Traditional medicine as an alternative form of health care system: A preliminary case study of Nangabo sub-county, central Uganda

This study was conducted in Nangabo sub-county of Wakiso district. The purpose was to document the common Traditional Medicine (TM) practices; assess the local people's preferences for TM versus western medicine (WM) and lastly to determine the awareness about the importance of TM by local people. Data were collected using semi-structured administered face-to-face with respondents. A total of 120 interviewed. Six focused group discussions (FGDs) were held to validate the questionnaire responses. Data were analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that most (43%) respondents derive their livelihoods from traditional medicine practices. Three forms of TM were reportedherbalism (67%), spiritual counseling (23%) and bone setting (10%). Although the majority (81%) of respondents were quite aware of the importance of TM in the sustenance of health care system, majority (55%) of them shunned TM in preference to WM, largely because of the belief that TM is evil-founded and devilish in nature. Only 45% of the respondents preferred TM to WM. The main reasons given for visiting TM practioners rather than western medical practitioners were that TM is sometimes more effective than WM and that in many instances it has very minimal side effects on the human body. There is, however, a need for Ugandan government to legitimize the practice of TM since it contributes a lot to health care needs in areas where western medicine is insufficiently provided. In addition, there is a need for further research into the efficacy and safety of traditional medicines if it is to be adequately integrated into western medicine.Key words: Traditional medicine, health care, herbalism, spiritual counseling, bone setting, Ugand

Lunnyu soils in the Lake Victoria basin of Uganda: Link to toposequence and soil type

We compared the physico-chemical characteristics of Lunnyu soils using soil type and slope position in order to explain their variability in the Lake Victoria basin of Uganda. Lunnyu patches located on four different soil types (chromic lixisol, mollic gleysols and plinthic ferralsols) were selected. At each patch, the slope was divided into shoulder, back-slope and foot-slope. Five locations along the contour of each landscape position and at distance of 20 to 30 m were located and soil samples taken at two depths (0 to 20 cm and 20 to 40 cm). The soils were analyzed for pH, available P, texture, and exchangeable bases. Lunnyu patches on chromic lixisol and mollic gleysols had higher pH, P, sand, clay and silt compared to those on plinthic ferralsols and petrifferic lixisol. Neither of the soil properties was influenced by landscape position. Soil pH, Ca, Mg, and K were higher in topsoil compared to subsoil. Neither slope position nor the type of lunnyu has showed consistent differences in all the soil properties. Results suggest a pedological explanation in which pH and texture could influence occurrence of the lunnyu soils. We recommend further studies of the pedological properties of the soils and other trace elements that this study has not investigated.Key words: Lunnyu soil, toposequence, soil type, Uganda

Networks among agricultural stakeholders in the southwestern highlands of Uganda

The aim of this study was to explore the interactions that exist among agricultural stakeholders in the southwestern highlands of Uganda as a way of identifying opportunities and gaps for operation of Innovation Platforms (IPs) under the proof of concept of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) research project. The specific objectives were to (i) characterize the agricultural stakeholders in the study sites (ii) determine the nature, diversity and relative importance of horizontal and vertical networks that exist among stakeholders in the Southwestern Highlands of Uganda. Data were collected from both stakeholder analysis and household interviews in Kabale and Kisoro Districts. Results show that extension staff, local governments and farmer groups accounted for approximately 75% of all categories of stakeholders in the area. Most of these organizations started after 10 to 15 years ago following the return of relative political stability in Uganda. Generally, stakeholder interactions in site with limited ARD intervention are more limited compared to their high-intervention counterparts. Sites with “good” market access have more institutions operating there but majority are isolated from each other. At household level, an individual household has networks with approximately two different organizations most of which are farmer groups or credit associations. The greatest proportion of horizontal networks that a household has is with fellow farmers. In order to make the value chain complete, establishment of IPs should pay special attention to including the private sector such as input and produce dealers. Facilitating IP actors to identify critical challenges and opportunities, and effectively articulate them will ensure cohesion. It is also critical to periodically monitor and evaluate stakeholders in terms of the quality of the networks to minimize conflict situations

Agricultural innovation platform as a tool for development oriented research: Lessons and challenges in the formation and operationalization

