Browsing by Author "Halbrendt, Jacqueline"

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  • Analysis of farmer and extension agent preference in Nepal using Analytic Hierarchy Process
    Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Reed, Brinton F.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Limbu, P. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    Subsistence farmers in Nepal rely on marginal lands that are subject to declining fertility due, in part, to traditional farming practices. These farmers regularly face critical decisions regarding which crops to produce and which production practices to adopt. The introduction of conservation agriculture (CA) practices has the potential to improve livelihoods and food security but depends on farmer perceptions and knowledge sharing between farmers and extension staff. This study uses Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine farmer and extension staff preferences for selected CA strategies. This data is then used to determine which practices have the highest likelihood of adoption, identify farmer incentives, and facilitate mutual understanding among farmers and extension agents. AHP was conducted in three villages and two organizations that provide extension services for rural subsistence communities. Overall, soil quality was identified as the most important factor affecting household income. Farmers preferred full till and cowpea monocrop while extension agents preferred strip till with cowpea /millet intercrop. Results suggest that (1) there is a knowledge gap among farmers regarding the advantages of minimal till and soil fertility; (2) farmers prefer short term profits over sustainable production; and (3) there is a lack of understanding between farmers and non-farmers regarding the effectiveness of intercropping. In order to maximize adoption of CA practices, farmer education and communications with extension agents should be improved by means of increasing the frequency of focus groups, workshops, and site visits.
  • Comparative analysis of farmer and professional preferences towards conservation agriculture practices in Kendujhar, Odisha; an analytical hierarchy process study
    Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Naik, D.; Ray, Chittaranjan (College Station, Texas, USA: International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2012)
    This study compares farmer and professional mental perceptions, in the village of Tentuli, India, of their preferences of specific conservation agricultural production systems and objectives as they relate to the goal of improved income. The analytical hierarchy process is used to compare mental perceptions of various agricultural technology characteristics. Results reveal that farmers prefer intercrop/ plow with yield, while professionals prefer intercrop/ minimum tillage with profit as the most preferred objective. Results can be used to support and promote collaborations amongst stakeholders and farmers to reduce perception gaps and provide recommendations towards other agricultural efforts in extension, government and agribusiness.
  • Comparative economic analysis of conservation agricultural practices in Tentuli Village, India
    Lai, Cynthia (2011)
    During this time of environmental change, the management of natural resources may be our wisest pursuit; specifically, where it relates to international agricultural development. This research has studied the potential for agricultural development in the tribal villages of Kendujhar, one of the poorest districts in the East Indian state of Odisha. With a population primarily consisting of smallholder farming systems characterized by poor soil fertility and moisture retention, limited irrigation, and susceptibility to erosion, agricultural productivity in this region has been adversely impacted. As such, this study’s research evaluates the impact of conservation agriculture (CA) practices in these villages. This dynamic approach of CA focuses on two interventions: minimum tillage and intercropping. Primary data collection through face-to-face interviews was completed to establish agricultural household baselines in the district, while a field experiment was used to assess the productivity of the two CA practices. Maize/cowpea intercropping and minimum tillage treatments were established to determine differences in yields and labor requirements. The results showed that with a maize/cowpea intercrop, the greatest returns occur when we consider labor without the opportunity for off-farm employment. On the other hand, if labor has opportunity for off-farm employment, it is more economical to work off-farm; however, this applies primarily to young male household members who have greater opportunity for employment. The implications for gender, in terms of labor, are such that with CA, male labor reduces while female labor increases. Based on the results, there are multiple recommendations for agribusiness and policy-makers: (1) assist farmers with input and seed subsidies and access to credit for CA adoption to enhance yields, increase returns, and improve food security; (2) increase extension efforts for farmer education on the benefits of CA; and (3) train farmers on the benefits of high-yielding commercial seeds and improved farming practices.
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    Comparative Economic and Gender, Labor Analysis of Conservation Agriculture Practices in Tribal Villages in India
    Lai, Cynthia; Chan, C.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Shariq, L.; Roul, P.; Idol, Travis; Ray, Chittaranjan; Evensen, Carl (International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA), 2012)
    Marginal land use and subsequent natural resource degradation is a common issue among tribal villages in the Kendujhar district of India. In this study, Conservation Agriculture (CA) technologies at an experimental site, specifically the practices of intercropping and minimum tillage, were compared to conventional tillage practices of three tribal villages (145 households total) in this district. The impacts of CA implementation on gender, labor, and economic (yield and profitability) factors compared to conventional tillage practices were evaluated and used to make recommendations for future policy initiatives.
