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Abstract Background Groundnut is one of the major legume crops grown as food and cash crop across the different agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. It is ranked the 2nd important legume crop for household food, nutrition, and income generation for both rural and urban zones, contributing significantly to food supply and economy of the country. Despite its importance and breeding efforts to develop improved varieties, groundnut productivity remains low. Assessing and describing the present groundnut cropping system and production constraints as well as gender dynamics in the main production areas will help in defining the groundnut breeding priorities. Methods A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut production regions (central-eastern, central-northern, and central-western). In each region, 4 villages were selected with a total of 124 farmers interviewed to collect data on socio-demographics, farming systems, cropping practices, and production constraints. Data analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative variables using STATA 14. Analysis of variance was conducted across regions and gender, and also between and within regions. Kendall’s coefficients were determined for qualitative variables across regions for the constraints using the pairwise rank. Pearson’s correlation was carried out to assess the relationship between variables, and the chi-square test was used to assess the difference in farmer preferences. Results The study revealed a cropping system of groundnut in an environment largely affected by climate change and in a subsistence and extensive agriculture. There is a variation in the groundnut cropping system across the regions. Gender plays a key role in the production of the groundnut, and 48.39% of women are engaged in groundnut cropping with less access to land and production resources. A yield gap between men and women was observed with men achieving more yield than women. There was a strong correlation between the use of improved varieties and technical assistance. A strong correlation was observed between farm size and production, and farm size and sex denoting an extensive production. Production constraints, although similar, were perceived and ranked differently between regions. The lack of improved varieties, absence of agricultural credit, lack of production tools, the high price of seeds, the high price of fertilizer, drought, and disease are some of the important constraints affecting groundnut productivity. Conclusion This study provides a recent view of groundnut cropping, allowing a good understanding of the farmers’ situation. The result will contribute to the refining of breeding priorities and guide further activities in groundnut breeding in Burkina Faso.

Prolonged summer with low precipitation has become a regular panorama in north-western part of Bangladesh since the last few decades. Hostile climate and diminishing surface water sources have compelled people to depend on ground water for drinking, domestic and agricultural uses. Huge extraction of ground water without sufficient recharge resulted into sharp and gradual depletion of ground water level. Additionally, the situation worsens when the existing Shallow Tube Wells (STW) and other surface water sources dries up and fails to supply water during pick summer. As a whole, a severe drought environment prevails in the Barind tract region of Bangladesh. This paper intends to explore the nature and scale of domestic water crisis in Barind tract and people’s adaptation strategy to survive within the adverse situation. Case studies were conducted in three communities in Porsha area of Noagoan district located within the Barind tract region in Bangladesh. To conduct the study; questionnaire survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Participatory Rural Apprisal (PRA) tools were applied to collect primary data followed by data analysis. The impact of domestic water crisis and adaptation strategies are portrayed by reviewing the history of domestic water sources, availability, consumption, collection, storage and sufferings in drought and other seasons. The specific impacts of droughts on domestic water use and other sectors are absent for most of the regions worldwide. The findings of the study might shed some light for response actions to play and for policy formation.

In Rwanda, sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) is a highly valued crop in a crop-livestock mixed farming system. The objective of this study was to assess the role of sweetpotato in the crop-livestock farming system, to identify farmer-preferred traits, and to establish farmer-led priorities in breeding dual-purpose varieties (DPVs) in Rwanda. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was conducted in three selected districts of Rwanda, namely, Bugesera, Huye, and Nyagatare. Data on the uses of sweetpotato and farmers’ trait preferences in sweetpotato varieties were collected and analysed. In Huye District, a high percent (56.7%) of respondents consumed sweetpotato every day, followed by Nyagatare with 53.3% consuming it at least twice a week. Most farmers (52.2%) used sweetpotato vines for livestock feed, depending on their availability. All respondents wanted to grow new sweetpotato varieties with improved root production combined with high aboveground biomass. About 87.7, 66.6, 56.6, and 51.1% of the respondents indicated that root-related traits of the crop such as high dry matter content (DMC), red skin colour, marketable root size, and yellow flesh colour were additional preferred traits, respectively. Therefore, farmers-preferred DPVs with improved root and green fodder yields could be developed to enhance the sustainable production and adoption of sweetpotato in a mixed farming system in Rwanda.

Ethiopia is the primary wheat producer in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) owing to the suitable agro-ecological conditions. Despite wheats economic potential for food security, the actual yield under smallholder farmers conditions is low due to various production constraints. Thus, the objectives of this study were to assess the present wheat production opportunities and constraints and identify farmer-preferred traits to guide variety design with stem rust-resistance and economic traits in eastern Ethiopia. Data on production constraints and trait preferences were collected using structured questionnaires involving 144 wheat-producing farmers. Wheat rust (reported by 97.3% of respondents), small land size (90.4%) and a lack of improved varieties (75.6%) were identified as the major constraints. About 41.7% of respondents in the West-Hararghe and 27.8% in the East-Hararghe zones did not use crop protection strategies to control rusts. Substantial respondent farmers used cultural practices (18.8%), rust-resistant cultivars (13.2%) or, a combination of these (10.4%) to control rust diseases. The essential farmer preferred traits in a wheat variety were rust resistance, high yield potential and good quality grain for bread making. Therefore, there is a need to breed new varieties with high grain yield and quality and durable rust resistance for sustainable wheat production in eastern Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceptance of new information technology-based islamic students at the Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Sukorejo Situbondo Islamic Boarding School still needs assistance because not all of the human resources who are assigned to the committee for new santri have expertise in the field of information technology. Implementation of assistance using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) with the aim that all parties play an active role in analyzing and solving problems. Based on the problems faced since the implementation of new islamic students admissions in 2017, the mentoring facilitators then took the initiative to conduct a discussion forum to reconsider and build idealism between policy makers and users regarding the new santri acceptance model using information technology. The facilitator provides an overview of the system that is running, and explains the weak points and what should be developed in what parts. Then the leaders and policy holders as well as users in the field were asked to convey what they had in mind regarding the implementation of the acceptance of new students. From here comes the absorption of aspirations from the musyawirin present at the forum, this is what is expected from the implementation of PRA, namely encouraging the community to take part in making improvements and analyzing the development of the implementation of new santri admissions and providing input in system development to suit the direction of development.

