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Browsing by Author "Wilcox, Michael D."

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15
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    Agricultural Actors, Networks, and Farmer Identity: Examining Perspectives and Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Botha Bothe, Lesotho
    Lamb, Jennifer Nicole; Moore, Keith M.; Marake, Makoala V.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Eash, Neal S.; The LTRA 9 Team (Blacksburg, VA: Office of International Research and Development, Virginia Tech, 2013)
    Lesotho’s highly eroded land has the potential to be rejuvenated by the utilization of conservation agriculture (CA) practices. This paper considers the relationships between local mindsets for agricultural production, beliefs about CA, and social networks to comment on the current process of CA development and dissemination in Botha Bothe District. Surveys were conducted with 430 households from ten villages, some from the lowlands, some from the foothills, and others in the highlands. Follow-up surveys were conducted in one highland village and one lowland village, and the data was used for network analysis in order to understand the dynamics between social networks, farmers’ contacts, and adoption behaviors. Variations in responses were also analyzed with regard to gender and farm size. The authors find that lowland farmers are generally more supportive of CA than are highland farmers, that full adopters tend to receive information from sources external to the community, and that many important local actors are skeptical of CA.
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    Bowen Ratio Energy Balance Measurement of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fluxes of No-Till and Conventional Tillage Agriculture in Lesotho
    O'Dell, Deb; Sauer, Thomas J.; Hicks, Bruce B.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Smith, David R.; Bruns, Wendy A.; Basson, August; Marake, Makoala V.; Walker, Forbes; Wilcox, Michael D.; Eash, Neal S. (Open Journal of Soil Science, 2014)
    Global food demand requires that soils be used intensively for agriculture, but how these soils are managed greatly impacts soil fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2). Soil management practices can cause carbon to be either sequestered or emitted, with corresponding uncertain influence on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The situation is further complicated by the lack of CO2 flux measurements for African subsistence farms. For widespread application in remote areas, a simple experimental methodology is desired. As a first step, the present study investigated the use of Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB) instrumentation to measure the energy balance and CO2 fluxes of two contrasting crop management systems, till and no-till, in the lowlands within the mountains of Lesotho. Two BREB micrometeorological systems were established on 100-m by 100-m sites, both planted with maize (Zea mays) but under either conventional (plow, disk-disk) or no-till soil management systems. The results demonstrate that with careful maintenance of the instruments by appropriately trained local personnel, the BREB approach offers substantial benefits in measuring real time changes in agroecosystem CO2 flux. The periods where the two treatments could be compared indicated greater CO2 sequestration over the no-till treatments during both the growing and non-growing seasons.
  • Carbon sequestration in a tilled and untilled maize field in Lesotho, Southern Africa
    Bruns, Wendy A.; Eash, Neal S.; Sauer, T.; Walker, Forbes; West, T. O.; Marake, Makoala V.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Bruns, M. (2015-01-22)
    This presentation was given at the Soil Science Society of America annual meeting on October 19th, 2011 in San Antonio Texas at 10:05 in the morning. No-till agriculture was practiced in Lesotho, Southern Africa, while observing the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere during the growing season. Comparisons were made between land under no-till and crop rotation management and land practicing plowed.
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    Conservation agriculture and household wellbeing: A non-causal comparison among smallholder farmers in Mozambique
    McNair, William E.; Eash, Neal S.; Lambert, Dayton M.; De La Torre Ugarte, Daniel G.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Thierfelder, Christian (2015)
    This research examines the relationship between household wellbeing and the use of conservation agriculture (CA) by smallholder farmers in Mozambique. Wellbeing indicators are regressed on household demographic attributes, farm management practices, and a variable indicating farmer adoption of CA. Findings suggest that households using CA have higher wellbeing index scores related to farm tool and implement ownership and housing material quality, but lower index scores related to livestock ownership. The findings present an encouraging, baseline picture of the association between the use of CA technologies by farmers in Mozambique and household wellbeing.
  • Conservation Agriculture in Lesotho: Residue Use Patterns Among CA adopters vs. Non-Adopters
    Wilcox, Michael D.; Bisangwa, E.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Marake, Makoala V.; Walker, F. R.; Eash, Neal S.; Moore, Keith M.; Park, W. M. (2012)
    Recent efforts by the Government of Lesotho, non-government organizations (NGOs), and international attention have focused on developing conservation agriculture (CA) practices adapted to the cultural, economic, and agro-ecological conditions in Lesotho. Understanding the influence of the introduction of CA technologies on soil erosion, yields, labor allocation and gender roles is of critical importance for successfully deploying sustainable agriculture technologies.
