Adoption, yield and profitability of tomato grafting technique in Vietnam

Theme: Families, Farms, FoodThis paper assesses the impact of AVRDC’s tomato grafting approach on yield and farm profitability in Lam Dong province and Red River Delta, Vietnam. Tomato grafting is advantageous to farmers suffering from soil-borne disease and abiotic stresses. However, there is scanty information on the extent of knowledge on adoption studies of tomato grafting technology in Vietnam. Based on a farm household survey conducted in August 2012, this paper provides detailed assessment of the adoption and profitability of introducing tomato grafting in the two study areas. Results indicate a 100% (n=225) adoption in Lam Dong province, and a 48% (n=36) adoption in the Red River Delta. The use of rootstock varieties differs in both locations to address location-specific agronomic challenges: tomato variety ‘Vimina’ (or HW7996) to address bacterial wilt (BW) problem, and eggplant EG203 variety in the Red River Delta to address both BW and waterlogging problem. Estimates from a Cobb-Douglas production function show that tomato grafting increases yield by 30% based. Marketable yield of grafted tomato was significantly larger (71.3 t/ha in Lam Dong Province and 75.0 t/ha in Red River Delta) than nongrafted (48.0 t/ha in Red River Delta). The benefit-cost ratio of grafted tomato production was higher compared to non-grafted due to increased yield and higher premium price. Nonetheless, further validation studies are required, considering the relatively small sample size in the Red River Delta and the high variability of some parameters.C.A. Genova, P. Schreinemachers, V. Afari-Sef

Empowering local partners for inclusive and sustainable agricultural development — experiences from the Tropical Legumes Project in Africa

The importance of strong local partnerships and alliances for the sustainability and long-term success of agricultural development efforts cannot be overemphasized. This is supported by its inclusion as a standalone goal (goal 17) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also by increasing calls to make local partnerships and alliances integral components of development projects and programmes. Strong local partnerships are critical not only for identifying development needs, setting priorities, and driving the implementation of validated development interventions but also for scaling and sustaining impacts of such interventions

Adoption and impact of improved groundnut varieties on household food security in Nigeria

Improved agricultural technologies are promoted as cost-effective and sustainable ways of improving rural households’ food security and reducing poverty in developing countries. This study evaluates the relationship between improved groundnut varieties (IGVs) and household food security using detailed household and plot level data from a sample of over 1300 farm households in Northern Nigeria. Endogenous switching regression models are employed to control for potential endogeneity biases. Results show that about 30 % of groundnut plots are planted with improved varieties, and the adoption of IGVs significantly increases the likelihood of household per capita groundnut consumption by about 13 % and reduces the probability of households’ vulnerability to food (access) insecurity by 22 %. Counterfactual analyses show that non-adopting households could have enjoyed comparable benefits had they adopted IGVs. These results suggest that development interventions aimed at improving the diffusion and impacts of IGVs in Nigeria need to target farmers’ access to information about the technologies while developing groundnut seed systems to make quality seeds readily available to smallholder farmers at affordable prices

Transforming tribal communities in Telangana, India, into strategic business enterprises — a paradigm for inclusive growth

Global food systems are failing both people and the planet due to overarching interconnected challenges, including climate change, natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, malnutrition, food insecurity, gender inequality and preventable ill-health, all of which are exacerbated by the fragmentation of food systems and policy incoherence. Here, we present innovative interventions that have addressed critical bottlenecks in the transformation of food systems, with a case study on linking entrepreneurship with agriculture and nutrition/health via a convergence model in a select tribal locale of India

Farming Practices of Vegetables: a Comparative Study in Four Regions of East Java and Bali Provinces