Background: Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods have been acknowledged as important tools to involve members of the community in the process of identification of their problems, the factors contributing to the development of these problems, and ways by which these problems can be resolved., Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study will be conducted in two stages among first professional phase medical students. In the first stage, these students will be trained on PRA methods by the trained teachers, while in the second stage, these students will implement PRA methods in the local community. The entire training process and its different components will be evaluated using validated study tools (semi-structured questionnaire), which will be administered using Google Forms. The statistical analysis will be performed using frequency and percentages, and a paired t -test will be used to compare the change in knowledge before and after training., Conclusion: In conclusion, first professional phase medical students must be trained in PRA methods and subsequently supervised to monitor their change in behavior. However, as the success of the entire program will depend on the quality of training imparted to medical students, the training program must be evaluated from the perspective of students, community, and teachers., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Agricultural Land-Use Change (ALUC) is a major driver of global environmental change, not least via its direct impact on the sustainability and resilience of the rural economy. Its drivers are complex and have remained contentious, necessitating further empirical study. This study aims to derive context-specific evidence on the driving factors and effects of ALUC from different stakeholders' perceptions. We carried out household surveys and participatory rural appraisal across Benue State, Nigeria. ALUC has economic, social, ecological, and institutional implications for farmers and on agricultural productivity. Farmers perceived that the main factors driving ALUC were land conflict, government land-use policies and infrastructural development. Stakeholders' perceptions revealed that although the factors driving ALUC are diverse in nature, they are somewhat embedded within the broader issue of land-use conflict, which has led to cropland abandonment, clearing of forest vegetation, soil degradation, changes from large scale to subsistence farming, and farmers' eventual loss of interest in agriculture. This suggest that the drivers and implications of ALUC go beyond simple changes to the extent of land used for agriculture, but also incorporates other regional socio-ecological changes. Our study highlights the importance of stakeholders' perceptions in understanding complex socio-ecological issues if we are to provide clear direction into areas where policy interventions are most needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the main food staple grain widely cultivated in sub-Sharan Africa including Uganda. There is a lack of current information on sorghum production constraints and varietal trait preferences in the major sorghum production areas in Uganda. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the sorghum production constraints and farmer preferences for sorghum variety in Uganda. A participatory rural appraisal study was undertaken in four selected sorghum production districts in Uganda (Kumi, Bukedea, Oyam and Gulu). Data were collected through surveys using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussion involving 128 and 55 participants, respectively. Data were subjected to parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses to draw inferences. A lack of improved sorghum varieties was the major sorghum production constraint reported by 82.8% of participants. Farmer preferred ideal sorghum varieties were short to medium plant height with high grain yield. The quality attributes mostly preferred by farmers were baking quality, nutrition, and seed colour. Farmers in the study areas mainly grew unimproved sorghum varieties with low food values. Overall, the study provides the current evidence on sorghum production constraints and farmer-preferred attributes that will guide sorghum nutritional quality breeding with farmer preferred traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study identified and prioritized the climate induced gender specific vulnerability of the selected households pursuing crop and dairy enterprises in the three villages, one each from Karnal, Yamunanagar and Sirsa districts of Haryana, adopted under the Technology Demonstration Component of the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project. As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, data were collected from 90 households (30 households / village) and then computed the overall vulnerability index based on the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indices, using 17 indicators extracted through Principal Component Analysis. High vulnerability was found in 21.11% households (mean vulnerability index value of 0.6201) and 41.11% households were found vulnerable to a medium level (mean vulnerability index value 0.3631). Significant difference was revealed in the overall exposure and overall adaptive capacity between districts. The overall vulnerability was found highest in Yamunanagar (0.3846), followed by Sirsa (0.3671) and Karnal (0.3043) districts. The identified gender prioritization of vulnerability issues needs to be addressed in each district as well as on aggregate basis for increasing resilience and decreasing gendered household vulnerability.

