Physiological and Morphological Responses of Cassava Genotypes to Fertilization Regimes in Chromi-Haplic Acrisols Soils

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performances of three cassava genotypes on yield, physiology and morphological traits under different fertilization regimes. A field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design for two consecutive seasons in the Mansa district of the Luapula Province of Northern Zambia in the highly weathered Chromi-haplic Acrisol soils. Four fertilization regimes, control-M3, lime-M1, NPK fertilizer-M4 and NPK fertilizer + lime-M2 were the main plots, while three varieties (Mweru-V1, Bangweulu-V2 and Katobamputa (local)-V3) were subplots. Periodic measurements of leaf area index, light interception, yield and yield components from 75 days after planting (DAP) up to 410 DAP and daily weather measurements of data were recorded. Fertilization significantly increased the radiation use efficiency (RUE) and light extinction coefficient (K) in two seasons compared to the control. Significant fertilization regimes and varietal effects were observed for seasonal LAI, stem yield, root yield, biomass, harvest index (HI), tuber number, root diameter, plant height and SPAD (chlorophyll index). A significant year’s effects on root yield, yield components and physiological performances were observed while significant fertilization × variety interaction was observed on seasonal LAI, tuber number, root diameter, plant height and SPAD. Significant fertilization × year interaction effects were observed on root yield, yield components and physiological performances. Variety × year interaction was significant for seasonal LAI, stem yield, harvest index and plant height and no three-way interactions were observed on all the traits. NPK fertilizer + lime and NPK fertilizer treatments may be adopted to increase the response of cassava varietal yield, physiology and morphological traits in low soil nutrient conditions under high rain-fed conditions

Cropping Practices and Effects on Soil Nutrient Adequacy Levels and Cassava Yield of Smallholder Farmers in Northern Zambia

Cassava is a staple food and a major source of income for many smallholder farmers. However, its yields are less than 6 t ha-1 compared to a potential yield of 20-25 t ha-1 in Zambia. Understanding cropping practices and constraints in cassava production systems is imperative for sustainable intensification. Therefore, a survey of 40 households each with three fields of cassava at 12, 24, and 36 months after planting (MAP) was conducted. Analyzed soil data, leaf area index (LAI), intercepted photosynthetically active radiation, and management practices from 120 fields were collected and subjected to descriptive statistics. To explain yield differences within the same cassava growth stage group, the data were grouped into low- and high-yield categories using the median, before applying a nonparametric test for one independent sample. Stepwise regressions were performed on each growth stage and the whole dataset to determine factors affecting tuber yield. Cassava intercropping and monocropping systems were the main cropping systems for the 12 and 24-36 MAP, respectively. Cassava yields declined by 209 and 633 kg ha-1 at 12 and 36 MAP due to soil nutrient depletion for each year of cultivation until field abandonment at 8-9 years. Fresh cassava yields ranged from 3.51-8.51, 13.52-25.84, and 16.92-30.98 t ha-1 at 12, 24, and 36 MAP, respectively. For every one unit increment in exchangeable K (cmol (+)/kg soil), cassava yield increased by 435, 268, and 406 kg ha-1 at 12, 24, and 36 MAP, respectively. One unit increment of magnesium (cmol (+)/kg soil) gave the highest yield increase of 525 kg ha-1 at 24 MAP. The low levels of soil organic carbon explained the deficient nitrogen in cassava fields, which limits the LAI growth and consequently reduced intercepted radiation and low yields. The effect of exchangeable K on growth was limited by the moderate availability of Mg and low N, thus the need for balanced fertilizer regimes. © 2021 Peter Kaluba et al

