Determinants of adoption and use-intensity of soil and water conservation practices among smallholder farmers in Nigeria

Smallholder farmers are faced with myriads of soil and water related issues in production, which makes them vulnerable to land degradation and low productivity. Land resource degradation remains a major threat to food security leading to persistent poverty among the agrarian and urban populace. Therefore, there is need for appropriate interventions such as improved soil and ground water conservation (SWC) practice. This study examined the dynamics influencing the use and extent of use of SWC practices among smallholder farmers in Nigeria with particular reference to Osun State. The sampling technique used involved random selection in many stages to select the representative sample of 240 respondents. Data collected through primary source included: farmers’ socio-economic attributes, farm level characteristics as well as the use of SWC practices in the study area. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary probit and negative binomial regression models. Findings from the count of SWC practices revealed that on the average, most farmers use at least one SWC practice. The results also indicated that fairly aged farmers were the set of people in the study area who adopted between 2 to 3 different SWC practices. Estimation of binary probit and its marginal effects at the means (MEMs) revealed that age of the farmers (p<0.01), gender (p<0.01), years of formal education (p<0.01) and farm size under cultivation (p<0.1) were significant determinants of SWC practices adoption. Similarly, the count model estimates revealed that age of the farmer (p<0.01), gender (p<0.01) and the size of farmland put under cultivation (p<0.05) significantly determined the log counts of SWC practices adopted by smallholder farmers in the study area. However, the test of overdispersion parameter showed that the model fits well. Therefore, there is need for massive campaign by the institutional establishments saddled with agricultural development policies on the need for SWC farming practices, so that the resource-poor farmers can have remunerative livelihoods in Nigeria.Keywords: Adoption, binary probit, conservation, negative binomial model, smallholders, NigeriaAfr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2019; 19(3): 14571-1458

Sorghum value chain analysis in semi-arid Zimbabwe

The role of extension in strengthening relationships among stakeholders along agricultural commodity value chains remains an important discussion point especially with orphan crops in semi-arid areas. The study used a participatory framework to analyse the sorghum value chain in the Mid Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. A sample comprising of 380 small scale farmers, proportionately selected from five major sorghum producing wards, was used. Six agrodealers, 15 traders, 10 retailers, three wholesalers, and two processors were also sampled. Inaddition, focus group discussions, informant interviews, questionnaires and reviews of records were conducted. Input supply systems for sorghum are weakly developed and production is stalled by inappropriate innovations including seed and fertilizer application. Marketing and processing channels are limited due to erratic supply and low producer prices. Demand for sorghum inputs can be created by engaging extension agents in helping farmers with realising the benefits of using improved sorghum seed varieties and fertilizer in sorghum production. This will smoothen the flow of sorghum products along strategic value chain nodes.Keywords: Sorghum, small scale farmers, value chain, extension networks, marketing margins, agribusines

Farmers’ Perceptions and Knowledge of Cattle Adaptation to Heat Stress and Tick Resistance in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions and knowledge of farmers of heat stress and tick resistance in cattle. A cross-sectional survey was conducted and 110 farmers in four villages in the sour and sweet velds of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were interviewed. The associations among area (municipality), gender, age, level of education, employment and religion were computed using Chi-square tests. The majority of the respondents had on average 4 bulls, 4 cows, 4 heifers, 4 calves, and 4 oxen. Milk was considered as the major (28.3%) reason for keeping cattle. Most farmers owned non-descript (72.6%), and Nguni (45.3%) cattle because of their heat tolerance (54.7%), tick resistance (54.7%), and milking ability (28.2%) traits. Excessive panting (56.6%) and disease transmission (76%) were regarded as the major effects of heat stress and tick infestation in cattle, respectively. About 50% of the respondents agreed that hair length influences tick resistance and 47.17% considered coat colour when acquiring cattle. In the sampled areas, ticks were prevalent in the summer season (93%), and 77.36% of the respondents use acaricides every fortnight. Gall sickness was reported to be a major problem in the cattle herds by 36.79% of the respondents. Our results showed that farmers in the two municipalities had knowledge of cattle adaptation to heat stress and tick resistance

Comparative Heterochromatin Profiling Reveals Conserved and Unique Epigenome Signatures Linked to Adaptation and Development of Malaria Parasites.