In recent years, shoreline determination has become an issue of increasing importance and concern, especially at the local level, as sea level continues to rise. This study identifies the rates of absolute and net erosion, accretion, and shoreline stabilization along the coast of Kuakata, a vulnerable coastal region in south-central Bangladesh. Shoreline change was detected by applying remote sensing and geographic information system (RS-GIS)-based techniques by using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) satellite images at 30-m resolution from 1989, 2003, 2010, and 2020. The band combination (BC) method was used to extract the shoreline (i.e., land-water boundary) due to its improved accuracy over other methods for matching with the existing shoreline position. This study also used participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools which revealed the societal impacts caused by the shoreline changes. Coupling RS-GIS and PRA techniques provides an enhanced understanding of shoreline change and its impacts because PRA enriches the RS-GIS outcomes by contextualizing the findings. Results show that from 1989 to 2020, a total of 13.59 km2 of coastal land was eroded, and 3.27 km2 of land was accreted, suggesting that land is retreating at about 0.32 km2 yr–1. Results from the PRA tools support this finding and demonstrate that fisheries and tourism are affected by the shoreline change. These results are important in Kuakata, a major tourist spot in Bangladesh, because of the impacts on fisheries, recreation, resource extraction, land use planning, and coastal risk management.

The improvement of tapioca production system is one of the solutions to improve the economy of rural communities through the development of cassava inventory as an inexpensive tapioca raw material that can be obtained throughout the year, using appropriate management and strategies. This study aims to determine the order of priority criteria that are influential in determining the steps to improve production system performance. The method used is analysis PLS using six criteria, namely local potential, empowerment capital, social community, empowerment process, community empowerment, the ability of actors. The empirical results of the study show that the highest R-square value is the empowerment process at 61.0 percent. This value indicates that local potential, empowerment capital, social community, and the ability of the actors are able to contribute to the explanation of the empowerment process by 61.1 percent, while 38.9 percent is influenced by other variables. The R-square value on the community empowerment variable is lower than the R-square value for the empowerment process, which is only 42.4 percent. This shows that the variables of local potential, empowerment capital, social community, the ability of empowerment actors, and the empowerment process do not adequately explain community empowerment. From the results of the exploration of the overall influence factors with the PLS analysis mentioned above, it is used to invite people to understand themselves and formulate ideas for developing Gaplek SMEs in the form of a vision with a strategy for achieving them. Based on the empirical results of research through testing the accepted hypothesis with the intervening variable having a significant positive relationship, appropriate mentoring is carried out to focus on the mentoring process with the Participatory Rural Appraisal approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earthquake that occurred on May 26, 2006 in Yogyakarta resulted in 6,234 deaths and 46,148 displaced people. 37 heads of families occupied Winongo Ex Station in the former railway line in Glondong Tirtonirmolo village, Kasihan Bantul, Yogyakarta. The location occupied was the Sultan Ground (SG) land. In the course of time, the residents asked permission from the court to get the right to use the land or called Serat Kekancingan. The Yogyakarta Palace gave the answer that the Permit had been given to someone who in fact never lived, the land also became the object of buying and selling by irresponsible persons, and someone acted on behalf of the palace expert's interest and claimed to be the legitimate heir to the land. This study aims to develop the model of citizen advocacy to get the clarity on the status of land inhabited by using the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach. The community is involved to actively participate in formulating the problems and finding the solutions to the problems. Research results show that the land status of the Yogyakarta Sultanate is under the authority of Panitikismo who has the right to issue a permit or kekancingan. The name in serat kekancingan can be changed or it is called liyeran. The people who want to use or obtain status submit a request through dukuh or the head of the village which is forwarded to the village, and approved by the Land and Spatial Agencies of the regency which is then sent to the Panitikismo of the Yogyakarta Palace. The association was formed to facilitate the coordination and management.

