3D-visualization and analysis of macro- and meso-porosity of the upper horizons of a sodic, texture-contrast soil

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comThe lower E and upper B horizons of sodic, texture-contrast soils are a formidable barrier to most annual and many perennial crops. The research presented here is part of a wider study into the nature of subsoil constraints to root exploration. The aim of this study was to characterize in three dimensions the macro- and meso-porosity across the E horizon–Btn horizon interface of a sodic, texture-contrast soil using X-ray computed tomography (CT). Intact soil cores of 50-cm length and 15-cm diameter were scanned with a medical CT X-ray machine. The pore volume reconstructed from these scans had a resolution of 0.3 × 0.3 × 0.4 cm (in the x, y, z dimensions, respectively). This resolution allowed visualization and quantification of the macroporosity of the intact cores. Undisturbed samples of 1.5-cm diameter and 4-cm length were carefully excised from the interface and scanned with micro-CT X-ray equipment. The reconstructed pore volumes had an isotropic resolution of 19 μm that allowed analysis of the mesoporosity just on the boundary between the E and Btn horizons. Mesoporosity decreased across the interface and increased lower in the Btn horizon. The distribution of the pores at the macro- and meso-scales showed the importance of the smaller pores in the A and E horizons, whereas most of the porosity in the Btn horizon was attributed to the larger pores. Pores in this sodic, texture-contrast soil were not distributed homogeneously at either the macro- or meso-scale. A greater proportion of the pores in the E–B interface were horizontal than in the upper A1, upper E and lower Btn horizons. Some ‘coiling’ of the pores was also apparent in the interface. The shape of some pores (long tubular pores) suggested formation by roots as they drilled through the soil. The orientation of these pores was a function of physical (and possibly chemical) impedance at the interface.L. Jassogne, A. McNeill & D. Chittleboroug

Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management in Tanzania: A Gender Policy Review

More than twenty years have passed since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, where gender mainstreaming was acknowledged as an indispensable global strategy for achieving gender equality. Since then, Tanzania has undoubtedly made efforts in mainstreaming gender in its national policies and strategies (MCDGC, 2012). However, to date some of its policies and strategies still remain gender blind or have not prioritized gender as an area for immediate action. This insufficient consideration to gender in some policy documents, coupled with limited enforcement of the policies that were drafted as gender sensitive, might hinder progress towards gender equality in the country. With climate change increasingly threatening rural livelihoods in Tanzania (Orindi and Murray 2005; Yanda et al. 2013), the need to incorporate gender considerations in the policies and programs dealing directly and indirectly with climate change issues becomes even more apparent. Indeed, if policies fail to acknowledge the different roles, opportunities, perspectives and challenges that women and men have in the face of climate change, the adaptation and mitigation measures proposed in the policies will likely fail or may even ultimately exacerbate gender inequalities (Ncube et al., 2011)

Towards gender responsive policy formulation and budgeting in the agricultural sector: Opportunities and challenges in Uganda

Achieving economic growth while reducing poverty in an equitable manner demands that governments in Sub-Saharan Africa commit actions and resources to address gender inequalities, even more so under a changing climate which is expected to widen social inequalities (Dankelman, 2012). Internationally, the UN asserts that achieving gender equality, development and peace must be supported by explicit budgetary allocation to targeted activities to ensure gender equality at all scales (OSAGI, 2001). Over the past two decades, Uganda has advanced gender equality and empowerment of women. Uganda’s commitment to promote gender equality and equity was confirmed by enacting the National Gender Policy (1997, revised in 2007). Other components of the political and legal efforts to tackle gender inequality include (i) the 1995 Constitution of Uganda in articles 32 (3 & 4); (ii) the Equal Opportunities Act (2007); (iii) the Public Finance Management Act (2015); and (iv) the National Development Plan II (2015/16-2019/20). However, despite all these initiatives, effective gender mainstreaming as a strategy for addressing gender inequalities remains a big challenge, as manifested by Uganda’s Gender Inequality Index of 0.538, ranking 122 out of 155 countries in the 2014 index (UNDP, 2015)

Gender responsive policy formulation and budgeting in Tanzania: do plans and budgets match?