Heterochromatin-dependent gene silencing is central to the adaptation and survival of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites, allowing clonally variant gene expression during blood infection in humans. By assessing genome-wide heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) occupancy, we present a comprehensive analysis of heterochromatin landscapes across different Plasmodium species, strains, and life cycle stages. Common targets of epigenetic silencing include fast-evolving multi-gene families encoding surface antigens and a small set of conserved HP1-associated genes with regulatory potential. Many P. falciparum heterochromatic genes are marked in a strain-specific manner, increasing the parasite's adaptive capacity. Whereas heterochromatin is strictly maintained during mitotic proliferation of asexual blood stage parasites, substantial heterochromatin reorganization occurs in differentiating gametocytes and appears crucial for the activation of key gametocyte-specific genes and adaptation of erythrocyte remodeling machinery. Collectively, these findings provide a catalog of heterochromatic genes and reveal conserved and specialized features of epigenetic control across the genus Plasmodium

Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Job Transitions in Nigeria: the Role of Information, Social Capital and individual characteristics

An understanding of dynamics of the labour market is a major economic issue that interests economists in developing countries like Nigeria but poses challenges in term of data availability and quality. In this paper, we made a good attempt to construct the required data using the LSMS panel data available in Nigeria between 2010 and 2013. To gain insights into how workforce move from one sector to another and identify key determinants of a worker’s decision to dissolve a job match and go to engage in another in another sector, we tested within a model if job characteristics, demographic variable, social networks, information and communication factors, space and time variables contribute to switching job from one sector to another. To achieve this, Nigeria LSMS panel data for both 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 were used with multinomial regression analysis. The empirical model results reveal that job characteristics, individual demographic characteristics, social networks, information and communication assets and locations do determine job transition

Introduction to seminar writing: AGW 211

Introduction to seminar writing: AGW 211, supplementary examination July 2011

Introduction to Agricultural Economics: AGE 111

Introduction to Agricultural Economics: AGE 111, examination June 2011

Efficiency of Zimbabwean Small Scale Communal Farmers

This paper investigates the ailocative efficiency of two samples of communal area farmers in Mamcaland province of Zimbabwe. The first one is made up of maize producers and the other of cotton producers. Maize is the staple food for most Zimbabweans and cotton has, as of late become the most popular cash crop for these small-scale communal (SSC) farmers. For each crop the Cobb-Douglas production function model is used to investigate the allocative efficiency of the maize and cotton producers. The tests for allocative efficiency are performed by estimating the equations for the Cobb-Douglas production function model. The findings of this paper show: that the SSC farmers are utilising the fertilizer resource efficiently but they are under- utilising _ land, seed and insecticides. These producers are over-utilising labour and capital

Factors Affecting the Adoption and Intensity Cultivation of High Value Crops: A case study of Agricultural Research Council's HVC Programme in the OR Tambo District.

This study investigates factors influencing adoption and intensity cultivation of high value crops (HVC) in the OR Tambo district municipality. HVC programme is a collaborative effort between Agricultural Research Council and Is'Baya Development Trust. A multistage sampling procedure was employed and 151 respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire in 3 local municipalities. A double hurdle model was used to separately assess the factors influencing adoption as well as intensity. The results of the probit regression (first hurdle) revealed that household characteristics such as gender, household size, off-farm income, employment status and access to water for irrigation are key influencers to adoption of HVC cultivation. The truncated regression (second hurdle) indicated that gender is also significant at intensity cultivation of HVC's along with land size and market participation. The study recommends that an increased effort to help households fully participate in the formal markets will be beneficial and will significantly improve food security and household incomes. Also, installing taps in and around the villages will allow households to irrigate regularly to meet the quantity and quality of produce needed to penetrate formal markets. Key words: Adoption, Intensity, High Value Crops, Double-hurdle model, Food securit