumn-winter agricultural cycle, three no-burn systems were compared to evaluate the effect of alternative ...
Aufsatz
Soil fertility and nutrient status of traditional Gayo coffee agroforestry systems in the Takengon region, Aceh Province, Indonesia
(Kassel University Press, 2011)
Little is known about the traditional coffee cultivation systems in Central Aceh, Indonesia, where coffee production is a major source of income for local Gayo people. Based on field observations and farmer interviews, 14 representative agroforestry coffee plantations of different age classes (60-70 years, 30-40 years, and 20 years) as well as seven adjacent grassland and native forest sites were selected for this study, and soil and coffee leaf samples collected for nutrient analysis. Significant differences in soil ...
Aufsatz
Domestic policy responses to the food price crisis: The case of Bolivia
(Kassel University Press, 2011)
In face of the global food crisis of 2007-2008, severe concerns arose about how developing countries would be affected by the extreme short-term fluctuations in international commodity prices. We examine the effects of the crisis on Bolivia, one of the poorest countries of the Americas. We focus on the effectiveness of the domestic policy interventions in preventing spillovers of the development of international food prices to domestic markets. Using a cointegration model, we study price interdependencies of wheat ...
Aufsatz
Short-term poverty dynamics of rural households: Evidence from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
(Kassel University Press, 2011)
The understanding of poverty dynamics is crucial for the design of appropriate poverty reduction strategies. Taking the case of Central Sulawesi, we investigate the determinants of both chronic and transitory poverty using data from 264 randomly selected households interviewed in 2005 and 2007. Regarding the US 1$/day poverty line, the headcount index declined from 19.3% in 2005 to 18.2% in 2007. However, we observed an increasing number of people living on less than US 2$/day expressed in purchasing power parity ...
Aufsatz
Ideotyping integrated aquaculture systems to balance soil nutrients
(Kassel University Press, 2011)
Due to growing land scarcity and lack of nutrient inputs, African farmers switched from shifting cultivation to continuous cropping and extended crop area by bringing fragile lands such as river banks and hill slopes into production. This accelerated soil fertility decline caused by erosion, harvesting and insufficient nutrient replenishment. We explored the feasibility to reduce nutrient depletion by increasing nutrient utilization efficiencies, while diversifying and increasing food production through the development ...