Uptake of Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies and Practices: Actual and Potential Adoption Rates in the Climate-Smart Village Site of Mali

Understanding the level of adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices and its drivers is needed to spur large-scale uptake of CSA in West Africa. This paper used the Average Treatment Effect framework to derive consistent parametric estimators of the potential adoption rates of eight CSA technologies and practices in the Climate-Smart Village (CSV) site of Mali. A total of 300 household heads were randomly selected within the CSV site for data collection. Results showed significant differences in the observed and potential adoption rates of the CSA technologies and practices (drought tolerant crop varieties, micro-dosing, organic manure, intercropping, contour farming, farmer managed natural regeneration, agroforestry and climate information service). The most adopted technology was the organic manure (89%) while the least adopted was the intercropping (21%). The observed adoption rate varied from 39% to 77% according to the CSA options while the potential adoption rates of the technologies and practices ranged from 55% to 81%. This implies an adoption gap of 2% to 16% due to the incomplete diffusion (lack of awareness) of CSA technologies and practices which must be addressed by carrying out more actions to disseminate these technologies in the CSV. Results showed that education, number of workers in the household, access to subsidies, and training have a positive effect on the adoption of most of the CSA technologies and practices. The adoption of drought tolerant varieties and micro-dosing are positively correlated with access to subsidies and training. The study suggests that efforts should be focused concomitantly on the diffusion of CSA options as well as the lifting of their adoption barriers

3d Approach Of Spectral Response For A Bifacial Silicon Solar Cell Under A Constant Magnetic Field

A three-dimensional study is made to improve the theoretical approach of spectral response of bifacial polycrystalline silicon solar cells. This study has allowed taking into account new parameters like grain size and grain boundaries recombination velocity, which reduce the cell efficiency. Losses in emitter region and external magnetic field are also being taken into account in order to perfect the description of measured spectral response. Then the new analytical expressions of carrier, photocurrent and short circuit densities are produced for front side and rear side illuminations. Homemade software based on the new analytical expressions of internal quantum efficiency is used to fit the experimental data

Scaling up climate services for agriculture in Mali Initial findings from piloted implementation of PICSA approach in Africa RISING project intervention zone, southern Mali

The Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) approach, designed by the University of Reading (UoR), focuses on improving farmers' livelihood and resilience against the effect of climate change. It provides farmers with accurate, locally specific climate and weather information; coupled with diverse, locally pertinent options for crops, livestock and other livelihood activities; and the use of participatory planning tools to improve and enlighten their decision making based on their individual situations. PICSA is a step by step approach, primarily designed for field extensionists to help them integrate new tools in their activities with farmers and improve the efficiency and impact of those activities on farmer's enterprises

CODG TEC VARIATION DURING SOLAR MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM OVER NIAMEY

The present paper analyses the prediction of CODG model during solar maximum and solar minimum at Niamey station (Geo Lat 13°28’45.3”N; Geo long: 02°10’59.5”E). CODG TEC only shows dome time profile. The estimated TEC is higher during solar maximum than during solar minimum. Spring estimated TEC is the highest and summer one the lowest. The equinoctial asymmetry is only observed during solar minimum phase

Harnessing indigenous knowledge and practices for effective adaptation in the Sahel

The Sahel region of West Africa has experienced some of the most severe multidecadal rainfall variability over the past 50 years. Based on recollections of the past and observations of the present, local communities in the Sahel have developed extensive knowledge and understanding of their environment and climate that enables them to harness ecosystem services to support their livelihoods and survive environmental changes. Recent literature indicated that farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of changes in the local climate are largely consistent with observed meteorological data, except for the more heterogeneous precipitation change. This understanding of changes in their environment combined with their indigenous knowledge can be particularly useful in data-sparse regions such as the Sahel. This review highlights the importance of indigenous knowledge in enabling effective adaptation in the Sahel and beyond. It outlines some future research avenues for fostering indigenous knowledge-based adaptation, including addressing barriers to mainstreaming of indigenous knowledge into climate research and policy

An integrated research framework combining genomics, systems biology, physiology, modelling and breeding for legume improvement in response to elevated CO2 under climate change scenario

