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The coffee value chain is lengthy and complex with numerous actors and this exposes the farmers to inherent financial risks. This study sought to decompose the coffee value chain and its dynamics. The study was undertaken in Embu and Kirinyaga counties in Central Kenya and the target population was smallholder coffee farmers. The study used multistage stratified sampling techniques to draw a sample of 385 respondents. Majority (97%) of the sampled farmers were processing and marketing their coffee through cooperative societies. Socioeconomic analysis of these farmers showed that majority were middle‐aged, fairly educated and with adequate coffee farming experience but their cherry production was very low averaging 2.3 kgs per tree for 2022/2023 crop year. The cooperative societies were playing key roles in the coffee value chain including farmers' training, input and credit provision, coffee processing and marketing. There were numerous coffee marketing challenges, including high middlemen involvement, which lowered the coffee prices and reduced the trade volumes. Value adding activities such as roasting, grinding, and packaging were rare and farmers' involvement in the upstream value chain was minimal. The local demand for the produced coffee was very low with domestic consumption taking only 2% of the output. The multilevel mixed effect model results revealed that value adding and farmer involvement were found to have a significant positive influence on the traded volumes and coffee prices while middlemen involvement had a negative influence. There is need for enhanced value adding and farmers involvement in the upstream value chain as well as strengthening the cooperative societies' role in coffee marketing for more accountability and increased incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Poultry production in Uganda is growing at a fast rate due to increasing demand, notwithstanding, poor husbandry practices, and diseases, prompting farmers to rear healthy productive flocks with antimicrobials. The study evaluated the knowledge and practices as regards the use of antibiotics among poultry farmers in Masindi district and determined the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of E. coli strains from chickens. Methods. A cross-sectional study using a closed-end questionnaire was conducted in 140 selected small-scale commercial poultry farms in Masindi district between June and December, 2020. Analyzed qualitative data were presented as frequencies, percentages, and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Fecal swabs from chickens were inoculated onto a MacConkey agar, and E. coli was confirmed by standard biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method for 7 antibiotics. Results. Most farmers (74%) used antibiotics, mainly tetracycline (51.4%) and sulfonamides (28.6%), given to the chicks (45%), for both curative and prophylaxis purposes (80%), and via drinking water (67%). Farmers mainly used antibiotics recommended by the veterinarian (76.4%), more than relying on experience (10.7%), while 45% were involved in self-medicating the birds. On choosing the correct dosage, 45.7% read the instruction, and 42.9% consulted a veterinarian. Only 10.7% observed the drug withdrawal period, while 53.6% consumed eggs at home or sold eggs (35.7%) from birds under treatment. Of the 200 E. coli strains, 90 (45.0%) were resistant to one drug, 74 (37.0%) to two, and multidrug resistance to three classes of antibiotics was 36 (18.0%). Overall, E. coli resistance to tetracycline was (69.0%), ampicillin (37.0%), sulfonamides (36.0%), and to kanamycin (1.5%). Conclusions. The small-scale poultry farmers frequently use antimicrobial drugs, mainly tetracycline and sulfonamides for curative and prophylaxis. Thus, enforcing measures against antibiotic use supported by a strong veterinary service sector and farmers' training on judicious use of antimicrobials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for Next Generation (RISING) project has conducted action research on livestock feed and forages starting in 2012 to bridge gaps on feed availability and quality. The objectives of this paper are to share approaches on how Africa RISING project enabled smallholder farmers to intensify feed and forage resources; present research findings of selected cultivated forages, fodder trees, and postharvest feed and forage utilization innovations; and highlight key lessons evolving from the feed and forage action research and scaling interventions. The project established partnership with CGIAR and local partners, conducted participatory need assessment, prioritized researchable issues, identified and validated different forages and utilization innovations, and created development partnership to facilitate wider scaling. Training activities and multistakeholder platforms were used to enhance cross learning of project partners. The cultivated forages grown under farmers' fields and management conditions provided high biomass yield of good nutritional quality. For instance, oat (Avena sativa L.)–vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) mixture, lablab [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet], vetch–desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin.) intercropping, sweet lupin (Lupinus albus L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) yielded on average 15, 3.4, 5.5, 2.9, 15.3, and 20.2 t dry matter ha−1, respectively. Animal response trials showed an increase in milk yield of 30–50% with supplementation of oat–vetch mixture and fodder beet. Feed wastage was considerably reduced (>30%) due to the use of feed troughs and storage sheds, with high economic incentives to invest in such innovations. Integrating and intensifying feed and forage resources and postharvest innovations at farm level remains a priority to improve livestock productivity and food security. Core Ideas: Action research approaches improved familiarization of farmers to feed and forage innovations.Cultivated forages and fodder trees provided high biomass yield of good nutritional quality.Feed utilization innovations reduced wastage (>30%) and increased resource‐use efficiency.Model farmers, farmers training centers, and cooperatives supported forage seed production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Labels are the first source of information for the safe use of pesticides, but farmers rarely read labels before pesticide use. Using data from a sample of 300 orchard farmers in Meshginshar County, Iran, this study examined farmers' intention and behavior in reading and using risk information displayed on pesticide labels, using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). RESULTS: Only 26% of the respondents mentioned that they read pesticide labels. Most farmers showed a low tendency towards reading pesticide labels due to low education, advanced age, and label‐related problems, i.e., use of too technical language and unclear texts with small and illegible fonts. From the three basic variables of the TPB, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control (PBC) showed a significant impact on intention, while attitudes showed no significant impact. The three main variables of the TPB explained 90.2% of the variance in farmers' intention to read and use the labels. Furthermore, PBC and intention significantly affected farmers' actual behavior in reading and using the labels, explaining 78.5% of the variance in farmers' actual behavior. Age, experience in farming, and experience in spraying were negatively correlated with all variables of the TPB. CONCLUSION: Findings provide new insights into farmers' behavior in reading pesticide labels by using for the first time the TPB. Pesticide manufacturers should consider the special conditions of subsistence farmers (low education and advanced age) when preparing pesticide labels and the extension services could use those findings to improve farmers' training in the use of pesticide labels. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined farmers' perceptions and adoption of rain water harvesting technology in Raya-Alamata district of Ethiopia. Four kebeles were purposively selected from the 13 homogeneous kebeles (small administrative unit). During the survey, primary data were collected through a semistructured questionnaire distributed to 270 systematically selected sample respondents and through interview with key informants, development agents, and local administrators. Secondary data were retrieved from district agriculture office, books, and published scientific materials. Descriptive statistics, simple narration, and a probit regression model were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the farmers perceived rain water harvesting as a motivational way of creating sense of belongingness. They think that it increases crop production, increases forest regeneration, and encourages forage production. The probit regression models revealed that determinants of farmers' adoption of rainwater harvesting technology were significantly and positively affected by education, farm size, and off-farm income. The effect of distance to the farmland and farmers training center (FTC) was also significant but negative. Men farmers had higher level of adoption compared to their counterparts. Productive and reproductive roles constrain women household farmers from using the technologies. Based on the finding, the policy implications were as follows: dissemination of information related to rain water harvesting technology should be imperative through formal and informal education. Alternative sources of water need also be promoted. More importantly, female-headed households need to be encouraged to be community leaders to foster the adoption of rain water harvesting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Eucalyptus is the most preferred exotic species in different parts of Ethiopia, particularly in the northern part of the country, including the study area. Socioeconomic, institutional, and endowment variables are an influence on the production of this species. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of Eucalyptus woodlot production for producer farmers in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were used in order to select the district, kebeles, and household heads to be interviewed. The district and the kebeles were selected purposefully based on their high potential for Eucalyptus production, whereas ninety‐six (96) sampled respondent farmers were selected by using simple random sampling techniques. A multiple linear regression (OLS) model was used to run the determinants of Eucalyptus woodlot production, and descriptive statistics were used to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder Eucalyptus producers in the form of means, frequencies, and percentages. The respondents use Eucalyptus products for construction and fuel wood. Rural farmers produced about 70% of construction wood products and 30% of fuel wood products annually. Five variables (i.e., woodlot size, woodlot density, and market information) significantly affected woodlot production, whereas the age of farmers and market distance were negatively affected. In order to produce better income from Eucalyptus products, the collaboration efforts of all responsible groups (i.e., farmers, researchers, governments, and others) should be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New‐type professional farmers are new‐type rural talents with scientific and cultural literacy and professional knowledge of agriculture under the background of rural revitalization. The new type of professional farmers is of great significance for accelerating agricultural modernization and promoting the construction of a powerful modern socialist country. In the process of cultivating new types of professional farmers in rural areas, it is necessary to break through the previous informatization constraints of poor information flow, and give full play to the role of advanced information technology to promote the sustainable economic development. This paper proposes a new type of professional farmer cultivation platform based on edge computing architecture to improve the cultivation efficiency of new type of professional farmers, so as to better promote the development of rural informatization. Aiming at the challenges of energy consumption under the edge platform architecture, this paper proposes a dynamic scheduling method for semi‐online tasks for edge computing platforms. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the algorithm, the method in this paper is compared with the classic scheduling algorithm, and simulated and verified on the CloudSim platform. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms other algorithms in the task completion time metric. With the expansion of task scale, more energy consumption can be saved by using the algorithm proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge and technologies to achieve both high yield and high N-use efficiency in northern China already existed; however, there has been little progress in their implementation. We hypothesized that their adoption could be improved by offering farmers training programs (TPs, two trainings a year) and organizational and training programs (OTPs, besides training, which also provide in-field guidance and the cooperative purchase of seeds and fertilizers by groups of smallholder farmers.). In this study we evaluated maize (Zea mays L.) yield, N application rates, N-use efficiency (partial factor productivity), net economic gains (defined as the difference between economic return of maize and N fertilizer cost), and technology adoption rate by farmers in a county who were assigned to TP and OTP groups vs. those following conventional farming practices (FPs) during the years 2009 to 2013. For TP and OTP groups of 1668 farmers, maize yield increased significantly by 10 and 18%, respectively, compared with the FP group, as did N-use efficiency (22 and 37%, respectively). This led to significant increase in economic gains of 11 and 20%, in the TP and OTP groups, respectively. The adoption rate of formulated fertilizers, maize hybrid cultivars, and optimized planting density differed significantly between the FP (31, 52, and 43%, respectively), TP (57, 56, and 65%, respectively), and OTP (83, 90, and 78%, respectively) groups. These results demonstrate that innovation and agronomic participatory approaches are essential to improvement of both yield and N-use efficiency in smallholder agriculture in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment and spread of the stem‐boring weevil, Listronotus setosipennis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) released in 2017 for the control of the invasive weed, Parthenium hysterophorus (L.) (Asteraceae) at four locations in northeastern Ethiopia were assessed over a 4‐year period. The number of L. setosipennis eggs on parthenium in 0.5 m × 0.5 m quadrats was recorded at each location where the weevil was originally released and where it spread later. The weevil damage to parthenium and the distance it spread were also recorded. At all release locations, the number of L. setosipennis eggs detected increased over the 4‐year assessment period indicating the build‐up of the weevil population where it was released. At one of these locations, Chorisa, the number of eggs increased from 2.7 ± 1.3 m−2 in 2017 to 92 ± 6.1 m−2 in 2020. Similarly, at the site where the weevil spread (dispersal site), the number of L. setosipennis eggs detected on parthenium rose over the 4‐year period. L. setosipennis larvae damage to parthenium was evident at all release locations ranging from 13.3 ± 3.3% to 36.7 ± 6.7%. Similar level of damage (36.7 ± 5% to 66.7 ± 8.3%) was also recorded at the dispersal sites. After 4 years, the maximum distance L. setosipennis spread from its original release spots was 185.3 ± 12.0 m. The establishment and spread of the weevil were slow but was steady at all locations in northeastern Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide mismanagement potentially has high risks for farmers, households living in the community and the environment. In Papua New Guinea where farming is the primary occupation, there is evidence of dangerous herbicide application methods being used by coffee growers. Using original survey data for coffee smallholders from four provinces, we assess the factors driving farmers' use of personal protective equipment when preparing and applying herbicides, and farmers' disposal of agro-chemical containers. We control for households' demographic variables and measure the impact of farmers' training in pest and disease management. We use the special regressor method to estimate binary choice models featuring an endogenous binary regressor (training). Our results show that human capital (education) and training are important drivers of farmers' pesticide-handling practices, with marginal effects estimated at 10 and 22 per cent, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low yield/hectare gains, food insecurity and environmental unsustainability are challenges experienced by the agriculture sector in Ethiopia despite substantial government investment. Although there are many factors that contribute to the poor performance of the sector, smallholder farmer competence gaps are principal among them. This study aims to examine the effects of Comprehensive Competence‐Based Training (CCBT) on the competence development and performance improvement of smallholder farmers using the authentic professional core task during maize planting as a problem context. We applied a 3‐week randomized (control group pretest posttest) design and single‐blind field experiment to test the impact of CCBT through provision of a training to two comparable farmer groups using conventional 'Low‐CBT' and innovative 'High‐CBT' implementation levels. The samples included 'High‐CBT' (N = 220) and 'Low‐CBT' (N = 220) groups of smallholder farmers in the West Gojjam Zone in Ethiopia. Data on competence development and performance improvement of farmers were collected from themselves, trainer Development Agents and Trained Assessors. The yield in quintal/hectare gains for each smallholder farmer was collected twice (before and after the intervention). Repeated (pretest, posttest) MANOVA and ANOVA measurements were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the development of smallholder farmer competence in 'High‐CBT' was higher than in 'Low‐CBT' training. Comparisons of performance in both the authentic job situation and in terms of yield in quintal/hectare gains in the two groups revealed a better performance of both groups. However, the 'High‐CBT' group performed better than the 'Low‐CBT' group in both the authentic job situation and in terms of yield in quintal/hectare gains. We obtained 31 and 41 quintal/hectares of maize for the 'Low‐CBT' and 'High‐CBT' groups, respectively, which are better than the baseline average 22 quintal/hectare for both groups. These findings underscore the relevance of CCBT, especially when the design principles of CBE are integrated well in the training programme (which was called 'High‐CBT level'), for improving performance, in this case gain in yield per hectare of smallholder farmers, which potentially results in the increase of household food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to extend the knowledge of the measurement of dimensions of social capital in cooperatives. The paper draws on data collected in a survey of 154 members in dairy cooperatives to develop and test composite indicators for measuring dimensions of social capital: structural, relational, and cognitive. Principal component analyses (PCAs) were performed on the data sets of indicators of dimensions of social capital. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of Sphericity supported the appropriateness of performing PCAs. After the extraction of the principal components, intermediate composite indicators were computed for the dimensions of social capital. Finally, the composite indicators were computed as linear weighted aggregations of the intermediate composite indicators. The internal consistency of the composite indicators was verified using Cronbach's alpha. The method provided single, synthetic measures for the dimensions of social capital, which are robust and exhibit construct validity. The paper provided practical knowledge that can be applied to measuring dimensions of social capital in cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation development, particularly small-scale irrigation, is one of the most important projects for improving agricultural productivity in a country's rural communities. The extent to which small-scale irrigation has improved household livelihoods in Ethiopia's rural areas is not widely recognized. As a result, research on the influence of small-scale irrigation on farmers' livelihoods in the Legehida district will be sought. The study took a "with" and "without" strategy, comparing farmers who used irrigation against those who did not. For analysis, both quantitative and qualitative data were employed. The survey's respondents were chosen using a random sample approach from both irrigation users and nonuser households. Quantitative data for the study were collected from randomly selected 241 farm households, of which 113 were users and 128 were nonusers, using a semistructured questionnaire. Accordingly, the propensity score matching model was employed to examine the impacts of small-scale irrigation on farmers' livelihoods. The logit model result indicates that cultivated land size, off-farm income, education level, family size, dependency ratio, total livestock unit, and distance to the nearest agricultural extension office/FTC are determinant factors in determining whether to practice irrigation when other factors remain constant. The impact of irrigation on a household's income and food security (in terms of daily calorie intake) was evaluated using a propensity score matching model. The result shows that a positive and significant impact on farmers who use small-scale irrigation has increased the daily calorie intake and annual income of households by 244.162 kilocalories and 5234.258 ETB, respectively, as compared to nonirrigation users. This shows that households that participate in small-scale irrigation activities have a higher annual income and food security status than comparable groups. In general, the study recommends that to reduce food insecurity and the socioeconomic problems of rural households, irrigation farming is one of the viable solutions; therefore, the government and nongovernmental organizations should extensively focus on the enhancement of small-scale irrigation infrastructure, policies, strategies, and extension services to increase productivity, income, and livelihood improvement in rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) represents technologies with human‐like cognitive abilities to learn, perform, and make decisions. AI in precision agriculture (PA) enables farmers and farm managers to deploy highly targeted and precise farming practices based on site‐specific agroclimatic field measurements. The foundational and applied development of AI has matured considerably over the last 30 years. The time is now right to engage seriously with the ethics and responsible practice of AI for the well‐being of farmers and farm managers. In this paper, we identify and discuss both challenges and opportunities for improving farmers' trust in those providing AI solutions for PA. We highlight that farmers' trust can be moderated by how the benefits and risks of AI are perceived, shared, and distributed. We propose four recommendations for improving farmers' trust. First, AI developers should improve model transparency and explainability. Second, clear responsibility and accountability should be assigned to AI decisions. Third, concerns about the fairness of AI need to be overcome to improve human‐machine partnerships in agriculture. Finally, regulation and voluntary compliance of data ownership, privacy, and security are needed, if AI systems are to become accepted and used by farmers. Core Ideas: Model transparency and explainability can help foster trust between farmers and those providing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.Assigning clear responsibility and accountability to AI decisions can improve farmers' acceptance and use of these technologies.Development of fair and equitable AI can improve human‐machine partnerships in agriculture.Regulation or voluntary compliance with data ownership, privacy, and security is needed if AI systems are to be used by farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, drought is occurring more frequently today, which is considerably affecting rural households' agricultural productivity and socioeconomic development. Understanding households' perceptions of drought is thus important for resilience-building work because people act based on their views, and the resilience of people is tied to their views, knowledge, culture, and attitudes. This study analyses the rural households' perceptions of drought occurrence and its influence on livelihood strategies in northeast Ethiopia. This was achieved through a mixed-methods approach with a concurrent research design. The quantitative data were collected from 354 randomly selected household heads, whereas the qualitative data were collected from purposefully selected household head focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informants. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic data analysis techniques. The results show that climate variability and drought occurrence were perceived by the households as decreasing rainfall, increasing temperature, variations in rainfall onset and cessation, variations in heat waves and cold waves, heavy rainfall events, changes in sporadic rain, a lesser coverage of clouds, and adverse weather events. Within the last 25 years, households have perceived the number of extreme, severe, or moderate droughts to be increasing. Household perceptions of temperature changes match meteorological records, but their perceptions of rainfall changes do not. The drought hampered income sources, brought food shortages, and threatened family well-being. It increased water stress, livestock morbidity and mortality, insect invasions, fire outbreaks, grazing resource depletion, abnormal migration, school dropout rates, and human health problems. The findings have important policy implications to mitigate drought risk, enhance drought adaptation, and develop pathways out of drought vulnerability, so it is worthwhile to harmonize the household perceptions with climate change policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A field survey of the Orobanchaceae family members and their hosts in Jordan was carried out from 2003 to 2007. The intensity of parasite infection on different hosts and the severity of the infestation were evaluated. The results showed the presence of seven species of Orobanche and three species of Cistanche. The Orobanche species were found parasitizing 86 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families. Most of the species attacked by Orobanche were from the Compositae (20 species), Solanaceae (11 species), Leguminosae (nine species), Umbelliferae (seven species), Cruciferae (seven species), Cucurbitaceae (four species), Labiatae (four species), and Rosaceae (four species) families. Other families were represented by one-to-three species. Cistanche attacked 20 species of forage wild shrubs, fruit trees, and forest trees of seven families, mostly belonging to the Chenopodiaceae (seven species) and Leguminosae (three species) families. Previously unreported hosts for both genera include: Amygdalus communis, Olea europaea, and Quercus coccifera, which were parasitized by Orobanche palaestina; A. communis, O. europaea, Prunus armeniaca, and Prunus persica, which were parasitzed by Orobanche cernua; O. europaea and A. communis, which were parasitzed by Orobanche schultzii; Haloxylon persicum, which was parasitzed by Cistanche lutea; Punica granatum, Alhagi maurorum, Casuarina equisetifolia, Centaurea postii, and Prosopis farcta, which were parasitzed by Cistanche tubulosa; and Achillea spp., Anabasis syriaca, H. persicum, Haloxylon salicornicum, Suaeda spp., and Zilla spinosa, which were parasitzed by Cistanche salsa. Certain Orobanche species were completely destructive to the cultivated crops. The results indicated the high potential of both parasitic genera to spread and to attack new hosts, while the threat they impose to agriculture in Jordan will probably result from poor management and deficiences in farmers' training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study was conducted to evaluate faba bean varieties for yield and yield components and disease reactions in the Lay Gayint district during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons. Six faba bean varieties, including local, were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The crop and disease data were collected, and the disease severity was assessed five times in 7 and 10 days intervals using the disease rating scale for chocolate spot and faba bean gall disease, respectively. The combined analysis variance showed significant P < 0.01 differences among faba bean varieties in agronomic traits, disease severity, and area under the disease progress curve. The variety Numan had a higher chocolate spot (46.52%) and faba bean gall (40.46%) disease severity. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of the chocolate spot was higher on local (1292.85%-days). For faba bean gall, a higher AUDPC value (994.08%-days) was calculated from the Numan variety. The lowest severity of chocolate spot (27.37%) and faba bean gall (21.02%) was assessed from the variety Gora, and this variety also had the lowest chocolate spot AUDPC. The variety Gora and Ashebeka provided the highest grain yield (21988 kg·ha−1) and (20624 kg·ha−1), respectively. The results of the correlation analysis also indicated that the highest yield was associated with lower disease occurrence. In conclusion, varieties Gora and Ashebeka are found to be moderately resistant varieties to chocolate spot and faba bean gall disease than other varieties with higher yields, and these varieties are recommended for production in the study area and other similar ecologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm credit plays an essential role in fostering agricultural productivity. In smallholder agriculture, it aims to provide financial cushion and improve market outcomes leading to improved resource distribution, thus maximizing social and economic returns. In Pakistan, about 90% of farmers are smallholders with the least access to formal financial services. This study explores the impact of sustainable finance—interest‐free credit (IFC)—on smallholders' marketing decisions, producer prices, and technological progress. It explains how liquidity constraints affect itinerant market (primary and secondary) participation and how smallholders get trapped in classical credit bondage with village‐level moneylender‐cum‐traders and do not take advantage of temporal and spatial arbitrage. We use cross‐sectional data from 637 farm households in Punjab‐Pakistan. The results show that interest‐free credit provision and village‐level credit density improve smallholders' level of current and future market participation and increase the producer prices for rice and wheat. The results indicate that sustainable finance improves the vertical linkages between smallholder producers and markets, increasing sustainable supply response and farmers' income. Further, the results show that IFC provision improves technological progress by enhancing the uptake of modern crop varieties, improving cultural operations, and promoting sustainable crop residue management. The findings advocate the interplay between sustainable finance, smallholders' market integration and income earning and provide coherent insights for policymaking. The study suggests mechanisms to improve broader coverage of sustainable finance for breaking the semi‐subsistence‐oriented farming systems, improving technological progress and realizing sustainable development goals, like rural poverty reduction and improved food production and distribution in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Childhood malnutrition, which is endemic in rural areas of low‐income countries, leads to a host of deleterious outcomes such as poor cognitive development, low educational attainment and lower lifetime wages. Promoting the consumption of eggs among young children has emerged as a promising strategy to combat childhood malnutrition, though pathways to scale remain unclear. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of a social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) campaign combined with a program in which rural families purchased chickens on credit (poultry + SBCC; n = 769) relative to an arm in which families only received the poultry intervention (poultry only; n = 750), using a difference‐in‐difference estimation strategy with propensity score matching. The SBCC consisted of radio messages, in‐person training, text message reminders and posters. We found a relatively modest but statistically significant increase in the number of times per week respondents in the poultry + SBCC arm reported feeding eggs to children of 0.28 (p = 0.02) compared to the poultry‐only arm. The increase in egg feeding, however, was more pronounced for boys (0.42, p < 0.01) than for girls (0.14, p = 0.26). In addition, the campaign increased egg feeding more for those who were already feeding eggs to children (0.63, p < 0.01) than those who were not engaging in those practices at baseline (0.26, p < 0.01). However, the difference in these differences was not statistically significant. Future campaigns should ensure higher saturation of messaging and include specific messaging around the importance of feeding girls as well as boys. Campaigns seeking to scale up egg feeding quickly could potentially target the easier‐to‐reach segment of caregivers who already occasionally feed eggs to children though these might not be the neediest group. Key messages: A multi‐pronged social and behaviour change communication campaign increased egg consumption among young children in rural Rwanda.While the egg consumption gains were modest, the social behaviour change campaign was not fully implemented due to COVID‐19 and other challenges, so it is possible that a more fully implemented campaign could achieve greater impacts.Effects appeared to be most pronounced for boys and those who were already feeding eggs to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their ability to produce meat, milk, leather, glue, gelatin, and other products that people may utilize, beef cattle are domesticated. Beef cattle production and marketing play a vital role in the growth and development of the globe and the African economy. Ethiopia has great potential for livestock population in Africa and in the world but earns less from beef cattle production and marketing. Ethiopian farmers are reluctant to beef cattle market participation. Their reluctant to participate in beef cattle marketing causes lack of beef cattle products in the market and causes high prices for beef cattle and its products. The research objective was to analyze the impact of beef cattle market participation on the welfare of beef cattle smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. The primary data come from 400 randomly selected beef cattle farmers involved in beef cattle production and marketing and actors. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics propensity score matching (PSM) model have used to analyze the collected data. The data analysis result indicated that smallholder beef cattle farmers participating in beef cattle marketing and farmers' annual per capita consumption expenditure (economic welfare) increased by 84% more than the nonbeef cattle market participants. We assume this is a first result and investigation in the study area. The research study is important for farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the academia in general. Providing education and training, promoting the participation of more women in beef cattle marketing, and promoting and encouraging more full-time beef cattle farmers are suggested recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Models have been presented to evaluate the link between dairy farm production factors and their degree of association with production determinants. Studies have found causal relationships between production parameters (dairy farm facility, farm hygiene and waste management, feed and nutrition, reproduction performance, health and extension services, mode of transportation, education level and gross revenue) as well as farm efficiency parameters. Furthermore, structural equation modelling (SEM) allows for the estimation of parameters that are not directly quantifiable, known as latent variables. Objective: The research was designed to identify the dairy management determinants and evaluate farm production performance using an SEM approach in the selected areas of the Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methodology: In‐person survey using a semi‐structured pre‐tested questionnaire was employed in 2021 to collect primary data on 117 randomly selected commercial dairy producers keeping cross‐breed Holstein Frisian cows in the Amhara region. SEM was used to study the complexity of influences on efficiency measures in milk production utilizing the combined data. Results: The model result revealed that the relationship between construct reliabilities and farm facilities was significantly varied (p < 0.01). The model analysis showed that the level of education has also a positive and statistically significant correlation with the reproduction performance of the dairy farms, (ρ = 0.337) and the gross revenue of the farm showed as (p = 0.849). Farm gross revenue articulated a positive, strong statistically significant association with feed and nutrition values (ρ = 0.906), dairy farm facilities (ρ = 0.934), and hygiene and waste management (ρ = 0.921). Consequently, the predictors of dairy farm facility's feed and nutrition and hygiene and waste management explained 93.40%, 84.0%, 80.20%, and 88.50% of the variance. Conclusion: The proposed model was scientifically valid, and training and education have an effect on management practices, subsequently affecting the production performance of the dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are valuable resources that provide a variety of functions for local populations, including environmental, hydrological, and socioeconomic benefits. Despite the