Spatial mapping of drought in Zambia using regional frequency analysis

Regional frequency analysis based on L-moments was applied to assess the spatial extent of meteorological droughts in tandem with their return periods in Zambia. Weather station monthly rainfall data were screened to form homogeneous sub-regions-, validated by a homogeneity criterion and fitted by a generalized extreme value distribution using goodness-of-fit test statistics. Predictor equations at regional scale for L-moment ratios and mean annual precipitation were developed to generate spatial maps of meteorological drought recurrences. The 80% of normal rainfall level and two thresholds of 60% and 70% were synonymous with moderate and severe droughts, respectively. Droughts were more severe in the south than in the north of Zambia. The return periods for severe and moderate droughts showed an overlapping pattern in their occurrence at many locations, indicating that in certain years droughts can affect the entire country. The extreme south of Zambia is the most prone to drought

The Effects of Household Wealth on Adoption of Agricultural Related Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Zambia

Despite increased emphasis targeting climate change adaptation strategies towards the poorer sections of communities, few adoption studies assess the uptake of these practices by these groups in a systematic and comprehensive manner. In this study, we used a combination of participatory rapid approaches and quantitative principal component analysis to determine each household’s wealth status, and to assess the relationship between wealth and the adoption of various agricultural related climate change adaptation strategies. Evidence from a random sample of 1231 households across six districts of Zambia showed that the more well-endowed households than their poorly endowed counter parts, adopted most of the climate change adaptation strategies. The relatively well-endowed households had a high probability of 10.6%, 9.5%, 7.1%, and 5.5% to embrace crop rotation, minimum tillage, fertiliser trees and change crop varieties due to climate change, respectively, than their poorly endowed counter parts. Most, if not all of these strategies require some level of resource investment hence only those households who could afford such resources are most likely to adopt them. The influence of household resource endowment on the uptake of several climate change adaptation strategies call for the subsidising of the relatively poor endowed households to encourage adoption of these strategies among this category of farmers

Physiological and Morphological Responses of Cassava Genotypes to Fertilization Regimes in Chromi-Haplic Acrisols Soils

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performances of three cassava genotypes on yield, physiology and morphological traits under different fertilization regimes. A field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design for two consecutive seasons in the Mansa district of the Luapula Province of Northern Zambia in the highly weathered Chromi-haplic Acrisol soils. Four fertilization regimes, control-M3, lime-M1, NPK fertilizer-M4 and NPK fertilizer + lime-M2 were the main plots, while three varieties (Mweru-V1, Bangweulu-V2 and Katobamputa (local)-V3) were subplots. Periodic measurements of leaf area index, light interception, yield and yield components from 75 days after planting (DAP) up to 410 DAP and daily weather measurements of data were recorded. Fertilization significantly increased the radiation use efficiency (RUE) and light extinction coefficient (K) in two seasons compared to the control. Significant fertilization regimes and varietal effects were observed for seasonal LAI, stem yield, root yield, biomass, harvest index (HI), tuber number, root diameter, plant height and SPAD (chlorophyll index). A significant year’s effects on root yield, yield components and physiological performances were observed while significant fertilization × variety interaction was observed on seasonal LAI, tuber number, root diameter, plant height and SPAD. Significant fertilization × year interaction effects were observed on root yield, yield components and physiological performances. Variety × year interaction was significant for seasonal LAI, stem yield, harvest index and plant height and no three-way interactions were observed on all the traits. NPK fertilizer + lime and NPK fertilizer treatments may be adopted to increase the response of cassava varietal yield, physiology and morphological traits in low soil nutrient conditions under high rain-fed conditions