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women has been ratified by more countries than any other UN convention (Gabizon, 2016). The United Republic of Tanzania is one such country that hopes to fully utilize its human resources, both men and women, for socio-economic development. It is recognized that the continued marginalization of women constitutes a major obstacle to rapid socio-economic development of the country (MCDGC, 2005). The United Republic of Tanzania–through the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children–has prioritized gender equality through different instruments: the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania was amended in 2005 to increase women’s participation in the National Parliament and Local Authorities; the Women and Gender Development Policy of 2000 puts more emphasis on women in development, and the National Strategy for Gender Development was intended to promote gender equality and equity. Despite these developments, challenges still remain, as demonstrated by Tanzania’s low ranking (123rd out of 149 countries) on the 2013 Gender Inequality Index (UNDP, 2015)

Barriers to successful climate change policy implementation in Tanzania

The agricultural sector is central to Tanzania’s economy, natural resources and livelihoods. Climate change and climate variability presents adverse effects to the growth of the agriculture sector and the livelihoods of 80 percent of Tanzanians (MAFC, 2014). Owing to this, the Tanzania government has ratified several climate-resilient strategies, policies and plans geared towards climate adaptation and mitigation. This Info Note assesses how and to what extent climate change concerns have been mainstreamed in the existing and most recent national strategies, policies, plans and legal legislations of Tanzania. Furthermore, the Info Note focuses on the climate change formulation levels from national to local, and implications on policy implementation in Tanzania

Institutional challenges to climate change adaptation: a case study on policy action gaps in Uganda

Article purchasedDespite the considerable progress made in the last decade towards building governance systems for climate change adaptation in Africa, implementation still limits positive responses. This study applies an iterative process of field assessments and literature reviews across multiple governance levels and spatial scales to identify constraints to effective formulation and implementation of climate change related policies and strategies in Uganda. Data was collected through sex-segregated participatory vulnerability assessments with farming communities in Rakai district, policy document reviews, and interviews with policy actors at national and district levels. Findings reveal that the key challenges to effective policy implementation are diverse and cut across the policy development and implementation cycle. Policies are mainly developed by central government agencies; other actors are insufficiently involved while local communities are excluded. There is also a communication disconnect between national, district, and community levels. Coupled with limited technical capacity and finances, political interference, and absence of functional implementation structures across these levels, climate change adaptation becomes constrained. We propose strategies that enhance linkages between levels and actors, which will improve policy formulation, implementation and ultimately adaptation by smallholders

The Role of Multi-Stakeholder Platforms for Creating an Enabling Climate Change Policy Environment in East Africa

Research-based evidence on the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices is vital to their effective uptake, continued use and wider diffusion. In addition, an enabling policy environment at the national and regional levels is necessary for this evidence to be used effectively. This chapter analyzes a 4-year period of continuous policy engagement in East Africa in an attempt to understand the role of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) in facilitating an enabling policy environment for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The study shows how MSPs enhanced a sense of ownership, developed knowledge, created linkages between different governance levels and a wide variety of actors (including policymakers and scientists), and, most significantly, improved policy formulation

Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa

Article purchased; Published online: 02 Nov 2017Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) ‘strategic research’, ‘Research for Development’, partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering the last five decades (from the late 1960s till today). The paper ends with a number of lessons learnt which could be considered for future initiatives aiming at developing and delivering improved soil and soil fertility management practices to smallholder farming communities in SSA

Towards a collaborative research: A case study on linking science to farmers' perceptions and knowledge on Arabica coffee pests and diseases and its management

The scientific community has recognized the importance of integrating farmer's perceptions and knowledge (FPK) for the development of sustainable pest and disease management strategies. However, the knowledge gap between indigenous and scientific knowledge still contributes to misidentification of plant health constraints and poor adoption of management solutions. This is particularly the case in the context of smallholder farming in developing countries. In this paper, we present a case study on coffee production in Uganda, a sector depending mostly on smallholder farming facing a simultaneous and increasing number of socio-ecological pressures. The objectives of this study were (i) to examine and relate FPK on Arabica Coffee Pests and Diseases (CPaD) to altitude and the vegetation structure of the production systems; (ii) to contrast results with perceptions from experts and (iii) to compare results with field observations, in order to identify constraints for improving the information flow between scientists and farmers. Data were acquired by means of interviews and workshops. One hundred and fifty farmer households managing coffee either at sun exposure, under shade trees or inter-cropped with bananas and spread across an altitudinal gradient were selected. Field sampling of the two most important CPaD was conducted on a subset of 34 plots. The study revealed the following findings: (i) Perceptions on CPaD with respect to their distribution across altitudes and perceived impact are partially concordant among farmers, experts and field observations (ii) There are discrepancies among farmers and experts regarding management practices and the development of CPaD issues of the previous years. (iii) Field observations comparing CPaD in different altitudes and production systems indicate ambiguity of the role of shade trees. According to the locality-specific variability in CPaD pressure as well as in FPK, the importance of developing spatially variable and relevant CPaD control practices is proposed. (Résumé d'auteur