Potential for No-Tillage Agriculture in the Pandamatenga Vertisols of Botswana

The objective of this paper was to conduct an extensive literature review to assess the status and potential of no-tillage as an alternative tillage system on vertisols in the Pandamatenga farms, Botswana. Farmers in the area have failed to produce satisfactory crop yield levels because of problems associated with management of the soils using conventional tillage systems. Information f rom literature showed that no-tillage system was effective in improving soil quality, water management, and crop yield in the area. However, there is a need to carryout in-field trials to monitor changes in the soil quality and the environment under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems

Conditions for coaching to contribute to the adjustment of black African professionals

Orientation: Efforts to attract and retain black African professionals in Cape Town-based organisations are often met with challenges. Coaching has been identified as a potential strategic contributor for developing a sense of inclusivity and successful adjustment for black African professionals. Research purpose: The study investigated the contribution that coaching makes and aimed at understanding the conditions required for coaching to support the adjustment process during relocation. Motivation for the study: Too little is known in South Africa of how coaching can impact the adjustment during relocation. There is a need to identify key conditions that would enable a successful coaching process for migrating groups in the larger South African context. Research design/approach and method: A qualitative inductive methodology approach was followed to guide the study, consisting of 11 in-depth interviews with three different professional groups to elicit various perspectives. Main findings: It can be concluded that coaching contributes to black African professionals’ adjustment to living and working in South Africa. The success of the coaching outcome and capability for adjustment depends on the individual, the coach and the environment in which they work. The supporting conditions that were commonly found from the three professional groups were support and space for the individual, while depth and match played a key role according to coaches and human resource (HR) professionals. Practical/managerial implications: This article provides guidelines and recommendations for HR and senior managers in any organisation that experiences a complexity infused by racial and cultural diversity within its internal and external context. The study shows ways in which coaching as a tool can be useful in dealing with cross-cultural dynamics that prevail in South Africa and South Africa-based organisations especially during relocation adjustment. Contribution/value-add: The body of knowledge contributes to understanding coaching in a diverse society reflected in cross-cultural organisations and the key conditions influencing the coaching intervention during an adjustment process

SORGHUM YIELD AND ASSOCIATED SATELLITE-DERIVED METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN SEMI-ARID BOTSWANA

Africa has sparse meteorological stations, hence it is increasingly common to use satellite-derived meteorological parameters, where in-situ measuremnts are not available. The objective of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between sorghum yield and meteorological parameters (measured and satellite-derived). Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) yield for five seasons (2005/6 to 2009/10) from the Botswana Department of Crop Production Station in Pandamatenga, actual rainfall from the Botswana Meteorologial Services, and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Satellite Rainfall Estimates (RFEs) data from Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) were used in this study to determine relationships between the yield and satellite derived estimates. Although the NDVI and RFEs data were available for 2005 to 2011 (6 seasons), the limiting factor was the actual yield data which were only available for 2005 to 2010 (5 seasons). The Pearson Correlations Coefficient between seasonal rainfall and seasonal NDVI was 0.77 and seasonal RFE and seasonal NDVI was -0.19. Further correlation coefficient between sorghum yield and seasonal NDVI is 0.88. The correlation coefficient between sorghum yield and seasonal rainfall was 0.53; while correlation coefficient between sorghum yield and seasonal RFEs was -0.38. The sorghum NDVI signature reacted positively to the the seasonal rainfall, while sorghum NDVI signature was not correlated with the 1 Km resolution RFEs data. Furthermore, there was good correlation between sorghum yield and both the seasonal NDVI and seasonal rainfall, the seasonal NDVI seemed to predict yield slightly better than the seasonal rainfall. There seem to be a potential to use RFEs to predict yield though there are still problems associated with RFEs.L\u2019Afrique a des stations m\ue9t\ue9orologiques rares o\uf9 il est de plus en plus courant d\u2019utiliser des param\ue8tres provenant de satellites m\ue9t\ue9orologiques, o\uf9 in situ measuremnts ne sont pas disponibles. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait de d\ue9terminer se il y avait une relation entre le rendement du sorgho et des param\ue8tres m\ue9t\ue9orologiques (mesur\ue9es et obtenues par satellite). Du sorgho ( Sorghum bicolor ) rendement pendant cinq saisons (2005/6-2009/10) du minist\ue8re du Botswana de la station de la production agricole \ue0 Pandamatenga, pr\ue9cipitations r\ue9elle de la Meteorologial services Botswana, et indice de v\ue9g\ue9tation normalis\ue9 (NDVI) et Satellite pr\ue9cipitations estimations (RFE) donn\ue9es de Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s dans cette \ue9tude pour d\ue9terminer les relations entre le rendement et le satellite estimations tir\ue9es. Bien que les donn\ue9es de NDVI et RFEs \ue9taient disponibles pour 2005-2011 (6 saisons), le facteur limitant \ue9tait les donn\ue9es de rendement r\ue9els qui ne \ue9tait disponible pour 2005-2010 (5 saisons). Les corr\ue9lations Pearson Coefficient entre les pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8res et NDVI saisonni\ue8re \ue9tait de 0,77 et RFE saisonni\ue8re et saisonni\ue8re NDVI \ue9tait -0,19. En outre coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le rendement du sorgho et NDVI saison est de 0,88. Enfin, le coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le rendement de sorgho et pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8re \ue9tait de 0,53; tandis que le coefficient de corr\ue9lation entre le rendement de sorgho et RFE saisonniers \ue9tait -0,38. La signature sorgho NDVI a r\ue9agi positivement \ue0 l\u2019pluies saisonni\ue8res, tandis que la signature sorgho NDVI ne est pas corr\ue9l\ue9e avec les 1 km de r\ue9solution RFEs donn\ue9es. En outre, il y avait une bonne corr\ue9lation entre le rendement de sorgho et \ue0 la fois le NDVI saison et des pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8res, le NDVI saison semblait pr\ue9dire le rendement l\ue9g\ue8rement meilleur que les pluies saisonni\ue8res. Il semble y avoir un potentiel d\u2019utiliser RFE \ue0 pr\ue9dire le rendement se il ya encore des probl\ue8mes li\ue9s \ue0 RFE