Soil erosion is a form of land degradation caused by the interactive effects of natural factors and anthropogenic factors (e.g., farmer livelihood behavior). This study investigates the impact of farmer livelihood behavior on soil erosion in erosion controlled (western Fujian Province, WFP) and uncontrolled (northern Guangdong Province, NGP) areas of southern China. A participatory rural appraisal was used to investigate the differences in farmer livelihood behavior and attitudes towards soil erosion in NGP and WFP, and between full-time farmers and part-time farmers. A pressure–state–response (PSR) model was used to analyze the impacts of farmer livelihood behavior on soil erosion. Results were as follows: (1) the PSR value of soil erosion affected by full-time farmers was higher than that of soil erosion affected by part-time farmers; (2) the farmers' participation in and awareness of soil and water conservation (SWC) were higher in WFP than in NGP, and the influence of the farmer livelihood behavior on soil erosion was considerable; and (3) the impact of full-time farmers' livelihood behavior on soil erosion in 2016 was higher than that observed in 2012, and the impact of this behavior from part-time farmers was slightly lower in 2012. This study provides a new perspective for farmers' control and management of soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Navy bean is an important legume crop in Zimbabwe. Although its production in Zimbabwe is limited by multiple constraints including biotic, abiotic and socio-economic, there is no documented evidence. Thus, this study aimed at identifying farmers' production constraints, preferred traits and cultivars of navy bean, and strategies used to mitigate some of these constraints. Methods: A Participatory Rural Appraisal approach involving transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), and formal surveys with semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in four villages of the Lowveld region of Zimbabwe. In each of the four villages, two FGDs (one for men and one for women) were conducted. A total of 176 (75 males and 101 females) navy bean-growing households were interviewed. Data from household interviews and FGDs was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists computer package. Results: The most important constraints to navy bean production were drought stress (Females—86%, Males—73%), heat stress (Females—58%, Males—55%), power outages (Females—46%, Males—54%), poor soil fertility (Females—32%; Males—33%) and susceptibility to pod shattering (Females—32%, Males—43%). Mitigation strategies included mulching (18%), ridges (12%), reduced acreage (11%), and cultivating to retain more soil moisture (11%) for drought stress, while irrigating at night (32%), and adjusting planting dates (29%) were used to manage heat stress. Farmer-preferred traits included tolerance to drought and heat, early maturing varieties and disease resistance. Marketing constraints included non-payment for produce in hard currency, lack of diversity in terms of off-takers, high inflation, low grain producer price, delayed payment and breach of contract by contractors. Conclusion: There will be increased adoption of improved navy bean cultivars if breeding programs address the aforementioned constraints and consider farmer-preferred traits when developing new cultivars. Breeders should work closely with extension officers to ensure that cultivars released are cultivated with appropriate agronomic packages for increased productivity and high adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Groundnut is one of the major legume crops grown as food and cash crop across the different agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. It is ranked the 2nd important legume crop for household food, nutrition, and income generation for both rural and urban zones, contributing significantly to food supply and economy of the country. Despite its importance and breeding efforts to develop improved varieties, groundnut productivity remains low. Assessing and describing the present groundnut cropping system and production constraints as well as gender dynamics in the main production areas will help in defining the groundnut breeding priorities. Methods: A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in three groundnut production regions (central-eastern, central-northern, and central-western). In each region, 4 villages were selected with a total of 124 farmers interviewed to collect data on socio-demographics, farming systems, cropping practices, and production constraints. Data analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative variables using STATA 14. Analysis of variance was conducted across regions and gender, and also between and within regions. Kendall's coefficients were determined for qualitative variables across regions for the constraints using the pairwise rank. Pearson's correlation was carried out to assess the relationship between variables, and the chi-square test was used to assess the difference in farmer preferences. Results: The study revealed a cropping system of groundnut in an environment largely affected by climate change and in a subsistence and extensive agriculture. There is a variation in the groundnut cropping system across the regions. Gender plays a key role in the production of the groundnut, and 48.39% of women are engaged in groundnut cropping with less access to land and production resources. A yield gap between men and women was observed with men achieving more yield than women. There was a strong correlation between the use of improved varieties and technical assistance. A strong correlation was observed between farm size and production, and farm size and sex denoting an extensive production. Production constraints, although similar, were perceived and ranked differently between regions. The lack of improved varieties, absence of agricultural credit, lack of production tools, the high price of seeds, the high price of fertilizer, drought, and disease are some of the important constraints affecting groundnut productivity. Conclusion: This study provides a recent view of groundnut cropping, allowing a good understanding of the farmers' situation. The result will contribute to the refining of breeding priorities and guide further activities in groundnut breeding in Burkina Faso. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major food and cash crop cultivated under diverse farming systems in Tanzania. The objective of this study was to assess farmers' perceptions, production constraints, variety preferences and breeding priorities of rice in selected agro-ecologies in Tanzania to guide variety development and release. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted involving 180 participants using a structured survey. Focus group discussions were held with 90 discussants in the Mvomero, Kilombero and Kyela districts of Tanzania. Survey results indicated that rice was the most important food and cash crop, followed by maize (Zea mays L.), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp), simsim (Sesamum indicum L.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), banana (Musa acuminate L.), groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), and palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Majority of respondents used saved seed from previous harvest. Major constraints limiting rice production and productivity in all studied areas were disease, insect pests, recurrent drought, non-availability and high cost of fertilizers, a lack of improved cultivars, poor soil fertility and bird damage. The farmers preferred rice varieties with high yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, high market value, early maturity, aroma, and local adaptation. A systematic rice breeding program, aimed at improving yellow mottle virus resistance and incorporating farmers' preferred traits, should be designed and implemented to increase productivity and adoption of new cultivars by the farmers across rice-growing areas of Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboos are the tallest grass of the world and widely distributed in India and abundantly occur in northeastern region of India. Bamboos play an important role in the day to day lives of common people of Assam in general and among the Karbis in particular. Bamboo is the most extensively used plant resource among the Karbis. The present study attempts to find out the importance of bamboo among the Karbi tribes, availability and utilization pattern of bamboo and to identify the hindrance of the economic gain. Field study was undertaken among the Karbis in different villages of Karbi Anglong District of Assam. Case study, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and SWOT analysis methods were used for collecting the relevant information. The primary data was collected by structured and unstructured interview. It has been observed that bamboo is the most popular and extensively used forest resource among the Karbis and Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees is the most frequently used species in the hills while in the plains Bambusa tulda Roxb. and Bambusa balcooa Roxb. (Sil borua) are the commonly used species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a sin-qua-non for a nation's progress. Often the emphasis is on the productivity element. An indepth study is inevitable in the production process which is plagued by climate vagaries and various anthropogenic factors. A batch of Aggriculture Research Service providers comprising of six Scientists of various disciplines have made and attempt to study the nittygritties of agriculture employing participatory rural appraisal technique for identification of agricultural field problems. The village selected is Malpur village of Rajasthan. The study was conducted in 2018 during the Field Experience Training as Agriculture Research Service probationers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving sorghum adoption rates by developing adapted varieties that meet end-user preferences is a major challenge in West Africa. In this study, a participatory rural appraisal was undertaken to identify the main sorghum production constraints, farmers' preferred variety traits and their perceptions on sorghum grain mold. The study was conducted in four representative rural communities located in the main sorghum producing area of Senegal. A total of 260 farmers were interviewed and data were collected through focus group discussions and individual questionnaires. Our results indicated that Striga, insects, poor soil fertility and drought are the major sorghum producing constraints in Senegal. Grain mold was identified as the second most important sorghum disease after the damping-off. Discoloration on grain surface was the most important criteria farmers used to recognize the disease. The most important sorghum traits farmers desired in improved varieties are medium to short plant maturity cycle, medium plant height, large open or semi-compact panicle, big and white grain, and adaptation to local growing conditions. The results showed that the sorghum cropping system is dominated by male farmers who mainly grow local landraces. These results will provide updated recommendations for the breeding products profile to meet end-user preferences in Senegal., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Rural households have established various informal strategies to cope with unanticipated shocks. These existing coping strategies are receiving renewed interest, particularly in the context of climate change and in terms of the role they do, and can play, in enhancing households' adaptive capacity. An improved understanding of these strategies, and the factors that influence their application, may support the design of locally relevant adaptation strategies. We explored the nature and prevalence of unanticipated shocks, including natural hazards, experienced by households in two villages in Venda, South Africa, with the villages selected, in part, because of notable differences in precipitation. We considered the influence of shock type, and household- and location-specific characteristics, on the use of various household-level coping strategies. We report on semi-structured interviews, administered to 170 randomly selected households, and a participatory rural appraisal. Almost 90% of households reported the experience of at least one unanticipated shock over a prescribed 5-year period, with natural hazards reported by 42%. The type of shock experienced and various household-level characteristics, such as households' access to human and financial capital, influences households' coping response. Households' access to natural and social capital allowed for the protection of ex-ante coping options. Overall, our findings indicate that when possible, households actively manage their coping strategy portfolio, both in response to the shock experienced and in anticipation of future shocks. Generally, households' informal, ex-post coping options appear to be insufficiently robust for the covariate nature of natural hazards, suggesting the need for interventions that support households' existing coping portfolio. • Households apply different coping strategies depending on the shocks they face. • Savings help households face natural hazards but risk being depleted by frequent hazards. • Forest products were rarely used to cope with natural hazards, suggesting limitations. • Natural and social capital allows for the protection of households' assets and savings. • Households' access to human and financial capital affects their coping choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural innovations can be triggered by the social networks in which farmers have purposefully organized to support themselves. This paper, therefore, explores the values of social connectedness within locally established societies’ mutual support associations for agricultural innovations. This study explains how mutual support social network associations trigger agricultural innovations and the way farmers utilize such networks to spiral agricultural innovations. Indigenous mutual support associations like Guuza, Iqubi and Afoosha function in trust-based self-enforcing orders, social networks and relationships in a more flexible and reciprocity-based order. These informal social networks are employed by farmers to collaborate on society’s mutual support practices. Trust, norms and group membership are the key components of social capital within indigenous mutual support associations. The social connectedness within the sort of labor-sharing arrangement, informal financial group, funeral association and inter-village link aids member’s collective capacity to figure the development of agricultural innovations. Inherently embedded social networks, mutual support, information sharing, interaction and trust among the members within mutual support associations are the values for the event of agricultural innovations. Therefore, this study concludes that stakeholders within extension systems should support and strengthen the locally established society’s associations to broaden agricultural innovations. In general, this study recommends the necessity to integrate the applications of society’s mutual support associations for the development of agricultural innovations.