  • A comparative study of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) for tribal people of Odisha, India
    Pradhan, Aliza; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Idol, Travis; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Evensen, Carl; Ray, Chittaranjan; Roul, Pravat K.; Mishra, K. N. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    Tribal farming in Kendujhar district of Odisha, India is primarily based on traditional shifting cultivation which is becoming unsustainable - resulting in natural resources degradation, reduced production efficiency, and threatened food security. As maize (Zea mays L.) was the primary field crop grown by the tribal farmers, maize-based Conservation Agriculture Production Systems (CAPS) were taken as an innovative approach for conserving resources, enhancing productivity and sustaining livelihood through minimum soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover, and adoption of diversified crop rotation. An on-station experiment was conducted in Kendujhar during June 2011 to March 2012 to estimate the effect of CAPS on yield and soil properties. The experiment was laid in a split plot design with four treatments and three replications. The treatment combinations comprised of two factors each at two levels: tillage (minimum and conventional), and cropping system (maize and maize+cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)). The maize seed yield both in conventional and minimum tillage were comparable, though it was highest in maize+cowpea under minimum tillage (5610 kg/ha). Maize+cowpea intercropping produced comparable seed yield (4955 kg/ha) to that of sole maize cropping (4825 kg/ha). As cowpea was an additional output without any reduction in maize seed yield and had high market value, maize+cowpea intercropping under minimum tillage recorded a highest net profit of $655/ha. Though there was no significant effect of CAPS on soil properties in the experimental year, it can be assessed over multiple years.
  • Conservation agricultural practices to the tribal communities of Odisha, India
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2011)
    This presentation introduces the SMARTS project and gives 1st year results of CAPS implementation in Odessa, India. The presentation uses yield data as well as socio-economic analysis to develop conclusions and implications for future research.
  • Conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) poster for Orissa, India 2011
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2011)
    This poster illustrates how the short-term costs of CAPS implementation are outweighed by long-term benefits. The CAPS shown are specific to those implemented on trial plots in Orissa, India; minimum till, cover crops and intercropping with legumes. Specific factors mentioned include farm labor, yields, soil disturbance, and nutrition.
  • Constructing community fuzzy cognitive maps to promote adoption of conservation agricultural production practices
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Shariq, L.; Gray, S.; Lai, Cynthia (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2011)
    FCM was used to identify and map the factors involved in decision-making regarding the adoption of conservation agricultural practices in three villages in Central Nepal. Face-to-face interviews with farmers were conducted to develop an initial list of relevant factors, followed by extensive surveys conducted with both farmers and in-country NGO staff and researchers to develop the “mental models” used by these groups to guide decision-making. Mental models of the groups were quantitatively compared to determine differences between stakeholder groups. The results show significant differences between farmers and experts, as well as between villages. Such variation in the perception of agricultural practices can be attributed to differences in formal training, farming experience, soil conditions and culture. This research can be applied to improve understanding of cultural decision-making and values for improved transfer of sustainable agricultural technologies.
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    Development of an integrated approach for introducing conservation agricultural practices to the tribal communities of Odisha, India
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Shariq, L.; Lai, Cynthia; Idol, Travis; Ray, Chittaranjan; Roul, Pravat K.; Mishra, K. N. (Bangkok, Thailand: Funny Publishing, 2013)
    The smallholder farmers in the tribal areas of Odisha State, India have struggled to produce adequate crop yields under their current low input, continuous mono-crop farming system. The introduction of a Conservation Agriculture Production System (CAPS) has been proposed as a method to mitigate degradation of soils occurring under current farming practices and to improve crop yields while minimizing the use of additional inputs. The objective of this project was to develop an alternative cropping system to provide sustainable income and crop yields for the tribal farm families in the district of Kendujhar, Odisha State, India. Three approaches for maize production were introduced, incorporating the primary principles of CAPS: minimum tillage, crop rotation, and continuous soil cover. The CAPS treatments included combinations of no-till, maize-cowpea intercrop, and relay-cropping with a cover crop. The methodology followed an integrative, sequential approach to evaluate the agronomic, environmental and economic effects of different CAPS treatments on farm households. A complete randomized block design experiment with eight treatments and three replications was conducted from June to December 2010 to evaluate changes in yield, labor, and input costs for different CAPS approaches. A socioeconomic survey was conducted in the village to assess the farmer practices, inputs, labor demands, and crop yields. The results were then incorporated into a representative farm household model to evaluate the impact of these treatments on potential farm income. Results of the experimental plots showed that no-till maize intercropping with cowpea had the best outcome as the highest yielding CAPS scenario with the greatest prospect for income generation and sustained household food security. This approach, with its emphasis on the integration of site-specific crop production outputs, labor demands, and market analysis, will help to introduce the concept of CAPS to farmers, while developing sustainable farming systems and securing livelihoods for rural India.