An assessment of socio-economic potential for Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) in semi-arid Bobirwa Sub-district of Eastern Botswana

This study assessed the socio-economic potential of the Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) techniques for crop production in the semi-arid area of Bobirwa Sub-district, Botswana. The main methods used to collect the data were the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approaches and researcher-farmer managed field experimentation. The data collected included the constraints to crop production and available ways of conserving soil moisture in the study area. Viability, acceptance and perception of farmers towards RWH technologies in the Sub-district were also assessed. Constraints faced by farmers in arable farming were identified as low and unreliable rainfall, pests and diseases and lack of farm implements (ranked in order of severity). Researcher-farmer managed trials were carried out with various catchment area sizes against a cropped area of 25 m2. Catchment area sizes were 25m2, 50m2, 75m2 and no catchment, resulting in catchment area to cropped area ratios of 1:1, 2:1 3: 1 and 0:1 (a control plot). Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two replicates in each village was used. Soil moisture content results were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Version 9.2), two way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), at 5% level of confidence using Duncan’s comparison method. Gross margins were calculated as the difference between the cost of production and income from the production. Openstat software was used to analyze the gross margins using Scheffes’ comparison at alpha = 0.05. At the end of the trials period, a questionnaire was administered to the selected farmers in order to draw farmer’s perception towards the technology. The results showed that a catchment area to cropped area ratio of 3:1 had significantly higher soil moisture storage (for improved crop growth) compared to 0:1, 1:1 and 2:1 ratios in each village. In the analysis of gross margins, a catchment area to cropped area ratio of 3:1 had a significantly higher gross margin (P= 0.885) of maize compared to 0:1, 1:1 and 2:1. Farmers’ perception interviews showed that farmers had positive views towards the adoption of the RWH technologies. Over 75% of the farmers showed interest towards acceptance and adoption of RWH technologies

Availability of WHO Essential Medicines for Cancer Treatment in Botswana

Purpose: Stock outs of cancer drugs are potentially fatal but have not been systematically studied in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the availability and alignment of the Botswana National Essential Medicines List (NEML) for cancer drugs with the WHO’s Essential Medicines List (EML). Methods: The availability and cost of cancer drugs were analyzed using data from a weekly stock catalog sent by Botswana’s Central Medical Store to all pharmacy departments in government hospitals. Comparative data were extracted from the WHO EML and the “International Drug Price Indicator Guide-2014” from the Management Sciences for Health. Interviews with key informants were used to collect data on the Botswana NEML and the drug supply chain in the public sector. Results: The 2015 Botswana NEML for cancer had 80.5% alignment with the WHO EML. At least 40% of essential drugs were out of stock for a median duration of 30 days in 2015. Stock outs affected chemotherapy drugs included in first-line regimens for treating potentially curable diseases such as cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer and were not associated with buyer price of therapy. Analyses showed that the median price ratio for procured drugs was greater than 1 for 61% of the NEML drugs, which suggests inefficiency in procurement in the public sector. Conclusions: Botswana has one of the highest alignments of NEML to the WHO EML in the sub-Saharan African region, which is consistent with investment in the health care system evident in other clinical spheres. Better quantification of chemotherapy requirements using data from the National Cancer Registry and resource-sensitive treatment guidelines can help reduce stock outs and facilitate more effective and efficient procurement processes

Methodology to forecast volume and cost of cancer drugs in low- and middle-income countries

Purpose In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), frequent outages of the stock of cancer drugs undermine cancer care delivery and are potentially fatal for patients with cancer. The aim of this study is to describe a methodologic approach to forecast chemotherapy volume and estimate cost that can be readily updated and applied in most LMICs. Methods Prerequisite data for forecasting are population-based incidence data and cost estimates per unit of drug to be ordered. We used the supplementary guidelines from the WHO list of essential medicines for cancer to predict treatment plans and ordering patterns. We used de-identified aggregate data from the Botswana National Cancer Registry to estimate incident cases. The WHO Management Sciences for Health International Price Indicator was used to estimate unit costs per drug. Results Chemotherapy volume required for incident cancer cases was estimated as the product of the standardized dose required to complete a full treatment regimen per patient, with a given cancer diagnosis and stage, multiplied by the total number of incident cancer cases with the respective diagnosis. The estimated chemotherapy costs to treat the 10 most common cancers in the public health care sector of Botswana is approximately 2.3 million US dollars. An estimated 66% of the budget is allocated to costs of rituximab and trastuzumab alone, which are used by approximately 10% of the cancer population. Conclusion This method provides a reproducible approach to forecast chemotherapy volume and cost in LMICs. The chemotherapy volume and cost outputs of this methodology provide key stakeholders with valuable information that can guide budget estimation, resource allocation, and drug-price negotiations for cancer treatment. Ultimately, this will minimize drug shortages or outages and reduce potential loss of lives that result from an erratic drug supply