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Browsing by Author "Reed, Brinton F."

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15
  • Analysis of conservation agriculture preferences for researchers, extension agents, and tribal farmers in Nepal using Analytic Hierarchy Process
    Reed, Brinton F.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Tamang, Bishal B.; Chaudhary, N. (2014)
    Food security in the Middle Hills region of Nepal is threatened by decreased agricultural productivity resulting from accelerated soil degradation. Conservation agricultural (CA) practices can improve soil health and improve livelihoods, but adoption remains low. This study seeks to improve transfer of CA technology by identifying and comparing farmer, researcher, and extension agent preferences for CA through conducting Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP is a method to evaluate multi-criteria decision making that allows for different preferences to be weighted. A hierarchy is constructed where the top row is a goal that has been identified. In this case, focus groups identified improved income as the primary goal. The second row consists of major objectives or criteria for fulfilling the goal, in this case these were profit, labor saving, yield, and soil quality. The bottom rung consists of the available options: a traditional farming system and three different versions of CA production systems. Although researchers, extension agents and farmers agree on improved income as the ultimate goal, their preferred methods for achieving this goal differ. The research revealed indications of knowledge gaps that could inhibit technology transfer. Because of this, the authors emphasize need for communication, listing three communication-related recommendations for improving technology transfer.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Farmer preference for CAPS: Workshop and analysis
    Reed, Brinton F. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a a multi-criteria, multi-level decision-making method which breaks down complex decisions into a series of simple questions reflecting an optimal goal, objectives, and various options. This provides a structured technique for organizing and analyzing differing preferences for Conservation Agriculture Production Systems (CAPS). This presentation explains AHP and conducts a survey to collect gender-specific preference data for selected conservation agriculture preferences among tribal subsistence farmers in India.
  • 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.
  • Improving food security in Nepal: An economic analysis of conservation agriculture adoption in three subsistence farming villages
    Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Reed, Brinton F.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, S.; Limbu, P. (Honolulu Hawaii: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    International efforts to increase food security struggle with increasing populations and decreasing quantities of productive farmland, especially in developing countries. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices can improve regional food security, preserve land fertility, and improve community resilience against climate change. This makes the incorporation of such practices an imperative in these regions. In Nepal, traditional farming practices on marginal land have led to widespread soil degradation and declines in agricultural productivity. This study estimates the household-level economic returns, with and without labor opportunity costs, gained by the adoption of selected CA practices in three remote Nepali villages. Socio-economic data was collected in April 2011 (27 surveys covering over 25% of the households) and paired with trial plot data from each village to determine the changes in profitability and labor requirements for three CA treatments using a budget enterprise model. Results indicate that the use of cowpea as a rotational crop produces the highest economic returns (62% higher than current farmer practice and around 36% higher than other treatments) while the current farmer practice of full tillage and millet monocropping is the least profitable . These results highlight the economic benefits of CA practices over traditional farming techniques and make the case for the provision of high-value, N-fixing crop seeds for use as rotational crop or intercrop. Such policies could improve the food security and economic well-being of Nepal’s farming communities.
  • Measuring the economic impact of conservation agriculture adoption in rural India using linear programming and economic surplus analysis
    Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Reed, Brinton F.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Roul, P. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Despite its proven ability to increase yields, improve soils and reduce pollution, conservation agriculture (CA) adoption remains low among smallholders in many regions of South Asia due in large part to a lack of information regarding the full range of benefits it offers to farmers and local economies. Agriculture in Odisha, India is characterized by smallholder subsistence farming (average farm size of 1.25 ha) which contributes to one of the highest rural poverty rates in India and makes Odisha a prime target for adoption efforts. This study uses farmer preference data, experimental plot results and a multi-objective linear programming model to identify the combination of regionally-adapted CA practices that optimizes profitability, soil quality and labor cost savings. Economic surplus analysis is used to predict the impact adoption of such practices would have on the Indian state of Odisha. Model results indicate that adoption of reduced tillage with maize and cowpea intercropping in the first growing season and a combination of mustard cover crop and fallow treatments (on 60% and 40% of cultivated area, respectively) in the second growing season will maximize profit and soil quality while minimizing labor costs, given weighted farmer preferences for each objective. Adoption of this CA production system would increase profit by 140%, improve soil quality by 34% and reduce labor costs by over 30%. Adoption rates of 1%, 3% and 5% would net the state of Odisha $19.8 million, $59.8 million and $100.2 million in consumer and producer surplus. This study not only presents a flexible and simple methodology for determining which CA practices have the highest likelihood of long-term success and the economic impact of adoption, but also provides incentive for adoption at the farm level and for the formulation of pro-adoption policy at the state level.