The emergence of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) presents an opportunity to address any development problem. It involves innovative principles and an integrated research agenda while recognizing the need for greater organizational capacities among stakeholders in agriculture. Operationalization of IAR4D revolves around successful establishment and operation of an Agricultural Innovation Platform (AIP). Agricultural Innovation Platforms are being implemented in Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site (LKPLS) of the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme, covering three countries (Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo) with widely differing social political environments to address agricultural development challenges. This paper presents the processes, general guidelines lessons and experiences pertaining to “good practices” for organising and forming AIPs in the LKPLS. The life of AIPs covers three phases, namely; pre-formation, formation and post formation. The lessons and experiences are shared across 6 stages of AIP formation, namely; Identification of a research and developmental challenge(s), Site selection, Consultative and scoping study, Visioning and Stakeholder analysis, Development of action plans and Implementation of the action plans. Emerging lessons highlight AIPs as grounds and pillars for multi-level, multi-stakeholder interactions to identify, understand and address a complex challenge, concomitant emerging issues and learning towards achieving the agreed vision. Agricultural Innovation Platform formation is a dynamic, highly context specific process that incorporates all essential ingredients for successful innovation at once and provides an opportunity for local innovations to bear while at the same time nourishing on introduced innovations. In AIP formation, the recognition and value of indigenous knowledge and capitalization on prevailing policy, institutional setting and involvement of local leadership is vital. The form, nature and time taken by AIP formation process depends on both the conceptual and local context, quality of facilitation, socio-economic, culture, biophysical, political environment in which a common challenge and/or opportunity is identified and on the capacity of stakeholders to comprehend the Innovation Systems Approach (ISA). The process of AIP formation was faster in creating win-wins when market led. Strong leadership, strategic partnership, information flow, interactions and dealing with recurrent challenges during the AIP formation process are critical in fostering innovations. The major challenges included capacitating the stakeholders in requisite skills and dealing with persistent “handout-syndrome”

Nitrogen turnover and N2_{2}O/N2_{2} ratio of three contrasting tropical soils amended with biochar

Biochar has been reported to reduce emission of nitrous oxide (N$_{2}$O) from soils, but the mechanisms responsible remain fragmentary. For example, it is unclear how biochar effects on N$_{2}$O emissions are mediated through biochar effects on soil gross N turnover rates. Hence, we conducted an incubation study with three contrasting agricultural soils from Kenya (an Acrisol cultivated for 10-years (Acrisol10); an Acrisol cultivated for over 100-years (Acrisol100); a Ferralsol cultivated for over 100 years (Ferralsol)). The soils were amended with biochar at either 2% or 4% w/w. The $^{15}$N pool dilution technique was used to quantify gross N mineralization and nitrification and microbial consumption of extractable N over a 20-day incubation period at 25 °C and 70% water holding capacity of the soil, accompanied by N$_{2}$O emissions measurements. Direct measurements of N$_{2}$ emissions were conducted using the helium gas flow soil core method. N$_{2}$O emissions varied across soils with higher emissions in Acrisols than in Ferralsols. Addition of 2% biochar reduced N$_{2}$O emissions in all soils by 53 to 78% with no significant further reduction induced by addition at 4%. Biochar effects on soil nitrate concentrations were highly variable across soils, ranging from a reduction, no effect and an increase. Biochar addition stimulated gross N mineralization in Acrisol-10 and Acrisol-100 soils at both addition rates with no effect observed for the Ferralsol. In contrast, gross nitrification was stimulated in only one soil but only at a 4% application rate. Also, biochar effects on increased NH$_{4}$$^{+}$ immobilization and NO$_{3}$$^{-}$−consumption strongly varied across the three investigated soils. The variable and bidirectional biochar effects on gross N turnover in conjunction with the unambiguous and consistent reduction of N$_{2}$O emissions suggested that the inhibiting effect of biochar on soil N$_{2}$O emission seemed to be decoupled from gross microbial N turnover processes. With biochar application, N$_{2}$ emissions were about an order of magnitude higher for Acrisol-10 soils compared to Acrisol-100 and Ferralsol-100 soils. Our N$_{2}$O and N$_{2}$ flux data thus support an explanation of direct promotion of gross N2O reduction by biochar rather than effects on soil extractable N dynamics. Effects of biochar on soil extractable N and gross N turnover, however, might be highly variable across different soils as found here for three typical agricultural soils of Kenya

Principles, design and processes of integrated agricultural research for development: experiences and lessons from LKPLS under the SSACP

With increasing recognition holding the promise of overcoming the outstanding problems faced byAfrican agriculture, IAR4D faces the danger of being ‘blurred’ by past approaches and falling short of its potential to deliver the desired impacts in diverse multi-stakeholder, biophysical, socio- economic, cultural, technological and market contexts unless its actualisation and working is clearly understood. In this paper, we present the conceptualisation and principles of and knowledge-based experiences and lessons from the implementation of the sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSACP) in the Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site (LKPLS). The presentation covers the formation and facilitation of IPs for the actualisation of IAR4D to evolve mechanisms for the early recognition of interlinked issues in natural resource management, productivity and value addition technologies, markets, gender and policy arrangements. These have autonomously triggered flexible, locally directed interactions to innovate options from within or outside their environment for resolving the challenges, and have moved along a new institutional and technological change trajectory. Emerging lessons point to the endowment of IP members with selfhelp knowledge interactions, training in IAR4D, quality of facilitation and research to be key determinants of the power behind of self-regulating mechanisms

