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2. Farmers’ perception on soil erosion in Ghana: Implication for developing sustainable soil management strategy
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Tesfahunegn, Gebreyesus Brhane (author), Ayuk, Elias T. (author), and Adiku, S. G. K. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-03-02
- Published:
- International: PLOS
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12477
- Journal Title:
- PLoS One
- Journal Title Details:
- 16 (3)
- Notes:
- 26 pages, Farmers’ perception on soil erosion has not adequately reported in the conditions of Ghana though its causes and effects are time and site-specific. The objective of this study was to assess farmers’ perception on soil erosion and implication for developing soil management strategy in the Eastern and Northern Regions of Ghana. A total of 130 household head farmers were interviewed and complemented with field observation and group. Data was analyzed using descriptive, chi-square test, T-test and binary logistic regression. The results show that there was significant variation in socioeconomic, farm and institutional attributes among the farmers`in the study regions. In the Eastern and Northern Regions, significantly higher proportions of the farmers (95.7% and 86.7%, respectively) perceived soil erosion as serious problem. Significantly higher proportions of the respondents (80%) perceived severe erosion problem at homestead land in the Eastern Region whereas severe erosion in the Northern Region was more noticed at distance farmlands (85.0%). In the two regions, the major causes of severe erosion as perceived by most farmers were over-cultivation, deforestation and heavy rainfall events. In the Eastern and Northern Regions, 58.6% and 75.0% of the farmers perceived, respectively, that soil erosion severity has been increased since the past 10-years. Perceptions of most frequently noted indicators of soil erosion were declined productivity, shallow soil depth, presence of rills, sheet erosion, soil loss from farmland, and change in soil color. Results of the binary logistic regression indicate that there is heterogeneity in the factors accounting for the perception of soil fertility. In developing promising soil management strategy in the study area, attention must be given to key socioeconomic, biophysical, farm and institutional factors.
3. Perception and adaptation to higher temperatures among poultry farmers in Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Sanou, Awa (author), Kerr, John (author), Hodbod, Jennifer (author), and Saweda, Linda (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-19
- Published:
- International: Springer Link
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12566
- Journal Title:
- Environment Development and Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 23
- Notes:
- 8 pahes, The poultry sector is large and expanding in the global South, playing a central role in providing increased protein to a rapidly growing base of consumers. The sector includes small backyard farms, small commercial operations, and very large, complex enterprises. Although there is substantial literature on climate adaptation by crop farmers and large livestock farmers, such information is limited for poultry. This study focuses on the effects of higher temperatures on commercial poultry farms in southwest Nigeria and their adaptation strategies. We use a rich set of in-depth interviews to describe how poultry farmers are adapting to higher temperatures and their reasons for adopting particular practices. In general, interviewees are aware that temperatures have increased over time and that heat stress reduces poultry productivity in terms of weight gain and laying capacity. They are knowledgeable and are not passively enduring the adverse effects of higher temperatures as they have adopted a range of adaptation practices. This study identified three main adaptation strategies: (i) keeping drinking water cool, (ii) keeping the building cool and increasing ventilation, and (iii) giving birds medicines and supplements that help them cope with increased heat. Small farms tend to adopt simple and low-cost practices, and large farms tend to adopt more sophisticated and expensive approaches, in line with the nature of their respective operations. The paper’s findings can help address gaps in strategies aiming to help this critically important sector of the food system be robust to future environmental change.
4. Rural farmers perception and coping strategies towards climate change and their determinants: Evidence from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ali, Sajjad (author), Ying, Liu (author), Nazir, Adnan (author), Ishaq, Muhammad (author), Shah, Tariq (author), Ye, Xinyue (author), LLyas, Aasir (author), and Tariq, Azam (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-04-01
- Published:
- Interational: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Box 204 Document Number: D12476
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Cleaner Production
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 291
- Notes:
- 14 pages, Climate change has severe consequences not at just local, regional but also at a global scale. Since such shifts in the climate, the substantial agriculture sector of Pakistan has been suffering widely from its drastic change. The present study is carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan, to explore the perception of smallholder farmers related to climate change. Data is collected from 400 smallholder farmers of Malakand, Mardan and Swabi districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This study expounds the perception of farmers and their farming adaptations to variations in climatic occurrence. Binary logistic regression was employed to discover the aspects that shape smallholder farmer’s adaptation strategies. Our results depicted that the awareness and farm household’s exploits methods for climate change adaptation were common throughout the study area. The main adaptation strategies carried out or executed by the smallholder farmers were irrigation, non-farm activities and early planting schemas. This research identified the barriers to climate change adaptation were lack of money, unavailability of required seed, nonexistence of market access, insecure land tenure system and shortage of information. The findings of the study recommend improving farmer’s awareness and providing timely information about climate change. To improve farmer’s well-being, adequate extension services and greater investment facilities are required to support farmers to sustain their livelihoods in the long run to cope with climate change.
5. Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Agricultural Land-Use Change, and Associated Factors, in Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Johnpaul Ihemezie, Eberechukwu (author) and Dallimer, Martin (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-10-21
- Published:
- International: MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12498
- Journal Title:
- Environments
- Journal Title Details:
- 8 (11)
- Notes:
- 18 pages, 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.
6. To work alone or with peers: Examining smallholder coffee farmers’ perceptions influencing collective actions
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Silvert, Colby (author), Diaz, John (author), Warner, Laura (author), and Ochieng, Willis (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-06-01
- Published:
- International: OJS / PKP
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12524
- Journal Title:
- Developments in Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 2(2)
- Notes:
- 14 pages, This study examines how smallholder coffee farmers’ perceptions may influence their engagement in peer mobilization and collective action. Forty smallholder coffee farmers were interviewed in the Central Highlands region of Peru using a closed-ended instrument. The sample of smallholder farmers was achieved using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Quantitative data on farmers’ attitudes and aspirations regarding working with peers, autonomy, and external support as well as knowledge, skills, and behaviors pertinent to collective actions were collected and analyzed using descriptive and correlational procedures. Key findings indicate farmers perceive a need for external support, feel there are benefits of collective actions, and aspire to work with their peers. Based on the findings, it is recommended that practitioners and farmer group leaders focus training efforts on building smallholders’ knowledge and skills in mobilization, encourage peer association/collective action as a source of external support, and target knowledgeable, skilled and confident farmers to lead collective actions. This study has implications to bolster support for farmer-to-farmer extension and technical assistance systems and inform the identification of leader farmers.