Agronomic and ecological aspects play important roles in vegetable production, because the aspects will be used for determining suitable interventions. This study aims to provide current farmers\u27 practices of vegetable production, particularly for agronomic and ecological aspects of chilli and tomato in four regions of East Java and Bali. This study uses of analytical tool of descriptive approach by comparing and contrasting each production practices across regions. Data were compiled from a field survey of 360 farmers during 2013-2014. Results of analysis were presented in graphical and tabular forms. Farmers mostly selected hybrid varieties of vegetables because of economic reasons, such as high yield, good appearance and high number of fruits. Anthracnose and late blight were perceived as the most important disease in chilli and tomato respectively. Farmers controlled pests and diseases using pesticides. In general, farmers perceived that irrigation was one of limiting factors of vegetable farming. Poor drainage was one of the crucial issues in Bali. Farmers mostly sold vegetable once harvested. Post-harvest handling was still traditional, where farmers still less pay attention on post-harvest, even though they observed the economic advantage of post-harvest. Based on the existing practices, a special extension on vegetable production needs to be formulated appropriately, based on the specific characteristics of each region

The Rapid Degradation of Lambda-Cyhalothrin Makes Treated Vegetables Relatively Safe for Consumption.

Lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-cyhalothrin) is the most commonly used pyrethroid insecticide for vegetable farming in Benin. This insecticide is misused and overused by farmers, and hence may pose health hazards to consumers. We monitored λ-cyhalothrin residues in lettuce and cabbage from farms at the market gates in Cotonou and Parakou using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis techniques. These residues were also monitored on samples directly from farms (on-farm sampling) for 14 days post-treatment. Potential factors such as photolysis and hydrolysis involved in λ-cyhalothrin degradation were also screened. Results revealed that the level of λ-cyhalothrin residue concentrations in lettuce from Houeyiho decreased from 4.2 mg/kg on Day 1 to about 0.2 mg/kg on Day 7. On Day 9, analyzed lettuces were all λ-cyhalothrin free. In contrast, even 14 days after treatment of cabbage from Bawera (Parakou), we still recorded the presence of λ-cyhalothrin residues in analyzed samples. For samples from market gates, λ-cyhalothrin residues were found in lettuce from two markets out of the nine surveyed in Cotonou. Interestingly, none of these contaminated samples had residues above the maximum residue limit for lettuce (MRL = 0.5 mg/kg). Similarly, in Parakou, samples from all five surveyed vegetable markets were contaminated with λ-cyhalothrin residues at concentrations below the MRL for cabbage (MRL = 0.2 mg/kg). We conclude that λ-cyhalothrin residues in lettuce and cabbage from farms and markets in Parakou and Cotonou are within the MRL, and hence are relatively safe for consumption

Roundtable discussion report Inclusive Agripreneurship : Challenges & Opportunities

Inclusive Agripreneurship is essential for fostering equitable economic growth, enhancing food security, and promoting sustainable development in the agricultural sector

Does crop diversity contribute to dietary diversity? Evidence from integration of vegetables into maize-based farming systems

Background: Maize is the most important staple crop for food security and livelihood of smallholder farmers in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, but it alone cannot ensure food security. Cropping patterns must be diversified to ensure an adequate supply and economic access to greater variety of foods for smallholder farm households. This study measured the effect of crop diversification on household dietary diversity in a selected study locale using a survey of 300 randomly stratified farm households in 10 villages located in the Babati, Kongwa and Kiteto districts of Tanzania. Results: Based on multiple regression analysis, the study found that simply increasing Simpson’s Index does not influence dietary diversity of farm households due to the presence of interaction effect between Simpson’s Index and crop income. It is much more critical and significant to increase the revenue generated from diversified crops along with other socioeconomic endowment and behavioral characteristics of farm households. This is particularly applicable to poorer smallholder farmers who receive crop income less than US$85 per sales transaction and per season. Particularly, marginal and smallholders might be exposed to the effects of crop diversification and crop income toward increasing in their household dietary diversity score. Conclusion: Under average crop income scenarios, households that diversify their crop production tend to increase their dietary diversity from their existing dietary diversity score at a decreasing rate. However, under below average crop income threshold scenarios, farmers tend to increase their dietary diversity score from their existing score at an increasing rate when they diversify into high-value crops that attract relatively high farm gate values and accrue higher net revenues from the market. Monthly food expenditure also tends to positively influence household dietary diversity, indicating that farm households that spend more on market-purchased food have consistent increases in their dietary diversity scores at the household level. This study concludes that improving economic access to variety of foods at the smallholder household level by diversifying diets through increased crop diversification should be encouraged within maize-based farming systems of the study locale, through integration of micronutrient-rich foods such as vegetables