Review of solar dryers for agricultural products in Asia and Africa : An innovation landscape approach

Solar drying is one of the most efficient and cost-effective, renewable, and sustainable technologies to conserve agricultural products in Asian and sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This review paper presents the different types of solar dryers that are widely used in Africa and Asia. In addition, the pre-eminent effects of their use on product quality, as well as their economic, environmental, and social impacts, are highlighted. Since financial, external, and structural factors play a key role in the adoption and scaling of solar dryers, this paper also discusses the impact of these factors on the effectiveness of solar drying technologies in selected Asian and SSA countries.</p

Xanthomonas wilt of banana (BXW) in Central Africa: opportunities, challenges, and pathways for citizen science and ICT-based control and prevention strategies

Article purchased; Published online: 17 March 2018Xanthomonas Wilt of Banana (BXW) is a complex problem in the African Great Lakes Region that is affecting the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. Since the first disease reports from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001, BXW has been studied widely. The majority of these studies focus on the technological or biophysical dimensions, while aspects and influence of socio-cultural, economic and institutional dimensions only recently started to gain attention. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the broader BXW problem using a systems perspective, with the aim to add to the understanding about reasons for poor uptake of appropriate disease management practices, and limited ability to prevent rather than control BXW in the region. We comprehensively describe and analyse the various problem dimensions, and determine relations with data, information, knowledge, and connectivity. Building on this, the paper explores and discusses entry-points for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and citizen science tools to better address BXW in banana production systems

Climate-Smart Agriculture and Climate Information Services Action for Food Systems Transformation in Ghana: Capacity strengthening and Stakeholder consultation

AICCRA Ghana Cluster in collaboration with WA Regional Cluster and national, regional and international partners convened a two-week capacity strengthening event. The format of the event was hybrid with important in-person attendance arranged. The training aligns with the clusters expected contributions to specific project targets against four AICCRA performance indicators: PDO1- CCAFS partners and stakeholders in the Project area are increasingly accessing enhanced climate information services and/or validated climate-smart agriculture technologies; IPI 2.2- Partnerships launched/ strengthened between AICCRA-funded CGIAR and NARS scientists, universities, public sector stakeholders, farmer organizations, NGOs and private sector; IPI 2.3- People engaged in AICCRA-funded capacity development activities; and IPI 3.1- Validated climate information services and climate-smart agriculture technologies disseminated / made accessible. Therefore, the training was structured around four main segments: 1) Climate-smart one-health approach and partnership launch; 2) Early Warning & Rapid Response (EWRR) for a climate-smart IPM; 3) NFCS partnership strengthening and stakeholder consultation; 4) Enhancing access to CSA/CIS bundles while addressing gender and social inclusion (GSI)

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CASSAVA VARIETIES AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS IN CROP PRODUCTION IN EASTERN CAMEROON

Cassava represents a staple food source in Cameroon and in many other tropical countries, as it is effectively able to combat hunger. This study was carried out to: (i) determine the growth characteristics of improved and local cassava varieties in Eastern Cameroon under repeated cultivation, (ii) assess the effects of different soils on cassava growth, and (iii) disseminate the improved varieties throughout the region. The experiment was carried out during the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 seasons. Two improved varieties, TMS-92/0326 and TMS-96/1414, and the local Ntolo variety were cultivated at three sites in a randomized block design with six replications. No fertilizer was applied and the fields were weeded regularly. A twoway ANOVA (variety x site) for each season showed that variety and site were equally significant, and there were no significant interactions between varieties and sites. The improved varieties had higher yields (2.0–5.5-fold higher) than Ntolo, with cassava mosaic disease having seriously affected the Ntolo yield. Soil acidity and organic matter content in the soil surface horizon may be major factors affecting the cassava yield, with TMS-92/0326 and Ntolo being tolerant of higher acidity than TMS-96/1414, which suggests that variety-soil interactions should be considered when improved varieties are introduced

Farmers Perception and Criteria for Cassava Variety Preference in Cameroon

To assess farmers' perception and criteria for cassava variety preference prior to the dissemination of improved varieties in Cameroon, field visits were organized at the Mbalmayo research farm of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA ) during the vegetative and harvest periods, and a sensory quality test was conducted in a participatory manner. Parameters recorded were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance procedure (ANO -VA ), resulting in the selection of five varieties for multilocational testing and demonstration. To complement this effort, thirty cassava farmers in Ebolowa, Bertoua, Bamenda, Ngaoundere making a total of one hundred and twenty were interviewed following structured questionnaires, and their fields assessed. Results show that farmers cultivate many varieties of cassava for different uses but prefer early maturing variety (96.7%), high yield (89.2%), and resistant to pests and diseases (88.3%). In addition, there was regional preference. Farmers in Ebolowa and Bertoua preferred leafy, sweet roots and early branching varieties (TMS -92/0326, TMS -96/0023) while those in Bamenda and Ngaoundere preferred tall, drought tolerant (TMS -92/0057), fibrous (TMS -96/1414) for gari (roasted cassava granules) and in some cases flowering varieties (M94/0121) for apiculture. Results served as feedback information to research, extension, policy makers and other stakeholders. This constitutes an attractive scheme for deployment of the improved varieties and complements programs of the Cameroonian government for roots and tuber (PNDRT ), with the main objective to increase the productivity of cassava

カメルーンのキャッサバ生産増大をめざす開発研究への農民参加

京都大学0048新制・論文博士博士(地域研究)乙第12941号論地博第19号新制||地||62(附属図書館)32151(主査)教授 荒木 茂, 准教授 伊谷 樹一, 准教授 大山 修一学位規則第4条第2項該当Doctor of Area StudiesKyoto UniversityDFA

Participatory Exploration of the Heterogeneity in Household Socioeconomic, Food, and Nutrition Security Status for the Identification of Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions in the Rwandan Highlands

Food insecurity and malnutrition are challenges in rural Rwanda that are presumed to be affected by differential household socioeconomic status, but the relationship between food and nutrition security and socioeconomic status is not well-understood. We used a participatory and multidisciplinary study comprising nutrition survey, focus group discussion (FGD), detailed household/farm characterization, and interviews to construct a participatory household typology and to determine differences in the socioeconomic, food, and nutrition security status of 17 households representing the identified household types in Nyabihu District of Western Province. Strategies to improve household food and nutrition security were identified by the case study households themselves. During the FGDs, it was hypothesized that financial, physical, and natural capitals varied, resulting in high, medium, and low resource endowed households, abbreviated as HRE, MRE, and LRE, respectively. The HRE households had the most educated household heads, largest landholdings (~1 ha), and highest agricultural biodiversity and total farm income per annum. This probably resulted in better diets for women, children higher household food consumption relative to the other households. In contrast, the LRE households were the least food-secure, with poor household food consumption and low dietary diversity across seasons, probably due to limited physical and economic access to food. However, anthropometry of women and children did not differ with household type. Half of the children were stunted, including some from the more food-secure HRE households. Undiversified, nutritionally inadequate diets and bouts of illness likely contributed to chronic malnutrition in children. Making agricultural programs more nutrition-sensitive, creating diverse employment opportunities, and sensitizing communities to nutrition and adequate feeding practices of children could complement the interventions identified by households to improve their food and nutrition security.</p