Abstract Background Groundnut is an important legume crop in Togo. However, groundnut yield has been steadily decreasing for decades as a result of lack of organized breeding program to address production constraints. Though, low yielding varieties and late leaf spot have been often reported as the most important constraints, there is no documented evidence. Identifying and documenting the major production constraints is a prerequisite for establishing a good breeding program with clearly defined priority objectives and breeding strategies. Thus, the objectives of this study were to identify groundnut production constraints and assess farmers’ preferred traits. Methods A participatory rural appraisal approach was used to collect data on agronomic practices, farmers’ preferences, and possible threats to production through individual and group interviews. Three regions and three villages per region were selected based on the representativeness of groundnut production systems. In each village, 20 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed; thus, a total of 180 farmers were interviewed. Content analysis was carried out for qualitative data and for quantitative data generated within and across regions, comparative descriptive statistics were carried out. Differences in perception and preferences were assessed using chi-square tests. Results The study has revealed that, though there were some variation across the regions, traits pertaining to yield such as pod yield (66.66%) and pod size (12.12%) were the most important. Leaf spot diseases, rosette and peanut bud necrosis (37.77%) and insects such as pod sucking bug and bruchid (27.77%) were considered to be the most important constraints limiting groundnut production. Among diseases, farmers in all the three regions indicated that late leaf spot is of economic importance which they associated to various causes such as maturity, drought, or insects. No gender differences were observed for the perception of constraints and groundnut traits preferences. Land size is significantly influenced by age and gender. Besides, farmers have pointed the lack of improved varieties and the unavailability of groundnut seeds highlighting the necessity of a sustainable groundnut seed system linked with a strong breeding program. Conclusion This study has enabled understanding of the farming practices, constraints, and farmers preferred characteristics, thus providing the basis for a participatory breeding program in Togo which should consider that farmers perceive low yielding varieties and diseases as major constraints to production.

