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Now showing items 81-90 of 303
Aufsatz
Socio-economic, political, and institutional sustainability of agroforestry in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
(2019-11-19)
Promoting sustainable agricultural practices such as agroforestry (AF) could improve long-term productivity, enhance a sustainable rural livelihood and reduce pressure on natural resources and ecosystems in the tropics. However, AF seems to have adoption problems due to external market forces, lack of skills, financial resources and know-how ending in low flexibility and discontinuity of farmers in practicing AF. The objective of this study is to identify social, institutional, and economic factors that influence the ...
Aufsatz
The nutritive value of Dichrostachys cinerea subspecies nyasana pod meal as an alternative feed resource for weaned rabbits and piglets in Southern Africa
(2019-07-02)
This study investigated the nutritional value of Dichrostachys cinerea subsp. nyassana pod meal (DCNPM), an abundant freely available feed resource derived from an invasive plant in Southern Africa, for weaned rabbits and piglets, and the ameliorative effect of wood ash extract (WAE) against deleterious effects of DCNPM tannins. In a completely randomised design (CRD), 16 weaned rabbits were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments (DCNPM at 0, 5, 10, and 20 %) with 4 replicate animals each, for 6 weeks (Exp. 1). ...
Aufsatz
Effects of three leafy vegetables on the growth performance of Giant African Snail Achatina (Lissachatina) fulica
(2019-06-07)
This present research was performed to evaluate the effects of three leafy vegetable diets [bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), fluted pumpkin leaf (Telfairia occidentalis) and pawpaw leaf (Carica papaya)] on the growth performance of Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica). A total of ninety (90) A. fulica were used for the study. Thirty (30) snails each were subjected to three different dietary treatments in three replicates of 10 snails per replicate and fed with the fresh leaves of these vegetables over a period of ...
Aufsatz
The impact of uncertainty on smallholder farmers' income in Kyrgyzstan
(2019-12-12)
The farming systems in the mountain areas of Kyrgyzstan are primarily characterised by small-scale crop and livestock activities. Farmers are faced with several environmental, socio-economic and political challenges and constraints that result in significant uncertainties affecting their operations. This paper attempts to model how various sources of uncertainty collectively affected the smallholders’ farm incomes during a mid-term horizon using Monte Carlo simulation. The analyses were based on data collected through ...
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 ...