Browsing by Author "Ramisch, Joshua J."

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    Prospects for integrated soil fertility management using organic and inorganic inputs: evidence from smallholder African agricultural systems
    Place, Frank; Barrett, Christopher B.; Freeman, H. Ade; Ramisch, Joshua J.; Vanlauwe, Bernard (Elsevier, 2003)
    This paper reviews current organic nutrient management practices and their integration with mineral fertilizers in Sub-Saharan Africa with a view to understanding the potential impacts on a range of input markets. A number of different organic nutrient management practices have been found to be technically and financially beneficial, but they differ considerably as to their effectiveness and resource requirements. A review of African smallholder experiences with integrated soil fertility management practices finds growing use, both indigenously and through participation in agricultural projects. Patterns of use vary considerably across heterogeneous agroecological conditions, communities and households, but are stimulated by profitable commercially oriented agricultural opportunities. The potential for integrated soil fertility management to expand markets for organic inputs, labor, credit, and fertilizer is explored. We found that there are few direct analyses of these links and the current indirect evidence is inconclusive.
  • "This Field is Our Church:" The social and agronomic challenges of knowlegde generation in a participatory soil fertility management project
    Ramisch, Joshua J. (Recherche, 2012)
    This chapter focuses on the challenges of participatory research in the context of social and agronomic knowledge production. It it based from personal experience of an on-farm research project that dealt with community-based soil fertility management in Western Kenya. The goal was to create an organization that integrated both local and scientific knowledge and experience. However, both groups found that neither participation or knowledge that was both put forth in the project and that emerged from the project was unchanged despite the level of participation. They claim the challenge in participatory research is "to be able to respond effectively with relevant technologies, inputs, and advice."