Purpose: Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has been cultivated for centuries as a staple food crop for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. In Ethiopia a total of 4.34 million tons of sorghum is being produced per annum, predominantly in the arid and semi-arid areas. However, the yield and quality of sorghum is affected by a wide array of production constraints, notably severe and recurrent drought stress. The aim of this study were to determine the impact of drought on sorghum production and productivity over time and space, and to identify farmers’ trait preferences, production constraints and coping strategies when dealing with drought in north eastern Ethiopia. Materials and methods: Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) was employed in three administrative zones of north eastern Ethiopia. One Woreda from each Zone and two Kebeles from each Woreda were selected on the basis of sorghum area coverage, production, consumption and prior information on the intensity, duration and spatial coverage of drought. In each kebele, 30 respondents were selected for interview and 12 key informants were selected for group discussions and transect walk personal observations. Data collected from 180 respondents was subjected to statistical analysis and the information gathered from 72 key informants through focus group discussions and transect walk observations were used in discussing the results. Results and discussion: The present study found that productivity of sorghum was challenged by recurrent droughts, Striga infestation, insects, birds, diseases, a lack of varieties with farmers-preferred traits and high yield potential, limited policy support, a lack of improved seed system, poor sorghum production practices and application of crop input and poor soil fertility, in a decreasing order of importance. Among the listed sorghum production constraints, severe drought in the post-flowering stage was identified by most interviewed farmers as the leading constraint across the three study zones. Focus group discussions and transect walk observations held in each Kebele revealed that farmers’ had lost numerous valuable local landrace varieties due to extreme drought conditions over the years. A significant number of interviewed farmers preferred to grow high grain and biomass yielder medium-maturing sorghum varieties which can be sown at the normal planting time but which would escape post-flowering drought. Conclusion: Overall, sorghum breeding programme should be directed at developing farmers’ ideal sorghum varieties with high grain and biomass yield, adequate level of drought and Striga tolerance. In addition, development of farmer preferred medium-maturing sorghum varieties suitable for April planting should be strengthen to boost its productivity and to increase varietal adoption rate in the area.

People living in mountainous and rural areas are more vulnerable to living in poverty due to many factors. This is shown by the high poverty rate in the BPS data and GAKIN (Poor Family) list. Most farmers and laborers are people living in rural areas. The financial condition of the farmers and laborers is considered worse than other communities (the more poor of the poor). Poverty alleviation and community empowerment programs set by the government for the past decades are proven to be not entirely successful and not as expected, followed by many failures in implementing the programs. It was because the empowerment model was Top Down, from the government to the people with pre-determined criteria which are standard and not based on situations, conditions, and occupations of the program target communities. This study aimed to get a community empowerment model which is right on target, based on criteria approach directly explored from the program target communities. The resulting Participatory Rural Appraisal method produces village social condition or village map which shows the potentials, problems, opportunities, and strengths of the community to be the basis for problem solving, program planning, achievement and joint monitoring consistent with their potential and ability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the socio-economic impacts and analyze the internal and external factors affecting the performance of water users’ cooperatives (WUCs) in the province of Kurdistan. Therefore, Tefin and Palangan cooperatives in the Sarvabad and Kamyaran Townships were studied using the qualitative methods and participatory rural appraisal (PRA). Due to the nature of this research, the sampling method was purposeful and non-probability. Thus, the data were collected by brain storming and focus group interviews until they had reached theoretical saturation point. The conventional coding was used in the data analysis for frequency measurement of the words and phrases, and a coherent summarization of information. Aslo the other part of the analysis was done using the SWOT model. Results show upon the member’s viewpoint the main problem was the lack of adequate and continuous supervision on cooperatives from responsible authorities. The most important effects of cooperatives was change the land use system from farming to horticulture, new irrigation networks development, and access to modern technologies. Generally cooperatives’ economic and social performance was assessed poor and average level, respectively. Also, based on the SWOT model, 15 point of strength and opportunity as advantages and 20 point of weakness and threats as limitations were identified in the irrigation network management of orchards development plan, and 10 strategies have been presented to improve the current situation of the cooperatives. The results of this research can be used by policy‌-makers and irrigtorists to reduce the recurring of such problems in design and implementation of the similar projects.