importance of wetlands to humanity, they have been largely degraded and even lost in many countries including Ethiopia because they are wrongly regarded as wastelands. Some wetland conservation policies were designed not based on the perceptions of the people residing around the wetlands and lack of attention to communal areas. It is because of this gap that a quantitative analysis of physicochemical soil quality analysis and the local community's perceptions was carried out with the overall goal of analyzing the degradation status of Kadar-Basaso wetland and community perceptions. A cross-sectional research approach was used with a purposeful soil sampling from/in 6 plots sized 50 m × 50 m and >100 m apart along two transect lines, and 200 household heads chosen randomly from three villages(Basaso, Shallo, and Nano Robe) bordering the wetland. Soil sampling, questionnaires, focus group discussion, and key informant interviews were used to collect data and then examined quantitatively and qualitatively. The result shows that the Kadar-Basaso wetland was moderately degraded. The physicochemical analysis of the soil reveals that the pH was acidic, indicating the presence of acidic waste effluents. In addition, the electric conductivity was salt-free, cation exchange capacity were found to be low, the organic matter was relatively low, potassium levels vary very little, and Phosphorous variation was minimal. Expansion of farmland and Overgrazing were the most damaging elements affecting wetland biodiversity. From the analysis, it was noted that communities' attitudes influence human activities on the wetland. The study recommends that the government and wetland management authorities must establish strategies to minimize deterioration in the area and offer better infrastructure for both livestock keepers and farmers to improve the long-term usage of wetlands. The best management strategies should be devised for all sizes, types, and all site wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges and problems of managing good biosecurity are wide‐ranging and multifactorial with many compounding factors to pre‐dispose farmed stocks to an increased risk of infection with consequential stock losses. Many challenges are anthropogenic in origin and may be the result of the physical location (site) and/or the poor design of the production facility (i.e., water re‐use; lack of zoning based on biosecurity risk, etc.) as well as from inappropriate decisions and practices made once the site is in production (i.e., pushing the system for increased biomass production). There is a need for better regulation and health legislation across aquaculture—an industry that embraces the culture of >500 species. In the absence of regulatory frameworks and culture guidelines, it is difficult for farmers to apply certain measures such as maximum stocking densities and maximum allowed biomass, conduct disease surveillance and regular health checks, and report diseases to relevant authorities for advice. In this review, we have identified several issues which are continuing to challenge the design and implementation of efficient and effective biosecurity strategies and protocols at all levels, requiring attention over the coming decade. They are, not in any order of priority: (a) healthy seed, (b) emergency preparedness and response, (c) diagnostics, (d) microbial management at the production level, (e) disease and pathogen surveillance, (f) trade in aquatic species, (g) policies and regulatory framework, (h) welfare, (i) research and technology development, (j) antimicrobial resistance, (k) non‐conventional ways of pathogen transfer, and (l) Progressive Management Pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascochyta blight disease is a major problem in faba bean (Vicia faba L) production that causes 90% to 100% yield loss. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three fungicides with three spray frequency levels against Ascochyta blight disease of faba bean varieties. For the assessment of disease management, a total of 21 treatments were used, which comprised three fungicides, three spray frequencies, two varieties, and control. The field experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with factorial combinations of variety, fungicide, and spray frequency levels in three replications. An analysis of variance was performed for disease, yield, and yield related and plant growth parameter data, using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2003) version 9.1.3 software. The economic data obtained from the field experiment was analyzed using the partial budget analysis method. The results showed that area under disease progress curve, percent severity index, disease progress rate, and percent disease incidence had strong mean significant differences (p < 0.01) between treated and untreated plots. Application of fungicide significantly increased plant height, stem girth, pod per plant, grain yield, and harvesting index (p < 0.01) over untreated plots. Greater total return (195,938 Ethiopian birr ha−1), net return (101,761.3 Ethiopian birr ha−1), and net benefit (34,768.17 Ethiopian birr ha−1) were obtained by EH00102-4-1 variety, in two times Mancolaxyl treatment. The linear regression analysis result (R2) indicated that the variation in average grain yield of EH00102-4-1 and local susceptible varieties, due to the mean area under the disease progress curve, was 64.50% and 68.64%, respectively. Therefore, the use of EH00102-4-1 variety, with two times Mancolaxyl spray frequency application, at early growth stage and the onset of the disease is suggested as an agronomic management option, in Northwestern Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coffee industry is one of the most important commercial value chains worldwide. Nonetheless, it is also associated to several social, economic, and environmental concerns that impair its sustainability. The present review is focused on these main sustainability concerns from the field to the coffee cup, as well as on the strategies that are being developed and/or implemented to attain sustainability and circular economy principles in the different chain segments. In this context, distinct approaches have been applied, such as sustainable certifications (e.g., voluntary sustainability standards), corporate sustainability initiatives, direct trade, relationship coffee concepts, geographical indication, legislations, waste management, and byproducts valorization, among others. These strategies are addressed and discussed throughout this review, as well as their recognized advantages and limitations. Overall, there is still a long way to go to attain the much‐desired sustainability in the coffee chain, being essential to join the efforts of all actors and entities directly or indirectly involved, namely, producers, retailers, roasters, governments, educational institutions (such as universities and scientific research institutes), and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important grain legume with a high food and commercial value. Yet, its productivity is very low, which could be attributed to low levels of soil organic matter, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), and boron (B), and insufficient fertilizer application. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during the 2019 cropping season in Alle, Southern Ethiopia, to evaluate the agronomic and economic responses of blended NPSB (18.7N-37.4P2O5-6.9S-0.25B) and farmyard manure (FYM) for common bean production. Four NPSB-blended fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg·ha−1) and three FYM rates (0, 2.5, and 5 tons·ha−1) were used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with four replications. The result showed that NPSB and FYM significantly affected crop phenology, growth, yield, and yield components. Application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB along with 5 t·ha−1 FYM significantly increased the number of nodules, hundred seed weight, and grain production. The results also showed that using 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer in combination with 5 t·ha−1 FYM produced the highest grain, which is about 173% higher grain yield than the control. Partial budget analysis indicated that application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer with 5 t·ha−1 FYM resulted in the highest marginal rate of return (1308%) and the best net profit. Therefore, an integrated application of 100 kg·ha−1 NPSB fertilizer and 5 t·ha−1 FYM is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoption of improved forage technologies remains to be one of a promising strategy to boost dairy productivity and enhance household income in many developing countries. However, there are limited rigorous impact evaluation studies on the contributions of such technologies on smallholder dairy productivity and household welfare. This paper examined the impact of improved forage technologies use on smallholder dairy productivity and farm household income in Northern Ethiopia. In this study, a cross-sectional survey design and a multistage stratified sampling procedure were employed. Primary data for the study were obtained from a random sample of 319 rural households, 128 of which are improved forage technology users and the rest are nonusers. The research employed the propensity score matching (PSM) procedure to determine the causal relationship between adoption of improved forage technologies and changes in milk yield and farm household income. Results from PSM revealed that households using improved forage technologies have increased the household milk yield (productivity) by 29.32% and farm income (welfare) by 19.56%. Higher milk yield and annual farm income were compared to those households not using such technologies. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting multiple improved forage technologies among rural smallholder's dairy producers. Considering this potential, it is suggested that improved forage technology generation, dissemination, and adoption interventions be strengthened for optimum milk production and to attain optimum income under the smallholder farmers' dairy production system. Moreover, the linkage among research, extension, universities, and farmers needs to be enhanced through facilitating a multistakeholder's innovation platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competence‐based education and training (CBE/T) has been implemented in Ethiopia to develop the competences of (future) professionals and to improve their performance. However, empirical evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of CBE/T is scarce. Positioning the study within the theory of strategic alignment and comprehensive competence‐based training, we used the authentic core job task 'On‐Site Helping of Farmers during the Planting of Maize', of Development Agents as problem context and conducted an experimental‐longitudinal research study including multirater performance assessment. The study compared competence development of the Development Agents who received training that could be characterized as 'High‐CBT' (N = 33) and 'Low‐CBT' (N = 32). 'High‐CBT' means that in these training programmes, principles of competence‐based training were used more completely than in the 'Low‐CBT' programmes. Experts rated the competence levels of the Development Agents and Development Agents rated their own competence levels. Both groups did that before and after the training. Individual Development Agent performance was also rated by Trained Assessors. Longitudinally, Development Agent performance data was collected during one production year at three points in time. Development Agent's competence development in the 'High‐CBT' training condition was higher than in the 'Low‐CBT' condition. Observations made on each Development Agent's performance by Trained Assessors both in the Farmer Training Centres and in the authentic job situations, generally confirmed better performance of the 'High‐CBT' group compared with the 'Low‐CBT' group. The finding contributes to the state of research on the relationship between competence development and performance improvement, which is theoretically postulated although less empirically tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of a large‐scale System of Rice Intensification (SRI) program on the water productivity of rice in Vietnam by exploiting provincial and time variations in SRI uptake and irrigation water supply over the period 2000–2012. Our findings document that the world's second‐largest rice exporter could produce 4 million tonnes more rice with the same water supply in the reasonably achievable case of 20 per cent SRI uptake across its provinces. In addition, we find that SRI also increases the output of other crops, due at least partly to its possible water savings and soil nutrition preservation in rice production. Moreover, we show that SRI is more likely to be adopted in provinces with a stronger quality of provincial institutions and a weaker agricultural capital base. Numerous selectivity and randomisation tests affirm that the water productivity effect of SRI is robust to selection in SRI uptake at the province and district levels and addressing potential unobservable and omitted variable problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale irrigation is one of the agricultural activities used by rural farmers to improve the overall livelihood of the rural community by increasing income, securing food, meeting social requirements, and reducing poverty. The main objective of this study was to look into the factors that influence small-scale irrigation for poverty reduction among small-holder farmers in the Offa Woreda, Wolaita Zone. Government and nongovernmental organizations supplied small-scale irrigation and training to small-holder farmers in the study area at various times; however, the key determinants impacting small-scale irrigation use were not fully identified in the study area. The study location was chosen for this study purpose because no prior in-depth research had been conducted. Simple random sampling was used to select the three kebeles for the study. A total of 134 people were included in the study sample frame. The sample was chosen using simple random sampling and the proportional probability-to-size (pps) method, which was proportional to the size and used multistage sampling procedure. The primary data were collected using the interview schedule. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and econometric analyzes in SPSS version 21. Qualitative data were also collected through focus groups and key informant interviews. A factor that influences small-scale irrigation use was investigated using a binary logistic regression model. The binary logistic regression model revealed that both the irrigation participants (37.3%) and the nonparticipant (62.7%) families had a combination of personal and demographic, economic, institutional, and social influencing factors that hinder their likelihood of using irrigation. HH age, annual income of the household, distance from the closest farm sight, farm experience, participation in training, access to irrigation, and sex of HH were positively and significantly influencing factors in the model, while total ownership of livestock of households and health status of households were negatively significant variables. As a result, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Development Office, as well as the Water Mining and Energy Offices, should devote scientific attention to the significant factors that influence irrigation use to boost farm family production and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is the water tower of sub-Saharan Africa countries with 12 major river basins and 22 natural and artificial lakes, which make a median of 1,557.5 m3 of water available per person per year. This study specifically was aimed to estimate smallholder farmers' willingness to pay for sustainable irrigation water use in northwestern Ethiopia using double-bounded dichotomous choice with a follow-up of open-ended contingent valuation questions. For this study, as a source of quantitative data, a total of 288 households were selected through a systematic random sampling method. Additionally, qualitative and secondary data were collected from the focus group discussions and desk reviews, respectively. A seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model and descriptive statistics were used to estimate households' mean and aggregate willingness to pay. The result of the study revealed that about 283 (98.26%) households were willing to pay for sustainable irrigation water use via constructing water storage, allocation, and distribution channels. Moreover, the result from seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model regression results from double-bounded dichotomous choice questions, mean, and aggregate willingness to pay were 950.7 ETB (€25.7) and 1,087,159.09 ETB (€29,382.7) per month and per year, respectively. On the other hand, the mean and aggregate willingness to pay from the open-ended questions were 926.059 ETB (€25.03) and 1,072,990.52 ETB (€28,999.74) per month and year per household, respectively. Therefore, the study suggested for the concerned body to introduce proper irrigation water pricing systems based on households' willingness and ability to pay. And an estimate of willingness to pay provides an indication of the demand for introducing proper irrigation water use system leading to sustainable use system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "information cocoon" can hinder the normal dissemination and flow of emergency information during emergencies. It is important to explore the factors of this effect and to resolve the negative effects of the information cocoon, so as to help the public to "break out of the cocoon" and help the government to better promote emergency information management. Based on information ecology theory and the S-O-R model, this study designed questionnaires using a Likert five-level scale and selected 388 publics from several smart city pilot areas in Changsha, Zhuzhou, Shaoshan, and Yueyang cities in Hunan Province. Field research was conducted based on four factors, information ontology, information technology, government regulation, and social network, and empirical analysis was conducted through structural equations. The study shows that information ontology, information technology, government regulation, and social networks have significant effects on the information cocoon effect by influencing the reinforcement of public information preferences. Among them, government regulation (P = 0.34) has the most significant effect on the reinforcement of public information preferences, followed by information ontology (P = 0.32) and social networks (P = 0.31), and information technology (P = 0.29) has the weakest effect. Combining the results of empirical analysis, we propose a four-dimensional path of "information-technology-regulation-value" to break the cocoon. By optimizing information ontology, using technology for good governance, promoting algorithmic fairness, and enhancing social stickiness, we help the public break through the shackles and negative effects of the information cocoon and promote the harmonious, stable, and healthy development of the emergency information field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis (Xpm) and X. cassavae (Xc) are two bacterial pathogens attacking cassava. Cassava bacterial blight (CBB) is a systemic disease caused by Xpm, which might have dramatic effects on plant growth and crop production. Cassava bacterial necrosis is a nonvascular disease caused by Xc with foliar symptoms similar to CBB, but its impacts on the plant vigour and the crop are limited. In this review, we describe the epidemiology and ecology of the two pathogens, the impacts and management of the diseases, and the main research achievements for each pathosystem. Because Xc data are sparse, our main focus is on Xpm and CBB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries have applied many measures, including preventing inappropriate activities in areas where drinking water is abstracted to protect drinking water resources. However, reaching good water quality based on human health has not been achieved in drinking water basins. Drinking‐Water Protected Areas Determination has been defined as a powerful protection method to restrict inappropriate activities affecting water quality and quantity. These areas are determined based on basin properties to provide sustainable drinking water management. This study aims to present a framework for drinking water protection by giving methodological study steps. Strengths, deficiencies and inadequacies in drinking water protection practices were shown by examining the implementations of Turkey and European Union member countries. Thus, by adding new methods to these applications, a standard approach was created to be applied to each different drinking water basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated pest management adoption is quite low around the globe, particularly in developing countries, due to different factors. Here, we examine the factors affecting the intention of Pakistani farmers to adopt integrated pest management practices in vegetable production using a structured questionnaire. We interviewed 301 vegetable growers in Multan, Pakistan. The reliability and validity of the data, along with the underlying relationship between the observed variables, were identified through exploratory factor analysis. The majority of the farmers (79.4%) relied on pesticides for pest control. More than four out of 10 of the respondents (43.8%) reported that okra received the highest application of pesticides followed by potato (24.5%) and cauliflower (17.9%). Integrated pest management was currently non‐existent among the vegetable growers of the study area. The latent factors—"knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticide," "belief in the efficacy of non‐chemical pest control measures," "perceived barriers to the adoption of integrated pest management," "progressive farming approach," and "intention to adopt integrated pest management"—were subsequently confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. The structural equation model suggested that the intention to adopt integrated pest management is significantly affected by farmers' knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides (β = 0.274, z‐value = 3.082, P = 0.002). An increase in farmers' awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides could lead to integrated pest management adoption for pest control. The scale for intention to adopt integrated pest management developed in this study can be used in future studies and provide valuable insights to the policymakers for devising integrated pest management adoption campaigns in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Improved sheep production practices are becoming relevant, but smallholder farmers' involvement in improved sheep production was below expectations and detailed studies were restricted on the determinants of the participation of smallholder farmers in improved sheep production. This research was conducted to examine the determinants of the involvement of smallholder farmers in enhanced sheep production in the study area. Methods. Multi-stages sampling techniques were used for this study. Firstly, improved sheep production had a big effect on the incomes of households of participants and nonparticipants. Finally, three kebeles were chosen by basic random sampling, and the third was picked for systematic sampling by 144 survey respondents. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Data collection techniques were undertaken by surveys, focus group discussions, and key informants. Quantitative data were used to evaluate descriptive statistics, such as average, frequency, standard deviation, scope, and inferential t-test and chi-square statistics, and a logit model. Qualitative data obtained from focus group discussion and key informants were analyzed by narrative and used for survey data triangulation. Results. Out of the 144 samples, 51 were participants and 93 were nonparticipants. Participation determinants found in this research field were household labor, age, communication frequency with developers, membership in cooperatives, land ownership, participation in credit, and off-farm income. Improved sheep production had a major effect on the incomes of households of participants and nonparticipants. Multiple determinants typically affect the role of smallholder farmers in raising sheep production. Conclusion. Future initiatives under a successful policy should aim at accelerating agricultural and rural growth by efficiently leveraging enhanced sheep capacity in particular in the study region and Ethiopia in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores how focal tea companies facilitate supply chain business model innovation (SCBMI) to meet consumer demands and achieve sustainable development. By applying a case study method and dynamic capability theory, we find that: (1) the end‐user innovation‐driven is the precondition for tea SCBMI; (2) the user‐driven innovation leads to the change of the supply chain focal company dynamic capabilities and the tea supply chain network structure, and thus promote the tea SCBMI; (3) SCBMI will, in turn, enhance the focal company's dynamic capabilities and promote the change of tea supply chain network structure in order to meet the consumers' changing demands. Our research suggests that the supply chain should pay attention to the construction of dynamic capabilities and proactively manage supply chain network structure. Ultimately, the entire supply chain business model will continuously adapt to the external changes and achieve sustainable development in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sierra Leone constitutes the western boundary to the West Africa Upper Guinea Rainforest, one of 35 global biodiversity hotspots. The country is home to the third‐largest western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) population, a subspecies upgraded to Critically Endangered on the 2016 IUCN Red List. The main threats facing chimpanzees in Sierra Leone are habitat loss and increasing interactions with humans. The Mobonda Community Conservation Project (MCCP) is a component of Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary's Community Outreach Program and Kids Environmental Education Program. The aim of MCCP is to promote community‐based forest management in combination with wildlife conservation through carefully designed programs that benefit communities, wildlife, and ecologically significant habitats. MCCP also aims to promote self‐sustained and integrated community landscape conservation, to facilitate policy discussions to strengthen wildlife laws, and to build the capacity of the Government to implement community‐based wildlife and forestry protection projects. Since Tacugama began collecting data in Moyamba District in June 2015, the project has evolved into an assembly of components. MCCP currently works with five communities, running programs including environmental education, ecological research, biomonitoring including wildlife law enforcement, habitat rehabilitation through reforestation of identified wildlife corridors, improved sustainable livelihoods, and ecotourism initiatives. These programs contributed to a reduction in the threats facing wildlife in the area; the project has seen stable chimpanzee numbers where decrements to chimpanzee populations continue to be experienced elsewhere. Other MCCP outcomes include boosted sustainable agricultural production and higher oyster yields while decreasing the negative impact on the mangrove ecosystem allowing it to recover and support an array of important fauna and flora. Highlights: The Mobonda Community Conservation Project aims to promote community‐based forest management in combination with wildlife conservation through programs that benefit communities, wildlife, and ecologically significant habitats.Main components of the project include environmental education and sensitization, wildlife and habitat assessments, biomonitoring, reforestation and sustainable and alternative livelihood support.Threats facing wildlife have reduced with stable chimpanzee populations recorded over 5 years. Other outcomes include higher oyster yields while decreasing the impact on mangroves allowing them to support other important fauna and flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement of durum wheat grain quality through agronomic biofortification becomes a priority research area and an effective route to combat malnutrition. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of micronutrient application to different varieties of durum wheat and seeding rate on final harvest grain quality under different growing locations. The treatments were arranged in split-split plot design where the varieties were assigned in the main plot, micronutrients into the subplots, and seeding rate into the sub-subplots. Each variety was sown at four levels of seeding rates and treated with ZnSO₄ and FeSO4 applied foliarly, both at a rate of 25 Kg ha−1 during flowering. Micronutrients were applied in the form of ZnSO₄ 7H2O and FeSO₄ 7H2O. The study confirmed that application of 25 Kg ha−1 ZnSO₄-containing fertilizer has increased mineral content from 33.04 mg Kg−1 to 56.73 mg kg−1. The tested durum wheat varieties significantly differ in their capacity to accumulate grain Zn and Fe concentrations. Higher amount of Zn (20 mg kg−1) and Fe (10 mg kg−1) were accumulated by the landrace 208304 than by Asassa, an improved commercial variety. Increasing seeding rate from 100–175 Kg ha−1 has reduced grain Zn and Fe concentrations. Grain mineral concentration was significantly lower at the Mekelle location than at the Melfa location. It can be concluded that foliar application of ZnSO₄ and FeSO4 to the landrace, acc.208304, combined with 125 Kg seeds ha−1 can produce better Zn and Fe denser durum wheat grain. This will help to combat the hidden hunger, especially in resource poor countries, where fortified foods are limited in access and unaffordable by small-scale farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although Kenya has a relatively high number of registered biopesticide products, little is known about biopesticide use by smallholders. This paper documents farmers' current use and perception of chemical pesticides and biopesticides, their willingness to pay for biopesticides, and the key challenges to biopesticide uptake. Results: A survey found that chemical pesticides are used widely by smallholders despite awareness of the risks to human health and the environment. Almost half of respondents showed awareness of biopesticides, but current use in the survey localities was low (10%). Key reasons for the low use of biopesticides by smallholders in this study are: perceptions of effectiveness, primarily speed of action and spectrum of activity, availability and affordability. Smallholders who used biopesticides cited effectiveness, recommendation by advisory services and perception of safety as key reasons for their choice. Although farmers viewed both pesticides and biopesticides as costly, they invested in the former due to their perceived effectiveness. Average willingness to pay, above current chemical pesticide expenditures per cropping season was 9.6% (US$5.7). Willingness to pay differed significantly between counties, and was higher among farmers with more education or greater awareness of the health risks associated with pesticide use. Conclusion: This study confirms the low use of biopesticide products in the survey areas, alongside high use of conventional chemical pesticides. In order to promote greater uptake of biopesticides, addressing farmers' awareness and their perceptions of effectiveness is important, as well as increasing the knowledge of those providing advice and ensuring registered products are available locally at competitive prices. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil degradation is a serious problem challenging food security in Ethiopia. To halt degradation and restore impoverished soils, the government has initiated soil management practices in the affected areas. Still, there is little information on the impact of these practices in terms of improvement in soil fertility of cultivated lands under different soil and climatic conditions. Accordingly, the study was carried out to study the effect of soil management practices, viz, soil bund (SB), application of farm yard manure (FYM), soil bund integrated with FYM (SBFYM), and vis-a-vis no management practice (NM), on soil fertility under upper (20%–30%) and lower (2%–10%) slope ranges at Mawula watershed, Loma district, Southern Ethiopia. Twenty-four composite soil samples (4 practices × 2 slope ranges × 3 sites) drawn from the surface layer (0–20 cm) were analysed for different physical and chemical properties indicative of soil fertility. The data were analysed statistically in a randomized complete block design. All the soil management practices improved significantly the different aspects of physical and chemical fertility (soil texture, bulk density, total porosity, moisture content, organic carbon, and contents of macro and micronutrients, viz, N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu). The practice SBFYM was significantly superior to FYM and SB. The order of performance was SBFYM > FYM > SB > NM. The usefulness of soil management practices was further corroborated by the farmers' response (based on semistructured questionnaires), as 83% of them perceived the practices well and opted for their adoption. As such, the soil management practices, notably SBFYM, merit their implementation on a large scale to improve fertility and productivity of degraded lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perishable food supply chains (PFSCs) are characterized with rising food quality and safety concerns, alarming food wastages and losses, and poor economic sustainability. Because of the perishable nature of products and limited shelf life, management of sustainability in PFSCs is critical. Many studies on sustainability in PFSCs have considered developed countries; however, developing countries have not gathered the required research attention in this domain. In this paper, a decision theory‐based framework is adopted, where a prescriptive decision analysis methodology is used to generate preferences among the challenges to sustainability in PFSC. An integrated interpretive structural modelling–analytic network process (ISM–ANP) decision framework is formulated to identify and model key challenges to sustainability in PFSCs, keeping a developing economy like India under consideration. The contextual relationships amongst the extracted challenges are analyzed using the ISM methodology. The relationships identified from ISM are used as inputs in the ANP methodology, to generate the priority weights of the challenges. The findings of the integrated methodology show that "lack of horizontal integration of farmers," "poor pre‐harvest management," and "lack of government regulation and support" are the most critical challenges for sustainability in PFSCs. The results show that organizations must work on aggregation of farm produce and integration of farmers with the market. Development of infrastructures and cold chain facilities at the farm level is necessary to mitigate these challenges to reduce wastages in PFSC. The study facilitates managers and planners to understand and enable sustainable practices in PFSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about soil nutrient practice effects on soil moisture under cereal cropping systems. The objective of this research was to evaluate soil moisture content (SMC) response to short-term nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer rates applied on tef crop varieties and their interactions. A rain-fed fertilizer experiment using tef varieties as the test crop was conducted for two years (2012-2013) in the Chromic Cambisols of northern Ethiopia. The experimental design was laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. Two treatment factors, namely, fertilizer (four N + P rates) and variety (three tef varieties), were tested. Soil samples were taken at different tef crop growth stages or days after sowing time (DAS) to determine SMC using the gravimetric method. Data were analyzed at a probability level of 0.05. The fertilizer treatments significantly affected the SMC determined at the different tef growth stages and cropping seasons. The highest SMC was determined at 33 DAS (51 m3·m−3), but SMC decreased with increasing fertilizer rates. A higher SMC response to local tef variety than improved variety was found across all the growth stages and cropping seasons. There were also significant differences in SMC among the treatment interactions determined at the different growth stages and across the years. The paired mean differences in SMC due to the treatments between the two years were strongly correlated (r > 0.90, P=0.001). For SMC response being effective to fertilizer and its interaction effect with variety, it is suggested that soil management practices that improve moisture such as organic sources should be integrated with the inorganic fertilizer in the conditions of Chromic Cambisols in northern Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aims to inform the evaluation of Chinese farmer training programmes through comparison with studies assessing public training programmes in the USA and Europe. The results of comparative analysis from 62 studies in the USA, Europe and Mainland China suggest that evaluation studies of the farmer training programme should measure the effectiveness of farmer training on agricultural income. Considering the cost and availability of data, cross‐section estimation may be an effective way to evaluate the effectiveness of farmer training programmes in China, but on the basis of controlling the initial demographic characteristics of samples. In particular, political status (whether a party member of Communist Party of China or not), position (whether village cadre or not) and region of residence are considered to be important determinants that impact the effectiveness of farmer training programmes in China. This review sets out directions for the future study of Chinese training programmes, with particular emphasis given to the need for research into the causal effects of different training courses, the dynamic effects arising from variation in the duration of training, and the medium‐run or long‐run effects of training programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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