  • Differences in farmer and expert beliefs and the perceived impacts of conservation agriculture
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Gray, Steven A.; Crow, S.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Kimura, A. H.; Tamang, Bishal B. (2014)
    This article compares the perceptions of conservation agriculture on the part of farmers with that of the agricultural experts tasked with spreading a technology. Differences among these two groups in reasoning and predictions was examined in Nepal. It was found that outcomes from adoption of conservation agriculture better reflected farmers' predictions than the supposed experts, providing evidence to support two-way learning models and discouraging universal application of an agricultural technology.
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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.
  • Economic analysis of farm labor and profitability of three tribal villages in Nepal
    Reed, Brinton F.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Limbu, P. (2012)
    The introduction of conservation agriculture practices, such as strip tilling and intercropping with nitrogen-fixing legumes can increase long-term farm profitability and ensure long-term soil productivity. Survey and trial plot data from three tribal villages is used to provide an analysis of profitability and labor requirements associated with strip tillage, intercropping, and crop selection. Results have implications for food security, government policy, and regional agribusiness opportunities.
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    Effect of conservation agriculture (on crop yields and system productivity) in maize-based farming system in the mid-hills of Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash (2014)
    This presentation introduces the concept of using CAPS as a way to improve food security in the Mid-hills region of Nepal.
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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.
  • Effect of maize based Conservation Agriculture Production Systems (CAPS) under tribal farming situations of Odisha in India
    Idol, Travis; Pradhan, Aliza; Roul, Pravat K.; Mishra, K. N.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Evensen, Carl; Ray, Chittaranjan; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine (Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, 2012)
    A summary of 2011-2012 trial plot results in terms of yield and profitability. Tillage and intercropping had no significant effect on maize yield (4890 kg ha 1) in the first year. The highest maize yield was recorded in maize+cowpea under minimum tillage (5610 kg ha 1). Economic return in case of intercropping was 38% higher than that of sole cropping, across both the tillage types. Though there was no significant effect of CAPS on soil properties in the first experimental year, trends were positive for soil pH, bulk density, and soil carbon.
  • Effect of tillage and intercropping on crop productivity, profitability and soil fertility under tribal farming situations of India
    Pradhan, Aliza; Idol, Travis; Roul, Pravat K.; Mishra, K. N.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Ray, Chittaranjan (Bhubaneswar, India: Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), 2013)
    Low crop yields due to continuous monocropping and deteriorating soil health in smallholder farm fields of tribal villages in India have led to a quest for conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS). This objective of the study was to assess the combined effect of reduced tillage, intercropping and residue management on 1) crop yield, 2) farmer’s profitability, and 3) soil physico-chemical properties. Selected treatments included an introduction of intercropping of maize with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) was grown as a post-rainy season cover crop in all the trial plots but there was no residue retention in control plots. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four treatments viz., T1: Conventional tillage with sole maize (CT-M) as control, T2: Conventional tillage with maize + cowpea (CT-M+C), T3: Minimum tillage with sole maize (MT-M), T4: Minimum tillage with maize + cowpea (MT-M+C). In the 2011/2012 cropping season, there was a significant interaction effect of tillage and intercropping on maize yield (P = Abstract published in the proceedings of the International Conference on Frontiers in Conservation Agriculture in South Asia and Beyond (F-CASA), Kathmandu, Nepal, 26, March 2013.