Understanding farmers' perceptions of and preferences towards agroforestry is essential to identify systems with the greatest likelihood of adoption to inform successful rural development projects. In this study we offer a novel approach for evaluating agroforestry systems from the farmer perspective. The approach couples rapid rural appraisal and normative optimisation techniques to determine favourable land-use compositions for meeting various socio-economic and ecological goals, based on farmers' empirical knowledge and preferences. We test our approach among smallholder farmers in Eastern Panama, obtaining data from household interviews and using hierarchical cluster analysis to identify farm groups with similar land-use and income characteristics. We found that moderate differences in farmers' perceptions between these groups altered the type and share of agroforestry included in the optimised land-use portfolios that balance the achievement of 10 pre-selected socio-economic and ecological objectives. Such differences provide valuable information about potential acceptability of agroforestry within each group. For example, we found that farmers who derive most of their farm income from crops may be more willing to adopt silvopasture, whereas farmers who are more economically dependent on cattle may benefit from diversifying their land-use with alley cropping. We discuss the potential of this modelling approach for participatory land-use planning, especially when dealing with small sample sizes and uncertainty in datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absence of formal markets and the large variability of genetic groups and production systems of goats and sheep in developing countries hinder the implementation of traditional breeding programmes. Community-based breeding programmes (CBBP) for these species have been shown to be effective in these countries. In these programmes, the definition of the objectives and criteria of selection is done in a participatory way, which takes into account the desires and needs of the local farmers. We aimed to define the objectives and criteria of a CBBP for goats and sheep in the Inhamuns region, Ceará, Brazil, using a participatory rural appraisal (PRA). This methodology, which consist in an approach that aims to incorporate the knowledge and opinions of rural people in the planning and management of development projects and programmes, was performed in seven districts of two towns of the region (Tauá and Parambu). One hundred twenty-two farmer families participated in the survey. The PRA was able to provide important information, and its results showed that breeders of this region keep flocks of goats and sheep for social, economic and cultural benefits. In order of importance, the main objectives for goat farming were personal fulfilment (PERF), food source for family (FSF), income generation (INCG), savings (SAV) and cultural/family traditions (CULT), while for sheep farming were CULT, FSF, SAV, PERF and INCG. Disease resistance (RDI), adaptability (ADP), fertility (FERT), growth rate (GRA), host resistance of worms (HRW), body conformation (BC), temperament (TEM), longevity (LONG), body size (BSIZ), age at first kidding (AFK) and milk yield (MIY) were the main selection criteria that farmers use for goats. The most important selection criteria used for selecting sheep were ADP, RDI, HRW, GRA, FERT, LONG, BC, BS and age at first lambing. According to these objectives and criteria, the CBBP must consider the adaptation of the animals to the climate and management conditions of the region, the resistance to diseases and productive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Agricultural innovations can be triggered by the social networks in which farmers have purposefully organized to support themselves. This paper, therefore, explores the values of social connectedness within locally established societies' mutual support associations for agricultural innovations. This study explains how mutual support social network associations trigger agricultural innovations and the way farmers utilize such networks to spiral agricultural innovations. Indigenous mutual support associations like Guuza, Iqubi and Afoosha function in trust-based self-enforcing orders, social networks and relationships in a more flexible and reciprocity-based order. These informal social networks are employed by farmers to collaborate on society's mutual support practices. Trust, norms and group membership are the key components of social capital within indigenous mutual support associations. The social connectedness within the sort of labor-sharing arrangement, informal financial group, funeral association and inter-village link aids member's collective capacity to figure the development of agricultural innovations. Inherently embedded social networks, mutual support, information sharing, interaction and trust among the members within mutual support associations are the values for the event of agricultural innovations. Therefore, this study concludes that stakeholders within extension systems should support and strengthen the locally established society's associations to broaden agricultural innovations. In general, this study recommends the necessity to integrate the applications of society's mutual support associations for the development of agricultural innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural Land-Use Change (ALUC) is a major driver of global environmental change, not least via its direct impact on the sustainability and resilience of the rural economy. Its drivers are complex and have remained contentious, necessitating further empirical study. This study aims to derive context-specific evidence on the driving factors and effects of ALUC from different stakeholders’ perceptions. We carried out household surveys and participatory rural appraisal across Benue State, Nigeria. ALUC has economic, social, ecological, and institutional implications for farmers and on agricultural productivity. Farmers perceived that the main factors driving ALUC were land conflict, government land-use policies and infrastructural development. Stakeholders’ perceptions revealed that although the factors driving ALUC are diverse in nature, they are somewhat embedded within the broader issue of land-use conflict, which has led to cropland abandonment, clearing of forest vegetation, soil degradation, changes from large scale to subsistence farming, and farmers’ eventual loss of interest in agriculture. This suggest that the drivers and implications of ALUC go beyond simple changes to the extent of land used for agriculture, but also incorporates other regional socio-ecological changes. Our study highlights the importance of stakeholders’ perceptions in understanding complex socio-ecological issues if we are to provide clear direction into areas where policy interventions are most needed.

Spate irrigation is a complex and unique form of water management, which represent the main source of irrigation water in semi-arid river catchments. Water is diverted from seasonal rivers by using diversion structures made by stones, earth and brushwood, located within the river bed. The modernisation of spate irrigation realised in Raya Valley (northern Ethiopia) resulted in disappointing performances. One of the main reasons for this failure was the poor consideration of the characteristics of seasonal catchments and local communities’ needs and preferences. Local farmers, who showed a deep knowledge of the river system, were involved only at the level of consultation. The aim of this research was to develop a participatory Diagnostic Analysis (DA) for a traditional non-modernised spate irrigation system in Raya Valley, in order to involve local farmers within the development process, and to build a solid knowledge basis for effective improvements. A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) of the Harosha spate irrigation system was undertaken. PRA techniques focusing on spatial, temporal, socio-economical and spatiotemporal aspects of the system were performed with local farmers in order to identify and rank main problems and constraints to development. Farmers recognised the need of more resistant diversion structures and gabion walls for the stabilisation of the river bank. The involvement of farmers also helped to highlight that not only irrigation-related problems, but also flood-related problems threaten agricultural production and rural livelihoods. Rather than an irrigation system approach, an approach integrating irrigation development and flood risk mitigation is suggested for framing future development strategies.

