Browsing by Author "Crow, Susan"

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    Economic analysis of conservation agriculture in maize-based farming system in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Norton, George W.; Nguema, Abigail M.; Limbu, P.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    A linear programming technique was used to estimate the revenue maximizing allocation of land for a representative household using conservation agriculture production system (CAPS) and farmers’ traditional practices. The model was optimized in five different scenarios. Scenario 1, 2, 3 and 4 were build by allowing annual soil loss to 1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha-1 yr-1 respectively, whereas scenario 5 was build with unconstrained soil loss. Scenario suggested that unless soil loss is considered, conservation tillage does not appear in the profit maximizing allocation of land. Practice with strip tillage appeared in the profit optimized model of all scenarios where soil loss was constrained. Scenario 1 and 2 had about 71 and 66 % of land allotted to maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with strip tillage practice. Result also suggested that the representative farm have to sacrifice about $88.6 for about 7 years and $50.1 ha-1 yr-1 (-7.6% and -4.1% revenue) if they aim to reduce the soil loss to 1 and 2 t ha-1 yr-1 respectively. An analysis of the total change in economic surplus associated with adopting the revenue maximizing crop mix was completed. The analysis suggests that conservation agriculture will eventually pay off because total change in economic surplus for 12 years is estimated to be $3,735 million (net present value) if only 1% of the total area adopts the revenue maximization crop mix with a 2 t ha-1 yr-1 soil loss constraint.
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    Effect of conservation agriculture on maize-based farming system in the mid-hills of Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Crow, Susan; Tamang, Bishal B.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Thapa, Keshab (2014)
    Conservation agriculture (CA) systems composed of intercropping and strip tillage practices were evaluated on marginalized maize-based farming system in hill region of Nepal. On-farm experimental trials were conducted on the field of 25 smallholder farmers in three villages of central mid-hill region. Results indicated that although CA systems did not increase crop yields; higher return and revenue were generated due to increased number of crop harvests and higher price of the cash crops used in intercropping. Therefore, it was concluded that smallholder farmers should adopt CA system for increasing return and improving sustainability of the farming system.
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    On-farm performance evaluation of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) in the central mid-hills of Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Tamang, Bishal B.; Reed, Brinton F.; Thapa, Keshab (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    This abstract presents the first year results of trial plots in each of three Nepali tribal villages. Yield results are presented in terms of protein and household revenue. The results of an analytic hierarchy process conducted in each village to ascertain farmer preferences for CAPS is also presented.
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    Projection of aggregate and farm benefits of conservation agriculture productions systems using economic surplus analysis and linear programing in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Nguema, Abigail M.; Norton, George W.; Tamang, Bishal B.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline (2013)
    Traditional agriculture in central mid hills of Nepal is characterized by cultivation of sloping lands, resulting in lower productivity and soil loss. The Sustainable Management of Agro-ecological Resources in Tribal Societies (SMARTS) project applied a participatory agro-ecological research framework to develop improved conservation agriculture practices system (CAPS) to contribute to sustainable livelihood of marginalized tribal farmers. This paper used economic surplus analysis at macro level to analyze the effect of adoption of adoption of different CAPS by farmers on aggregate benefits. The paper also used farm level linear programming model to estimate the revenue maximization allocation of the land for a representative households. The result indicated adoption of CAPS 2 (i.e. maize in first season followed by cowpea cover crop) increased the aggregate economic surplus but adoption of CAPS 3 and CAPS 4 did not increase the economic surplus. At farm level profit maximization model showed, when the soil loss is not considered, adoption of CAPS 1 on all land produced maximum revenue. Under the scenario build with maximum soil loss of 1 ton ha-1 year-1, adoption of CAPS 4 (maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with strip tillage) on 61% of land, CAPS 2 on 34% of land and CAPS 3 on 4% (maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with conventional tillage) was profit maximizing. Farmers can increase farm revenue and profit by adopting either of the scenarios.
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    Using competition ratios and total revenue parameters to assess millet and legume intercropping under conservation agriculture production systems in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Tamang, Bishal B.; Reed, Brinton F. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Intercropping ratios such as land equivalency ratio (LER), competition ratio (CR), monetary advantage index (MAI) and total revenue from millet+legume intercrop under different conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) designed for maize-based hill farming system of Nepal were compared using general linear model ANOVA. The data was collected through on-farm experimental plots from 28 farming households in central mid-hill of Nepal for two years. Maize was the only crop in first season (March-June), which was followed by four treatments, i.e. millet sole by conventional tillage (CT), legume sole by CT, millet+legume with CT and millet+legume with strip tillage (ST). Cowpea was planted as legume crop in first year, while was replaced by black gram in second year. The initial trend indicated ST had negative effect on yield of following season maize crop. The average LER of intercropping treatments was significantly higher than the sole crops indicating advantage of intercropping, but strip tillage was found to reduce the derived advantage. Although, LER of millet+legume intercrop increased from 1.16 to 1.31 in ST and 1.27 to 1.39 in CT in second year, total revenue decreased because of reduced contribution of high value legume to total LER. Millet+black gram intercrop in second year was found to have higher LER and monetary advantage index (MAI) than millet+cowpea intercrop in first year. It was found that there is economic incentive to farmers for adopting intercropping but there is no incentive adopt conservation tillage in short term. Considering the long-term sustainability and ecosystem benefits of conservation tillage, farmers need to be provided with initial supports for adoption of conservation agriculture.