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Browsing by Author "Lai, Cynthia"

Now showing 1 - 17 of 17
  • 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.
  • 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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    Decentralizing natural resource management: Emerging lessons from ICRAF collaboration in southeast Asia
    Lai, Cynthia; Catacutan, Delia C.; Mercado, Agustin R. Jr. (1998)
    The purpose of this paper is to share some emerging lessons concerning decentralization and devolution of forest management in Southeast Asia, drawing upon the collaborative work being undertaken by the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and a wide range of partner institutions. The first section will briefly highlight recent developments related to decentralized approaches to forest policy and management in Indonesia, Vietnam, Lao PDR and the Philippines. The second section will present highlights, emerging lessons, and implications for scaling up from the perspective of three case-studies: 1) the damar agroforests in Krui, Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia; 2) the municipal-level natural resource management planning process in Lantapan, Bukidnon Province, Mindanao, Philippines; and 3) the Landcare approach to conservation farming on sloping lands in Claveria, Misamis Oriental Province, Mindanao, Philippines. The last section will attempt to draw some general principles and lessons learned from ICRAF collaboration in Southeast Asia, particularly in light of how these may be applied for future scaling-up efforts to generate wider positive impact.
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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.
  • 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.
  • Economic analysis of farm labor and profitability of three tribal villages in the central middle hills region of Nepal
    Reed, Brinton F.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Lai, Cynthia; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Limbu, Prakash (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Tribal villages in Nepal’s “Middle Hills” region practice traditional farming techniques that contribute to ongoing decreases in agricultural productivity. The introduction of conservation agriculture practices, such as strip tillage and intercropping with nitrogen-fixing legumes can increase long-term farm profitability and help ensure long-term soil productivity. In this study, survey and trial plot data from three tribal villages is used to provide an analysis of profitability and changes in labor requirements associated with the introduction of strip tillage, intercropping and residue management. The current farmer practice of millet monocropping (T1) was least profitable of all systems and cowpea monocropping (T2) was the most profitable. Cowpea monocropping also required the least labor and thus, is the most suitable candidate for adoption at the time of this study. However, millet and cowpea intercropping with a minimum (strip) tillage regime (T4) may provide higher profits than all other treatments once the long-term benefits of strip-tillage take effect. In addition, labor requirements for T4 are most in line with current labor division by gender and as a result, this treatment might prove the most suitable for adoption over the long term. It is recommended that high quality legume seed be provided to improve smallholder livelihoods and increase regional food production.
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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
  • Farmers’ preference of conservation agricultural practices in Kendujhar, Odisha using the analytic hierarchy process
    Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, H.; Naik, D.; Ray, Chittaranjan (Bangkok, Thailand: Funny Publishing, 2013)
    The tribal villages within the district of Kendujhar, in the state of Odisha, India, suffer from marginal land conditions that are having an increasing impact on agricultural productivity. The majority of the population in this area consists of small-holder, subsistence farmers, who produce crops (mainly mustard and maize) on an average of two hectare sized plot. Research results presented here has been focused on the impact of practising Conservation Agricultural Production Systems (CAPS). Specifically: minimum tillage and intercrop to increase the food security and livelihood in this area. Results from structured socio-economic surveys provided the comparative economic analyses of different CAPS necessary prior to implementation to determine the impact of three integrative CAPS and one control (no CAPS) treatment program. Prioritization of these four CAPS systems was completed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to quantify farmers’ preference from a pre-determined set of criteria (objectives) to quantify tradeoffs that farmers considered to be important. These objectives were: Profit, Labor Saving, Yield and Soil Environmental Benefits. This study delineates potential implications and provides insight for natural resource managers regarding the short and long-term tradeoffs these smallholder farmers are willing to make with the selected CAPS. It is also intended as a positive catalyst for environmental awareness, agricultural technology transfer, and extension research in developing countries.
  • Farmers’ preference: AHP workshop and analysis
    Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Manoa, CTHAR, 2011)
    A presentation presenting detailed steps in conducting AHP to determine tribal Indian farmers' preference for cropping strategies that improve profit, labor savings, yield, or soil quality. These strategies are in pursuit of the overall goal of improving income. This presentation served as both an explanation of AHP and a tool for administering AHP surveys in a classroom setting.
  • 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.
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    An integrative approach for introducing conservation agricultural practices to tribal societies in India
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Idol, Travis; Ray, Chittaranjan; Evensen, Carl; Roul, Pravat K. (Honolulu Hawaii: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2011)
    Small-holder farms in rural India struggle with reduced maize yields due to traditional farming methods. The introduction of modern conservation agriculture practices can provide higher yields and household income while boosting soil productivity. This poster abstract presents the results of CAPS implementation on experimental plots in tribal villages located in the Indian state of Odessa.
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    An integrative approach for introducing conservation agriculture practices to tribal societies in India
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Idol, Travis; Ray, Chittaranjan; Evensen, Carl; Roul, Pravat K. (Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2011)
    This poster presents the results from implimenting CAPS methods in tribal villages located in Odessa State, India. It gives socio-economic data for households in the study villages as well as project objectives and methods. It presents the results of the experimental plots and socio-economic survey data. Finally, it gives conclusions and implications for future research.
  • An integrative approach for introducing conservation agriculture to tribal societies in India
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Lai, Cynthia; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Idol, Travis; Ray, Chittaranjan; Evensen, Carl; Roul, Pravat K. (2011)
    This poster introduces the Long Term Research Activity (LTRA) 11, a research activity within the SANREM CRSP program during Phase IV. The objectives of this LTRA are to introduce and promote Conservation Agriculture practices at the tribal and household level in Odisha, India, and monitor the economic, environmental, and social impacts.