Knowledge on farmers’ perspectives is of paramount importance in order to design appropriate agricultural research and development interventions attuned to local farming systems. A participatory rural appraisal was conducted in order to understand perceived causes and indicators of soil acidity under multiple land-uses in three Districts of northwest Ethiopia. Soil samples were also collected from five dominant land-uses. The samples were analysed for soil pH, exchangeable acidity and other physico-chemical properties. The result indicated that the pH(H2O) of most of the soils in the study sites were in a strongly acidic range (4.6–5.5). Gashena Akayita of the Banja District was the most acidic of all. Among the land-uses, eucalyptus fields were the most acidic followed by crop outfields and grazing lands in that order. At all the study sites, exchangeable Al was detected in soils having a pH of less than 5.0. Overall, the nutrient dynamics showed variation across land-uses and study sites. Farmers’ perceived causes of soil acidity included: soil erosion; contending use of fertility replenishing local resources; abandoning traditional fertility management practices and minimal use of external inputs. The farmers attributed the exclusive use of acid-forming inorganic fertilizers to exhaustion of the soil. Various land and soil characteristics, plant growth attributes, changes in genetic diversity were mentioned as indicators of soil acidity. Particularly, the farmers used prevalence of acidophilic weed species on crop fields and grazing lands as marker of strongly acidic soil. Farmers’ perceived causes and indicators were in agreement with scientific facts and can be utilized as input in designing sustainable acid soil management strategies. Decline in genetic diversity of the once widespread crop species and land races, and expansion of newly introduced soil acidity tolerant species, suggests the need to undertake rescue collections in these areas.

Tef is the most important crop in Ethiopia and is well-adapted to growing environments, but grain yields are low. The government is therefore promoting the adoption of improved varieties, inorganic fertilizers and new planting techniques. This study gathered information on the use of new agronomic practices and barriers to their adoption through a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 60 farmers or respondents from each of 4 districts of Tigray region in northern Ethiopia viz Laelay-Maichew, Medebay-Zana, Ahferom and Alamata. Data were coded and analysed using SPSS software. Except for animal feed and crop rotation, there were significant differences between districts in the relative importance of several criteria for different uses. Improved varieties were used by the majority of respondents in all districts and fertilizers in all except Alamata where severe moisture stress dictated the choice of variety and reduced fertilizer application. Weed control was mainly by hand except in Alamata where chemical control was common because of the predominance of broad-leaved weeds. Transplanting maximized the yield of tef, but a cost–benefit analysis showed that row sowing was more profitable. The study concluded that new varieties better adapted to the likelihood of reduced rainfall and that respond efficiently to fertilizer inputs need to be developed. Until suitable technologies are available, high labour costs would in part dictate some agronomic practices, even if this led to lower yields.

Growing Acacia catechu trees on rice fields is one traditional crop-land Agroforestry system of Rajshahi region in Bangladesh. Farming system was explored with detailed information on farm operations and cropping calendar including system outputs. System dynamics was also evaluated. PRA exercises were conducted for a biophysical assessment. The information was collected on informant wise and cross-checked. Best growth of trees observed under rain-fed conditions. Higher density of trees found in un-irrigated fields. Trees were better managed in small plots. In general, density of khoir trees was found higher in small holdings (less than 2 ha) with secured land tenure. Trees on farms were of uneven age indicating the khoir + rice system biologically sustainable. The ease of establishment of Khoir seedlings, the low cost of its maintenance, and less vulnerability to any serious pest or disease, easy marketability of products rated high in the farmer’s preference for khoir. They appreciate the versatility of the wood for a variety of farm uses though its prime economic use to them is for production of lali for katha. They also get pitch khoir as by product of katha (red dyestuff for textiles and paper) production. The multiple products and services offered and the ease of managing the trees on crop fields without causing any immediate or long-term reduction in crop yield seemed to be the most important factors that encourage the farmers to continue this traditional practice. If farmers could be motivated to follow appropriately the silvicultural practices, production could further be increased.

In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in research from ‘top-down’ directives to ‘bottom-up’ planning. Thus, there has been a change from imposing strategies to a participatory approach by indigenous people. This study uses the participatory approach to flood disaster management in Thohoyandou and its environs. The aim of this study is twofold: first, to understand the perception of communities towards floods hazards; and second, to probe how communities respond to flood hazards and how this knowledge can be used in the planning and management of future disasters. In order to achieve these objectives, participatory rural appraisal (PRA), interviews and observation were used as data collection techniques. The study found that there was consensus among the participants that flooding is a natural process, but human activities enhance the risks of flooding. Human activities that were found to be the causes of flood included clearance of vegetation, cultivation in steep slope areas, the effect of relief, urbanisation, poor designs and maintenance of drainage system and settlement in inadequate areas. The study found that local communities did not cope when there was flooding. However, they suggested strategies that should be used to cope with future flood hazards.

This study describes the formation of nutrition gardening and pond fish farming communities of practice (CoPs) among small-scale farmers of the Malayalis tribe living in the Kolli Hills region of Tamil Nadu, India. We examine the factors that have shaped the formation of these CoPs, their purpose and function, who is involved, what activ­ities hold these communities together, and their role in strengthening sustainable food production and consumption practices. Data were obtained through participatory rural appraisals (PRAs), key stakeholder interviews, and participant observa­tions during four months of fieldwork. The pri­mary motivations that led the nutrition gardeners and pond fish farmers to become part of CoPs were to improve the health and nutrition of their families and to obtain expert advice in sustainable food production practices. Both CoPs are in the early stages of development and differ not only in the types of food they produce and the skills and tools needed for their success, but also in their structure; nutrition gardening takes place at the individual and/or household level, whereas pond fish farming operates at the group and/or commu­nity level. The ways in which members experience being in a community also differs. Nutrition gar­deners rely on open-ended conversations and community creation through relationship building; in contrast, fish farmers find that group meetings and maintaining transparent record-keeping are most important. Sustainability of these practices and the CoPs depended on factors internal to the communities (e.g., leadership, knowledge mobiliza­tion) as well as external factors (e.g., rainfall and market potential).