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    Farmers preference of Conservation Agricultural Practices in Kendujhar, Odisha using Analytical Hierarchy Process
    Lai, Cynthia (Plan B Written Report, Appendix 2 to MS Thesis. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2012)
    The tribal villages within the district of Kendujhar, in the state of Odisha, India, suffer
  • Gender analysis of agricultural labor in the mid-hills of Nepal and the implications for the adoption of conservation agriculture
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Because women share much of the burden of agricultural production, it is critical to examine the impact that agricultural innovations will have on the distribution of labor between genders. Conservation agriculture has been identified as an innovation to improve agricultural production in the Mid-hills of Nepal by reducing erosion and increasing soil organic matter. This paper identifies the gendered distribution of agricultural labor in three Chepang tribal villages of central Nepal, in order to estimate the changes in labor required by conservation agriculture interventions, and assess the implications of labor shifts with respect to the potential for adoption of conservation agriculture practices. Three tribal villages in Chepang were surveyed, with the male and female heads for each household questioned separately to assess the labor hours from each gender for cropping activities under conventional and conservation agricultural systems. Field experiments were also conducted to determine labor hours necessary for the adoption of conservation agriculture practices. Conservation agriculture was found to increase women’s share of agricultural labor, with a greater increase for intercropping with conventional tillage than for intercropping and minimal tillage.
  • Gendered implications for agricultural labor in the mid-hills of Nepal with the introduction of conservation agriculture practices
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Reed, Brinton F.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Tamang, Bishal B. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    The effect of gender-based labor on the success of agricultural development interventions is largely understudied. In this research, the gender distribution of labor and the potential shifts of labor distribution with the introduction of conservation agriculture (CA) are considered to determine possible barriers to adoption at the community level. Individual households were surveyed in three tribal communities in the central mid-hills of Nepal to conduct an activities analysis by gender. Three major crops were the focus of the survey: maize, millet, and legumes. The survey assessed the labor hours spent in five categories of cultivation: plowing, fertilizer application, sowing/transplant, weeding, and harvest. Field experiments were also conducted to measure the labor shifts from the introduction of two CA practices, intercropping and minimum tillage. The data was analyzed to determine the percent change in labor from shifting farmer practices to the two CA practices. Results showed an overall detrimental effect in percent change of labor for women, with an increase in total labor demands; however, the analysis highlights the optimal CA options in terms of beneficial changes to labor demands for each cultivation activity. Nevertheless, utilizing a minimum tillage practice along with leguminous intercropping of millet proved to reduce the labor disparity between the genders. Identifying such labor shifts can be crucial to improve development approaches for long-term adoption of new practices and the framework provided can be applied to similar farming systems.
  • Highlighting mental perception gaps between professional and farm of three conservation agricultural treatments:A focus on tribal villages of Kendjuhar, India and the Himalayan foothills of Nepal
    Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Ray, Chittaranjan; Naik, D. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    The dissemination of information from professional to farmer regarding new and innovative agricultural practices has never been so important. With increasing global pressures of population, limited natural resources and climate change, marginal land conditions are having an increasing impact on agricultural productivity. As professionals are working on developing innovative solutions via Conservation Agricultural Production Systems (CAPS), capacity building and information dissemination have become a more significant topic in research and practice today. In the Northern tribal villages of India and the mid-hills of Nepal, smallholder, subsistence farmers, are struggling to produce crops on their minimal 2-hectare on average plots. Due to their isolation, reliance on traditional knowledge and practices, and increasing environmental and external pressures, farmers are limited in new knowledge and approaches to enhance agricultural productivity. This paper reviews 2 specific case studies (Lai et al., 2011, unpublished results; Reed et al., 2012, unpublished results) on the utilization of the Analytical Hierarchy Process to quantify and prioritize farmers’ and then professionals’ mental perceptions. Specifically, of their preference of introduced CAPS programs as they relate to specific criteria (Profit, Labor Saving, Yield and Soil Environmental Benefits) and the goal of improved income. Discussion and enhancement via literature reveals the tradeoffs of what farmers consider to be important for technology adoption next to the professionals’ who developed them. This paper highlights the mental perception gaps between professionals and farmers and the limitations to farmer adoption to better understand why farmers do not adopt in order to provide recommendations to extension professionals, NGOs, scientists and government looking to explore within this field.