How unprecedented changes in climatic conditions will impact yield and productivity of some crops and their response to existing stresses, abiotic and biotic interactions is a key global concern. Climate change can also alter natural species’ abundance and distribution or favor invasive species, which in turn can modify ecosystem dynamics and the provisioning of ecosystem services. Basic anatomical differences in C3 and C4 plants lead to their varied responses to climate variations. In plants having a C3 pathway of photosynthesis, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) positively regulates photosynthetic carbon (C) assimilation and depresses photorespiration. Legumes being C3 plants, they may be in a favorable position to increase biomass and yield through various strategies. This paper comprehensively presents recent progress made in the physiological and molecular attributes in plants with special emphasis on legumes under elevated CO2 conditions in a climate change scenario. A strategic research framework for future action integrating genomics, systems biology, physiology and crop modelling approaches to cope with changing climate is also discussed. Advances in sequencing and phenotyping methodologies make it possible to use vast genetic and genomic resources by deploying high resolution phenotyping coupled with high throughput multi-omics approaches for trait improvement. Integrated crop modelling studies focusing on farming systems design and management, prediction of climate impacts and disease forecasting may also help in planning adaptation. Hence, an integrated research framework combining genomics, plant molecular physiology, crop breeding, systems biology and integrated crop-soil-climate modelling will be very effective to cope with climate change

Transforming Food Systems in Africa under Climate Change Pressure: Role of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Low-income producers and consumers of food in Africa are more vulnerable to climate change, owing to their comparatively limited ability to invest in more adapted institutions and technologies under increasing climatic risks. Therefore, the way we manage our food systems needs to be urgently changed if the goal is to achieve food security and sustainable development more quickly. This review paper analyzes the nexus “climate-smart agriculture-food systems-sustainable development” in order to draw sound ways that could allow rapid transformation of food systems in the context of climate change pressure. We followed an integrative review approach based on selected concrete example-experiences from ground-implemented projects across Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, in West Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania in East Africa). Mostly composed of examples from the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) Research Program of the CGIAR (former Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) and its partners, these also included ground initiatives from non-CGIAR that could provide demonstrable conditions for a transformative agriculture and food systems. The lessons learnt from the ground implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), in the African context, were instrumental to informing the actions areas of the food-system transformation framework suggested in this paper (reroute, de-risk, reduce, and realign). Selected CSA example-cases to inform these action areas included 24 initiatives across Africa, but with a focus on the following studies for an in-depth analysis: (1) the climate-smart village approach to generate knowledge on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices for their scaling, (2) the use of climate information services (CIS) to better manage climate variability and extremes, and (3) the science–policy interfacing to mainstream CSA into agricultural development policies and plans. The analysis of these examples showed that CSA can contribute driving a rapid change of food systems in Africa through: (1) the implementation of relevant climate-smart technologies and practices to reroute farming and rural livelihoods to new climate-resilient and low-emission trajectories; (2) the development and application of weather and climate information services (WCIS) that support de-risking of livelihoods, farms, and value chains in the face of increasing vagaries of weather and extreme events; (3) the use of climate-smart options that minimize waste of all the natural resources used for growing, processing, packaging, transporting, and marketing food, and therefore mitigating the carbon footprint attached to this food loss and waste; and (4) the realignment of policies and finance that facilitate action in the four proposed action areas through the identification of news ways to mobilize sustainable finance and create innovative financial mechanisms and delivery channels

Perspectives: Legislating change

About 80% of West Africans live in rural populations that mainly depend on rain-fed, cereal-based subsistence agriculture. These areas are highly vulnerable to climate variability. The increasing frequency and severity of climate extremes — primarily drought — have led to food crises in the sub-Saharan Sahel region. Although existing technologies and practices can mitigate agricultural risk, farmers need access to accurate long- and short-term weather forecasts so they can utilize these measures more effectively. One solution is localized seasonal climate forecasts for farmers. Partners from CCAFS in West Africa have recently tried such an approach in the Kaffrine district in central Senegal. To help ease the transition from traditional forecast practices, we presented the new information to farmers alongside discussions about established methods. Farmers in Kaffrine were able to develop adaptive techniques from climate information and choose a good strategy for improving yield during dry and wet seasons

Climate information use implications for climate risk mitigation in West Africa

With projections of a 70 percent increase in demand for staple cereals by 2050 in order to feed the growing human population (FAO, 2010), combined with the current declining per capita food production and a dwindling natural resource base, ‘feeding West Africa’ and increasing the resilience of livelihood systems may be well beyond reach. This has been attributed to multiple factors such as land tenure challenges, declining soil fertility, poor markets, climate hazards and variability, inadequate funding and poor infrastructural development (Ouedraogo et al, 2016; Partey et al, 2016). The current state of food insecurity and poor rural livelihoods are expected to be further exacerbated by climate change and variability which has emerged as one of the major threats to development in West Africa (Zougmoré et al, 2016)..