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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.
  • Staff preference for CAPS: Workshop and analysis
    Reed, Brinton F. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2012)
    The purpose of this presentation was to collect staff and student preference data while training them to assist in similar data collection in villages. Objectives were to introduce LI-BIRD and IAAS staff and students to Analytic Hierarchy Process, to train them on its use, and to access their preferences for selected conservation agriculture production systems. This preference data is being used to compare extension agent preferences with those of farmers in order to identify knowledge gaps or training deficiencies.
  • Tribal farmer preferences for conservation agriculture production systems: An application of Analytic Hierarchy Process.
    Reed, Brinton F. (2012)
    In winter of 2012, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted in three Nepali villages in or near the Trisuli River valley and at two in-country research organizations. AHP was conducted with a total of 40 scientists and 41 randomly selected farmers. Expert Choice 11.5.829 was used to calculate results. Overall, soil quality (49%) was perceived as most important to the goal of improved income. This was followed by yield (25%), profit (14%), and labor savings (11%). Also in terms of improved income, CAPS 1 (cowpea monocrop with conventional tillage) was weighted highest (35%) and was followed by CAPS 3 (cowpea/millet intercrop with strip tillage; 34%), CAPS 2 (cowpea/millet intercrop with conventional tillage; 22%), and farmer practice (millet monocrop with conventional tillage 9%).
  • Understanding gender-based labor constraints for the implementation of conservation agriculture
    Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Gray, Steven A.; Kimura, Aya Hirata; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Reed, Brinton F.; Tamang, Bishal B. (2014)
  • Using analytic hierarchy process to understand smallholder perceptions of conservation agriculture adoption in Nepal and India
    Reed, Brinton F.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Tamang, Bishal B.; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Chaudhary, N. K. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Decision-making is a fundamental part of everyday life. Many decisions can simply be made with heuristics or with minimal cognitive effort or analysis on the part of the decision maker. However, decisions that involve multiple objectives or options, or complex causative relationships may require the use of decision-making analysis tools. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is one such method that, in recent years, has gained popularity in agricultural-related applications. In the sphere of international development, complex, multi-stakeholder decisions that could affect the livelihoods and food security of many people must be made on a regular basis. For the reason that AHP provides a mathematically based, objective analysis of multiple and conflicting viewpoints using highly subjective, qualitative data, it is an excellent candidate for the modeling of smallholder decision-making and preferences. This paper uses a case study from India and a case study from Nepal to illustrate the ways in which AHP may be used to quantify qualitative farmer preferences regarding the objectives of conservation agriculture adoption and the CA options available to them.
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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.
  • Using multiple objective linear programming and economic surplus analysis to predict the economic impact of CA adoption: A case study in Odisha, India
    Reed, Brinton F.; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Halbrendt, Jacqueline; Roul, Pravat K. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    Conservation agriculture (CA) has proven to be effective at reducing the negative environmental impacts of farming and increasing sustainable agriculture production. For this reason, it is currently being practiced on over 100 million ha of farmland worldwide. However, due in part to uncertainty regarding its full economic, social and environmental benefits, adoption among smallholders in many less developed regions is low. Thus there exists demand for methods that can identify the most appropriate CA practices given farmer needs and climatic constraints, and estimate the economic impact adoption of such practices could have at a city, state or province level. A case study focused on CA adoption in the Indian state of Odisha is presented. Using farmer preference data, trial plot results and a multi-objective linear programming model, this study determines which combination of locally-available CA practices will provide farmers with the optimal balance of profitability, soil quality and labor cost savings. An economic surplus analysis is used to predict the impact adoption would have at the state level. Model results indicate that a production system utilizing reduced tillage with maize and cowpea intercropping in the first growing season and a combination of mustard cover crop and fallow treatments (on 60% and 40% of cultivated area, respectively) in the second growing season will maximize objectives. Adoption of this CA production system would increase profit by 140%, improve soil quality by 34% and reduce labor costs by over 30%. Adoption rates of 1%, 3% and 5% would produce an estimated $19.8 million, $59.8 million and $100.2 million in total economic surplus for the state of Odisha. Results provide incentive for farmers to adopt CA and decision-makers to institute pro-adoption policies.