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    Conservation agriculture in Lesotho: The drivers of adoption and the role of extension
    Bisangwa, E.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Marake, Makoala V.; Walker, F. R.; Eash, Neal S.; Park, W. M. (2012)
    Recent efforts by the Government of Lesotho, non-government organizations (NGOs), and international attention have focused on developing conservation agriculture (CA) practices adapted to the cultural, economic, and agro-ecological conditions. In particular, understanding the influence of the introduction of CA technologies on soil erosion, yields, labor allocation and gender roles is of critical importance for developing sustainable agriculture technologies. This research is a collaborative effort between The National University of Lesotho and The University of Tennessee.
  • Developing sustainable conservation agriculture for smallholder farmers in Southern Africa
    Eash, Neal S.; Walker, Forbes; Thierfelder, Christian; Marake, Makoala V.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Basson, August (2012)
    This presentation was given at the Soil Science Society of America annual meeting on October 22nd, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio at 11:10 in the morning. Conservation agricultural practices were used in Southern Africa's cropping system to improve soil nutrient, improve food security, sequester carbon, and mitigate green house gases.
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    Developing sustainable subsistence smallholder conservation agricultural systems in Lesotho
    Eash, Neal S.; Walker, Forbes; Lambert, Dayton M.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Marake, Makoala V.; Wall, Patrick; Basson, August; Bruns, Wendy A.; Bruns, M. (2011)
    The average subsistence maize yield in Lesotho is very low (less than 0.3 Mg/ha) due to excessive soil erosion rates, low soil fertility, high fertilizer and herbicide cost, moisture/nutrient loss from weed competition, and high labor requirements for hand weeding. The break-even yields for subsistence farmers are approximately 2 Mg/ha or approximately seven times the average yield. This study was conducted to determine the economically viable nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates, planting density, cover crop weed suppression effectiveness, and cultivation methods for maize production. The soils at the experiment site were silty clay loam and located near Mohale's Hoek. The 2009 results indicated that the most expensive smallholder farming method was the hired tractor or animal draft that used hired labor for weeding and was followed closely by likoti ('pothole' method). The most cost effective method was the use of no-till planter. Cover crops suppressed up to 90% of Common Thistle and Cape Tulip (Moraea flaccida), with Grazing Vetch (Vicia sativa) the most effective weed suppressor. Both higher N and P rates and population densities are needed because yields continued to increase at the higher fertilizer rates and population densities. Results from the first year of data suggest that cover crops will be an important component in weed control. Fertilizer N and P rates need to be increased as do the target plant populations.
  • A First Look at Maize Markets and Demographics among Conservation Agriculture Adopters and Non Adopters in Mozambique
    McNair, W. E.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Eash, Neal S.; Thierfelder, Christian (2012)
    Mozambique has 1.4 million hectares of arable land suitable for producing maize. Average yields are low (920 kg/ha in 2008 (FAOSTAT). The livelihoods of most families depend on small-scale agriculture. Maize is the main staple and accounts for most of the population’s caloric intake.
  • Maize yield response to N, P, K, population, and planting date in Lesotho, Southern Africa
    Bruns, M.; Walker, Forbes; Eash, Neal S.; Jones, W.; Marake, Makoala V.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Stobbe, E. (2011)
    This is an abstract of a presentation at the Soil Science Society of America meeting in San Antinio, Texas on Wednesday October 19th, 2011 at 10:20 in the morning. The presentation includes conservation agriculture techniques used in Lestho in Sub-Sahara Africa to increase soil carbon, in turn increasing production yields. This is an area of minimal data, therefore a variety of farming types were used, which include livelihood farming, small-scale farming, and large-scale farming
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    Small-holder adoption of conservation agriculture in Lesotho and Mozambique
    Eash, Neal S.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Marake, Makoala V.; Thierfelder, Christian; Walker, F. R.; Wilcox, Michael D. (2012)
    Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been practiced for three decades and is extensively adopted by large scale commercial farmers in the Americas and Australia and to a much lower extent by small-scale farmers around the world. In 2008 there were about 106 million hectares of permanent crops grown using CA systems in 2008. Conservation agriculture typically involves: (1) minimal soil disturbance; (2) covering soils with crop residues; and (3) rotating crops or intercropping with legumes (FAO, 2002; Thierfelder and Wall, 2010). Interventions such as mechanical tillage are reduced to an absolute minimum, and the use of agrochemicals and nutrients of mineral or organic origin are applied at optimal levels. The interactions between minimal soil disturbance, managing crop residues on fields, applying optimal nutrient levels, and controlling weed populations are often considered more consequential than the individual effects of these management activities. Instead of maximizing crop yield, the managerial objectives implied by CA is to optimize long-term soil fertility improvements through residue management and cover crop rotations, with higher maize yields and potentially lower input cost side-benefits. Agronomic research has documented that CA systems are more likely to generate higher maize yields than non-CA systems. However, even increases in expected biological yields may not be enough to encourage risk-averse small-holder farmers to adopt CA technologies. This research summarizes field trial information from Mozambique and Lesotho to understand the interplay between (1) optimal seeding and fertilizer input rates, and (2) and input and commodity prices to estimate the risk premium associated with conservation agriculture technology. Findings suggest that farm size (as measured by household wealth) plays a significant role in determining the amount producers would be willing to pay to eliminate risk associated with adoption of an alternative technology like conservation agriculture.