Breeding banana (Musa spp.) for drought tolerance: A review

Drought is a major abiotic stress affecting banana production worldwide, leading to yield losses of up to 65%. Consequently, numerous efforts to understand and mitigate drought effects that include developing tolerant crop varieties are ongoing in several banana breeding programmes. The breeding efforts, however, have been greatly slowed down by inherent banana problems (polyploidy and male or female sterility) and complexity of drought tolerance (reportedly controlled by several genes). This review summarizes the pertinent research findings on water requirements of banana for its proper growth and productivity, symptoms of drought‐sensitive varieties and field management strategies to cope with drought stress. The coping strategies deployed by resistant cultivars include high assimilation rates and water retention capacity as well as minor losses in leaf area and gaseous exchange. Reduced bunch weight, leaf chlorosis, wilting and strangled birth are underlined to be directly associated with drought susceptibility. Integration of conventional, molecular breeding and biotechnological tools as well as exploitation of the existing banana genetic diversity presents a huge opportunity for successful banana improvement

SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL ETHIOPIA AND EASTERN UGANDA

Social networks (SNs) are social frameworks that form good entry points for business and socio-economic developments. Social networks are important for small-scale, resource-poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, who overly rely on informal sources of information. SNs provide opportunities for establishing effective functional multi-stakeholder Innovation Platforms (IPs) necessary for catalysing wide adoption of SLM innovations. This paper analyses the significance of SNs in sustainable land management (SLM), focusing on stakeholders’ characteristics and their association among agricultural rural communities in central Ethiopia and eastern Uganda. The analysis conducted in both countries revealed a positive relationship between the strength of social networks and SLM innovation practices. The closeness of centralisation of networks in Ethiopian and Uganda was 56 and 45%, respectively; implying that only about half of the potential networks among partners actually function. The factors associated with strength of the networks included the age, the physical distance between partners, frequency of interaction, and source of information. Unfortunately, significant weaknesses remain in the existing networks. There exist several networks in both countries without active interactions with key actors in land management. Also, private sector networks particularly important in playing critical roles such as fostering market-led innovations for enhanced adoption, are conspicuously lacking.Les réseaux sociaux sont des structures sociales qui forment un bon point de départ pour les développements commerciaux et socio-économiques. Les réseaux sociaux sont importants pour les petits et pauvres fermiers en Afrique Sub-Saharienne qui dépendent seulement des sources informelles d’information. Les SNs offrent des opportunités pour l’établissement des plates formes d’innovation multipartenaires fonctionnelles et efficaces, nécessaires pour catalyser une large adoption des innovations de SLM. Cet article analyse l’implication de SNs dans la gestion durable des terres (SLM), se basant sur les caractéristiques des partenaires et leurs associations parmi les communautés agricoles rurales du centre de l’Ethiopie et de l’Est de l’Ouganda. L’analyse conduite dans les deux pays a révélé une relation positive entre les forces de réseaux sociaux et les pratiques d’innovation de SLM. La ressemblance dans la centralisation des réseaux en Ethiopie et en Ouganda était 56 et 45%, respectivement; impliquant qu’environ la moitié des réseaux potentiels parmi les partenaires fonctionnent actuellement. Les facteurs associés à la force des réseaux comprenaient l’âge, la distance physique parmi les partenaires, la fréquence d’interaction, et la source d’information. Malheureusement, d’importantes faiblesses demeurent dans les réseaux existantes. Dans les deux pays, bon nombre de réseaux manifestent un manque d’interaction active avec les acteurs clés dans la gestion de terres. Aussi, les réseaux du secteur privé particulièrement importants en jouant des roles critiques tels qu’ encourager les innovations orientées vers le marché pour une adoption accrue sont remarquablement manquantes

Local institutions in southwestern Uganda: the role of integrated agricultural research for development

Local institutions are commonly referred to as mediating factors that govern the relationship between a community and the natural resource base upon which it depends. However, conventional agricultural research and extension approaches have had limited impact in positively influencing the role of institutions in natural resource management (NRM). In this paper we discuss the role of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) in by-law enactment, implementation and compliance in southwestern Uganda, and the potential benefits of the IAR4D approach for the development of local-level institutions. Although the level of awareness of the enacted by-laws was highest in the conventional sites, compliance was highest in the innovation platform (IP) villages. With the multi-stakeholder participation of the IAR4D approach in the IPs, there was a conducive environment in which to formulate and implement new by-laws, such as those relating to the harvesting and marketing of produce. IAR4D was found to have the potential to empower individual farmers through their interactions with each other, as well as to increase inter-institutional interactions for increased information sharing among stakeholders, thus building social capital for collective action