Planning for Maternity Waiting Home Bed Capacity: Lessons from Rural Zambia

Background Maternity waiting homes (MWH) allow pregnant women to stay in a residential facility close to a health center while awaiting delivery. This approach can improve health outcomes for women and children. Health planners need to consider many factors in deciding the number of beds needed for an MWH. Objective The objective of the study is to review experience in Zambia in planning and implementing MWHs, and consider lessons learned in determining optimal capacity. Methods We conducted a study of 10 newly built MWH in Zambia over 12 months. For this case study analysis, data on beds, service volume, and catchment area population were examined, including women staying at the homes, bed occupancy, and average length of stay. We analyzed bed occupancy by location and health facility catchment area size, and categorized occupancy by month from very low to very high. Findings Most study sites were rural, with three of the ten study sites rural-remote. Four sites served small catchment areas (\u3c9,000), three had medium (9,000-11,000), and three had large (\u3e11,000) size populations. Annual occupancy was variable among the sites, ranging from 13% (a medium rural site) to 151% (a large rural-remote site). Occupancy higher than 100% was accommodated by repurposing the MWH postnatal beds and using extra mattresses. Most sites had between 26-69% annual occupancy, but monthly occupancy was highly variable for reasons that seem unrelated to catchment area size, rural or rural-remote location. Conclusion Planning for MWH capacity is difficult due to high variability. Our analysis suggests planners should try to gather actual recent monthly birth data and estimate capacity using the highest expected utilization months, anticipating that facility-based deliveries may increase with introduction of a MWH. Further research is needed to document and share data on MWH operations, including utilization statistics like number of beds, mattresses, occupancy rates and average length of stay

A cost description of the setup costs of community-owned maternity waiting homes in rural Zambia

Maternity waiting homes (MWHs) are one strategy to improve access to skilled obstetric care in low resource settings such as Zambia. The Maternity Homes Access in Zambia project built 10 MWHs at rural health centers in Zambia for women awaiting delivery and postnatal care (PNC) visits. The objective of this paper is to summarize the costs associated with setup of 10 MWHs, including infrastructure, furnishing, stakeholder engagement, and activities to build the capacity of local communities to govern MWHs. We do not present operational costs after setup was complete. We used a retrospective, top-down program costing approach. We reviewed study documentation to compile planned and actual costs by site. All costs were annuitized using a 3% discount rate and organized by cost categories: (1) Capital: infrastructure and furnishing, and (2) Installation: capacity building activities and stakeholder engagement. We assumed lifespans of 30 years for infrastructure; 5 years for furnishings; and 3 years for installation activities. Annuitized costs were used to estimate cost per night stayed and per visit for delivery and PNC-related stays. We also modeled theoretical utilization and cost scenarios. The average setup cost of one MWH was $85,284 (capital: 76$12,516 per year. At an observed occupancy rate of 39%, setup cost per visit to the MWH was USD$70, while setup cost per night stayed was USD$6. The cost of stakeholder engagement activities was underbudgeted by half at the beginning of this project.This analysis serves as a planning resource for governments and implementers that are considering MWHs as a component of their overall maternal and child health strategy. Planning considerations should include the annuitized cost, value of capacity building and stakeholder engagement, and that cost per bed night and visit are dependent upon utilization

MAHMAZ maternity waiting home: setup cost dataset

These datasets detail 1) the setup costs expended to set up 10 maternity waiting homes in rural Zambia and 2) the monthly occupancy of the maternity waiting homes. The former includes the date of purchase, cost category, and the purchase amount in Kwacha. The latter describes how many patients visited the maternity waiting home in the last year of our project. We utilized this data to create a manuscript describing the setup costs of these homes, and the cost per admission to the homes, to serve as a guide for future implementors.This program was developed and implemented in collaboration with Merck for Mothers, Merck’s 10-year, $500 million initiative to help create a world where no woman dies giving life. Merck for Mothers is known as MSD for Mothers outside the United States and Canada (MRK 1846-06500.COL). The development of this article was additionally supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1130329) https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/GrantsDatabase/Grants/2015/07/OPP1130329 and The ELMA Foundation (ELMA-15-F0017) http://www.elmaphilanthropies.org/the-elma-foundation/. LL was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K01MH119923. http://www.elmaphilanthropies.org/the-elma-foundation/.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect positions or policies of Merck for Mothers, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NIH, or The ELMA Foundation. Funding for Online Open publication supported by Chronos Support through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation