Modeling the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors for improved erosion prediction on the hillslopes of Lake Victoria Basin of Uganda

A major challenge to erosion prediction using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the uncertainty in parametrizing the support factor (P). This P factor is usually regarded as 1 in areas with no structural management practices. However, in agrarian landscapes which are dominated with agronomic management practices, the P factor is difficult to parameterize. Moreover, the agronomic practices are usually the most simplest and affordable soil and water conservation technologies for mitigating runoff and soil losses in many developing countries. Our objective was to model the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors for adoption of management practices in order to improve erosion prediction. Our methodology involved four (4) steps; namely, (a) estimating potential erosion using RUSLE; (b) establishing the socio-economic for adoption of management practices using Probit regression analysis; (c) integrating socio-economic factors with biophysical parameters to form a Systems Dynamic (SD) model for soil erosion; and (d) validating the Systems Dynamic (SD) model at watershed level using empirical data and RUSLE as the baseline model.  Validation results showed that on Acric Ferralsols at slope gradient 10-15% the potential erosion as predicted by RUSLE model ranged between 120-140 t ha-1yr-1.  On the other hand, soil loss as predicted from the Systems Dynamic (SD) model, based on the same slope gradient and soil condition as the case in RUSLE, ranged between 11-50 t ha-1yr-1. This accounted for about 67-90% decrease in soil loss. Model outputs were calibrated and validated by field data measured using Un-bound runoff plots (Gerlach Troughs). The results showed that in sole banana soil loss increased step-wise with increasing gradient in the measured and predicted data (P < 0.05); while in sole coffee contradicting results were achieved. We concluded that modelling the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors provides a pragmatic solution to the uncertainty in its parameterization. Generalizing the support factor (P) as one (1) even in areas with agronomic management technology tends to over-estimate the risk of soil erosion. Thus, it can potentially stand out as a dis-incentive that undermines farmers’ efforts to mitigate runoff and soil loss in degraded watersheds. Key words: 1. Erosion, 2. Geo information science, 3. System Dynamics, 4. Support factor, 5. Uganda Funding was by SIDA SAREC Project 377 under Makerere University for the period 2016-2022. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-3-06 Publication date: May 30th 202

Three Essays on Climate Smart Agriculture and Multidimensional Poverty in Uganda

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. It contributes about 23.1% to the gross domestic product and employs approximately 72% of the total labor force (World Bank, 2021). However, Uganda suffers from low agricultural productivity resulting from pests and diseases, changing climate, deteriorating natural resources, and lack of modern factors of production. In addition, land deterioration and fluctuating weather patterns lead to reduced crop productivity and cause food insecurity in the country. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) can help transform the agricultural system and ensure food security in the country. The dissertation is written in a three-essay format. The first essay examines the adoption of the intensity of CSA Technologies in Uganda. This essay aims to identify the influence of socio-economic and farm characteristics on the number of CSA technologies adopted by farmers using parametric and semiparametric models. There are 19 CSA technologies considered in this study, are mulching, leguminous cover crops, crop rotation, agroforestry, deep tillage, fallowing, mixed cropping, grass strips, trash lines, trenches, live fences, soil bands, contour plowing, establishing waterways, no-tillage, reduced tillage, minimum tillage, legume intercropping and furrow irrigated raised bed. Results from the semiparametric model indicate that highly educated farmers adopt more CSA technologies. The second essay is about the determinants of willingness to adopt Climate Smart Agriculture technology adoption and the willingness to pay (WTP) values for these technologies in Eastern Uganda. This essay aims to estimate the major determinants of willingness to adopt CSA technology in Eastern Uganda and calculate the WTP values for CSA technology adoption at the household level. Farmer’ education level, rurality, and extension services were all positively associated with the willingness to adopt most CSA technologies. The mean WTP cost share value to adopt these technologies as stated by the farmers ranged between 50% and 60%. The third essay is about multidimensional poverty and food security in Uganda. Multidimensional poverty is typically captured along three dimensions and ten indicators. This argument makes food security of paramount importance when looking at multidimensional poverty. Therefore, this essay aims to highlight the role of food security on multidimensional poverty in Uganda. The results showed that farm households in Uganda suffer from severe multidimensional poverty. The indicators related to education and electricity had the highest contribution to the MPI. Policy implications and conclusions are drawn in the last chapter of the dissertation

Awareness and Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies in a Developing Country: A Case of Nabajuzi Watershed in Central Uganda

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Soil and water conservation technologies have been widely available in most parts of Uganda. However, not only has the adoption rate been low but also many farmers seem not to be aware of these technologies. This study aims at identifying the factors that influence awareness and adoption of soil and water conservation technologies in Nabajuzi watershed in central Uganda. A bivariate probit model was used to examine farmers’ awareness and adoption of soil and water conservation technologies in the watershed. We use data collected from the interview of 400 households located in the watershed to understand the factors affecting the awareness and adoption of these technologies in the study area. Findings indicate that the likelihood of being aware and adopting the technologies are explained by the age of household head, being a tenant, and number of years of access to farmland. To increase awareness and adoption of technologies in Uganda, policymakers may expedite the process of land titling as farmers may feel secure about landholding and thus adopt these technologies to increase profitability and productivity in the long run. Incentive payments to farmers residing in the vulnerable region to adopt these considered technologies may help to alleviate soil deterioration problems in the affected area

The Scourge of Aflatoxins in Kenya: A 60-Year Review (1960 to 2020)

Aflatoxins are endemic in Kenya. The 2004 outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis in the country was one of the unprecedented epidemics of human aflatoxin poisoning recorded in mycotoxin history. In this study, an elaborate review was performed to synthesize Kenya’s major findings in relation to aflatoxins, their prevalence, detection, quantification, exposure assessment, prevention, and management in various matrices. Data retrieved indicate that the toxins are primarily biosynthesized by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, with the eastern part of the country reportedly more aflatoxin-prone. Aflatoxins have been reported in maize and maize products (Busaa, chan’gaa, githeri, irio, muthokoi, uji, and ugali), peanuts and its products, rice, cassava, sorghum, millet, yams, beers, dried fish, animal feeds, dairy and herbal products, and sometimes in tandem with other mycotoxins. The highest total aflatoxin concentration of 58,000 μg/kg has been reported in maize. At least 500 acute human illnesses and 200 deaths due to aflatoxins have been reported. The causes and prevalence of aflatoxins have been grossly ascribed to poor agronomic practices, low education levels, and inadequate statutory regulation and sensitization. Low diet diversity has aggravated exposure to aflatoxins in Kenya because maize as a dietetic staple is aflatoxin-prone. Detection and surveillance are only barely adequate, though some exposure assessments have been conducted. There is a need to widen diet diversity as a measure of reducing exposure due to consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods

Aflatoxins in Uganda: An Encyclopedic Review of the Etiology, Epidemiology, Detection, Quantification, Exposure Assessment, Reduction, and Control

Uganda is an agrarian country where farming employs more than 60% of the population. Aflatoxins remain a scourge in the country, unprecedentedly reducing the nutritional and economic value of agricultural foods. This review was sought to synthetize the country’s major findings in relation to the mycotoxins’ etiology, epidemiology, detection, quantification, exposure assessment, control, and reduction in different matrices. Electronic results indicate that aflatoxins in Uganda are produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and have been reported in maize, sorghum, sesame, beans, sunflower, millet, peanuts, and cassava. The causes and proliferation of aflatoxigenic contamination of Ugandan foods have been largely due to poor pre-, peri-, and postharvest activities, poor government legislation, lack of awareness, and low levels of education among farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers on this plague. Little diet diversity has exacerbated the risk of exposure to aflatoxins in Uganda because most of the staple foods are aflatoxin-prone. On the detection and control, these are still marginal, though some devoted scholars have devised and validated a sensitive portable device for on-site aflatoxin detection in maize and shown that starter cultures used for making some cereal-based beverages have the potential to bind aflatoxins. More efforts should be geared towards awareness creation and vaccination against hepatitis B and hepatitis A to reduce the risk of development of liver cancer among the populace

Medicinal Plants Used in Traditional Management of Cancer in Uganda: A Review of Ethnobotanical Surveys, Phytochemistry, and Anticancer Studies

The burden of neoplastic diseases is a significant global health challenge accounting for thousands of deaths. In Uganda, about 32,617 cancer cases were reported in 2018, accompanied by 21,829 deaths. In a view to identify some potential anticancer plant candidates for possible drug development, the current study was designed to compile the inventory of plants with reported anticancer activity used in rural Uganda and the evidences supporting their use in cancer therapy. An electronic survey in multidisciplinary databases revealed that 29 plant species belonging to 28 genera distributed among 24 families have been reported to be used in the management of cancer in Uganda. Anticancer plants were majorly from the families Bignoniaceae (7%), Caricaceae (7%), Fabaceae (7%), Moraceae (7%), and Rutaceae (7%). Most species occur in the wild (52%), though some are cultivated (48%). The growth habit of the plants is as trees (55%) or herbs (45%). Anticancer extracts are usually prepared from leaves (29%), bark (24%), roots (21%), and fruits (13%) through decoctions (53%), as food spices (23%) or pounded to produce ointments that are applied topically (10%). Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, Opuntia species, Albizia coriaria (Welw. ex Oliver), Daucus carota L., Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K. Schum., and Oxalis corniculata L. were the most frequently encountered species. As per global reports, Allium sativum L., Annona muricata L., Carica papaya L., Moringa oleifera Lam., Opuntia species, Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, and Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. are the most studied species, with the latter having vincristine and vinblastine anticancer drugs developed from it. Prostate, cervical, breast, and skin cancers are the top traditionally treated malignancies. There is a need to isolate and evaluate the anticancer potential of the bioactive compounds in the unstudied claimed plants, such as Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Ficus dawei Hutch., Ficus natalensis Hochst., and Lovoa trichilioides Harms, and elucidate their mechanism of anticancer activity