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    Smallholder adoption of conservation agriculture and ghg reduction potential in Mozambique and Lesotho
    Lambert, Dayton M.; McNair, W. E.; O'Dell, D.; Bisangwa, E.; Simone, T.; Eash, Neal S.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Walker, Forbes; Marake, Makoala V.; Thierfelder, Christian (2013)
    Current agricultural practices in Mozambique and Lesotho lead to localized externalities and systematic “macro” erosion. However, conservation agriculture, which promotes minimal tillage, intercropping, and maintaining a soil cover, can be applied to moderate erosion and improve food security while sequestering carbon. This presentation examines the greenhouse gas reduction potential Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (SANREM) Collaborative Research Support Program’s 5 year project to promote conservation agriculture in Mozambique and Lesotho. It provides graphical comparisons of carbon emissions for tillage and no-tillage systems. Results of a household survey in Mozambique are utilized to examine the probability of the adoption of conservation agriculture related to input use, training, labor constraints, and project support. Farmers who use fertilizer and herbicide and receive credit were found to have the highest adoption rate for conservation agriculture.
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    Smallholder adoption of Conservation Agriculture and GHG reduction potential in Mozambique and Lesotho
    Lambert, Dayton M.; McNair, W. E.; O'Dell, D.; Bisangwa, E.; Simone, T.; Eash, Neal S.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Walker, Forbes; Marake, Makoala V.; Thierfelder, Christian (2013)
    Current agricultural practices in Mozambique and Lesotho lead to localized externalities and systematic “macro” erosion. However, conservation agriculture, which promotes minimal tillage, intercropping, and maintaining a soil cover, can be applied to moderate erosion and improve food security while sequestering carbon. This presentation examines the greenhouse gas reduction potential Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (SANREM) Collaborative Research Support Program’s 5 year project to promote conservation agriculture in Mozambique and Lesotho. It provides graphical comparisons of carbon emissions for tillage and no-tillage systems. Results of a household survey in Mozambique are utilized to examine the probability of the adoption of conservation agriculture related to input use, training, labor constraints, and project support. Farmers who use fertilizer and herbicide and receive credit were found to have the highest adoption rate for conservation agriculture.
  • Smallholders, Sustainability and Food Security: Conservation Agriculture in a Developing Country Context
    Wilcox, Michael D.; Bisangwa, E.; Lambert, Dayton M.; Eash, Neal S.; Walker, F. R.; Marake, Makoala V. (SANREM CRSP, 2012)
    Conservation agriculture (CA), with its main tenets of 1) minimizing soil disturbance, 2) maintaining residue on soil surface and 3) mixing/rotating crops has been promoted and adopted, to varying degrees, across the globe. It is estimated that eight percent of all arable land is under CA management . While commercially applicable (e.g., Australia, Brazil and the United States), CA has also received attention as a ‘pro-poor’ strategy for ameliorating smallholder agricultural production and a means of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Thus far, research on CA in southern Africa has primarily focused on the factors associated with adoption and agronomic outcomes based on field research in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In contrast, Lesotho - a small, landlocked country surrounded by the Republic of South Africa - has received relatively little attention despite its decades-long struggle with severe soil erosion. The extremely high rate of erosion has not only resulted in the proliferation of gullies and the degradation of soil fertility but has also contributed significantly to food security concerns and long term decline in staple crop production. As a result, nearly a quarter of the population is currently in need of food assistance to survive. The average maize yield in Lesotho is stagnant at approximately 400 kg per hectare per year or 95 % less than the typical maize yield in the United States. This research uses household survey data from over 430 households in Botha Bothe district in northern Lesotho to determine the effects of adoption on households in terms of socio-economics and food security and to briefly highlight the potential drivers of and ways to counteract disadoption. This district is of particular interest because different methods of CA (mechanized and manual labor) and technology dissemination (through government-led Extension service and non-governmental organizations) are being deployed concurrently. Results suggest that household demographics, input availability and familiarity with CA all influence its adoption in the short and medium term.
  • Using conservation agriculture to intensify and stabilize agricultural production in Southern Africa
    Eash, Neal S.; Walker, Forbes; Lambert, Dayton M.; Wilcox, Michael D.; Marake, Makoala V.; Thierfelder, Christian (2013)
    This presentation was given on November 4th, 2013 in Tampa, Florida. The use of conservation agriculture can increase food production sub-Saharan countries. This land is currently receiving excess tillage, which results in gully erosion and other types of land degradation. With sufficient fertilizers of N, P, and K and proper management these lands should be able to have an increase in food production while potentially mitigating carbon dioxide.