<em>Ex-ante</em> participatory research proposal assessment conducted in Southern Togo

This study was conducted to showcase a participatory method for assessing technical options in Southern Togo. The aim was to address farmers’ needs with respect to soil fertility problems in situations involving mixed crop-livestock farming systems. In collaboration with various stakeholders, the scientists thus assessed the potential for adopting a crop association involving maize for food (seed) and fodder (straw), i.e. a mixed function plant, and Mucuna pruriens, i.e. a long-cycle legume that is cropped to produce fodder and enhance soil fertility. The chemically fertilized crop association is here referred to as MME. Participatory action research (PAR) analytical tools were implemented in the four-phase method used. The first phase included an overall description of the entire study region to identify representative sites based on published information and exploratory interviews. In the second phase, the diversity of farmers was characterized through interviews with resource people at the selected sites. The third phase involved participatory selection of a range of technical options that included the MME association as well as local practices with features similar to this association, and alternative research proposals to enhance soil fertility and ensure the production of sufficient fodder to feed livestock. This selection was carried out by farmers chosen as being representative of their diversity. They were asked to rank—using notes, or pebbles because of the high illiteracy level—the different technical options presented during visits to the test plots or using visual aids. The fourth phase included an assessment of farmers’ comments on the perceived effects of the different options on agropastoral resource management (water, soil, biodiversity), their acceptability or cost-effectiveness relative to the labor cost. This method was applied in three villages in southern Togo. Six main farmer categories were identified in these villages: landowners, land tenants, members of farmers’ organizations, literate farmers, illiterate farmers, and women. In addition to MME, six options were selected, including the MME association with variants of local practices, such as the unfertilized maize and long cycle Mucuna association (MM), a fertilized maize and short cycle Mucuna association (MMCE), an unfertilized maize and short cycle Mucuna association (MMC), and a monocropped maize crop with massive fertilizer applications (ME). The two other options were proposed by researchers: maize cropped in fields surrounded by quickset hedges of fodder legumes that were harvested to feed livestock managed in stalls, with the dung subsequently spread in the fields (MHF), and strip intercropping of maize and Cajanus cajan. The MME association was the option that landowners, literate farmers and members of farmers’ organizations preferred. Women selected the MM association due to their scarce financial resources and land insecurity status. Land tenants and illiterate farmers favored MMCE as a second crop season is possible. An assessment of the different options revealed that most of the farmer categories considered that the MME association and the MHF option had the most positive impacts on agropastoral resources. MME and MMCE were considered as being the most socially acceptable associations, especially amongst landowners, as well as extension agents, consumers and merchants who had also been interviewed; this was followed by the MHF option. MM and MME turned out to be the most cost-effective associations whereas the two alternatives proposed by researchers were the least. This assessment method makes effective use of farmers’ expertise and is based on their perception of the impacts of technology. A positive perception is one of the factors influencing the adoption of a research proposal. Time and suitable tools are required when farmers are trained on the different options to ensure that this perception will not be biased by the quality of the information conveyed by researchers. Local variants of the options proposed by researchers can also be identified or adapted on the basis of this assessment. Development research initiatives should be focused on the processes involved in these participatory adaptations

Facteurs socio-économiques affectant l'utilisation des sous-produits agro-industriels pour l'embouche bovine à contre-saison dans l'Adamaoua, Cameroun

Socio-economic factors affecting the use of agro-industrial by-products for cattle fattening in the dry season in Adamawa, Cameroon. Cattle production is the major economic activity in the Adamawa. Feed deficiency that causes about 129 to 187 g weight loss per day is an important constraint during the dry season. A possible alternative to overcome this constraint is the use of agro-industrial by-products. However, the adoption and effective use of these potentials are still to be encouraged. This study, which objective was to find out the socio-economic factors that may affect the usage of these resources, permitted to show, through interviews and surveys, that more than 8,200 t of agro-industrial by-products (maize and wheat bran, soybean seed and maize seed cake) useable for cattle feeding were produced annually in Adamawa and that only 16 % of this production were used by livestock farmers. Among the factors affecting the effective use of these by-products, prices were the most determinant. The herds size and the number of sedentary animals had also shown a significant positive effect. On the other hand, livestock farming experience and the farmer’s age had instead shown a strong negative correlation with the use of by-products; same was the level of farmer’s education which showed positive correlation only with respect to cotton seed cake use. The distance from the livestock farming sites to the by-products production/distribution centre and/or difficult access to the sites had strong positive correlations with the by-products’ prices. The problem of supplies as a result of long distance or of difficult access to cattle production sites, the high and unstable prices of agro-industrial by-products and poor awareness of the different types of by-products produced in the Adamawa, were noted as major constraints for their use as cattle feed. Based on the above results, an effective extension system and well organized farmers groupings could improve the level of utilization of agro-industrial by-products for cattle feeding

Determination of the best forage production period for cattle farming in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

A study was carried out to determine the best forage production period for cattle farming in the Adamawa (Cameroon). Data were collected on-farm using diachronic observations of cattle herd and pasture for 24 months. These data, analysed with descriptive and Duncan statistics, permitted to show that the period from May to November was the best period. This period was characterized by many factors such as relatively high average monthly forage quality in the pastures with 5.89% crude protein, 9.21% minerals and 32.90% crude cellulose against 3.53%, 7.42% and 36.14%respectively in the dry season. There was also a continuous increase in animal performances (average monthly weight gain of 12.66 kg against an average weight loss of 10.73 kg in the dry season, and an average monthly calving rate of 3.82% against 1.86% in the dry season). It wasfound that the increase in animal performances, compared to the dry season, was equivalent to an economic gain of 289,562,859,416 FCFA (that is, 443,607,418 euros) per year. The best period, so delimited, could serve as a decision making tool for livestock sector improvement in the Adamawa region and even Cameroon and other countries with similar climatic conditions and livestock farming systems.© 2010 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: decision making tool, diachronic observation, high forage quality, cattle performance, economic gai

Options d'intensification durable des cultures vivrieres au sud du Togo

In order to identify sustainable crop intensification options on ferralsols of Southern Togo, a series of alternative cropping technologies were evaluated together with farmers. In participatory group interviews, seven different groups of farmers prioritized options. Among five options associating maize with Mucuna cover crop, farmers had a 66% preference for a maize - mucuna - mineral fertilizers option because of its agronomic efficiency, followed by a maize - mucuna - no fertilizer option with 57% for those farmers lacking means of purchasing fertilizers, and a maize - short cycle mucuna - mineral fertilizer option with 54% preference because it enables a second cropping season. Non-mucuna options, which interested farmers were a maize - live hedge - animal manure option (86%) and a Cajanus cajan alley cropping option (79%). Low preferences were given to green biomass production with live hedges (36%) or mechanized ploughing (18%). Ecological sustainability, economic competitivity and social equity of the different options were compared using various appropriate tools. From this combined evaluation, it appears that the three options with the highest adoption potential are (1) the maize - mucuna - mineral fertilizer option, (2) the maize - short cycle mucuna - mineral fertilizer option, and (3) the maize - live hedge - animal manure option