Maize as food and feed in intensive smallholder systems: management options for improved integration in mixed farming systems of east and southern Africa

Romney, D.L.; Thorne, P.J.; Lukuyu, Ben A.; Thornton, Philip K.

doi:10.1016/s0378-4290(03)00147-3

Cited by 50 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Lifetime productivity and involuntary culling The adoption of improved technologies requires market stability so that the associated risks are reduced (Romney et al, 2003). Supplementing Napier grass with high-quality feeds to match nutrient requirements helps to reduce risk in cattle production and to secure daily cash flows.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifetime productivity of dairy cows in smallholder farming systems of the Central highlands of Kenya

Rufino¹,

Herrero

Wijk³

et al. 2009

Animal

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Evaluation of lifetime productivity is sensible to target interventions for improving productivity of smallholder dairy systems in the highlands of East Africa, because cows are normally not disposed of based on productive reasons. Feeding strategies and involuntary culling may have long-term effects on productive (and therefore economic) performance of dairy systems. Because of the temporal scale needed to evaluate lifetime productivity, experimentation with feedstuffs in single lactations is not enough to assess improvements in productivity. A dynamic modelling approach was used to explore the effect of feeding strategies on the lifetime productivity of dairy cattle. We used LIVSIM (LIVestock SIMulator), an individual-based, dynamic model in which performance depends on genetic potential of the breed and feeding. We tested the model for the highlands of Central Kenya, and simulated individual animals throughout their lifetime using scenarios with different diets based on common feedstuffs used in these systems (Napier grass, maize stover and dairy concentrates), with and without imposing random mortality on different age classes. The simulations showed that it is possible to maximise lifetime productivity by supplementing concentrates to meet the nutrient requirements of cattle during lactation, and during early development to reduce age at first calving and extend productive life. Avoiding undernutrition during the dry period by supplementing the diet with 0.5 kg of concentrates per day helped to increase productivity and productive life, but in practice farmers may not perceive the immediate economic benefits because the results of this practice are manifested through a cumulative, long-term effect. Survival analyses indicated that unsupplemented diets prolong calving intervals and therefore, reduce lifetime productivity. The simulations with imposed random mortality showed a reduction of 43% to 65% in all productivity indicators. Milk production may be increased on average by 1400 kg per lactation by supplementing the diet with 5 kg of concentrates during early lactation and 1 kg during late lactation, although the optimal supplementation may change according to milk and concentrate prices. Reducing involuntary culling must be included as a key goal when designing interventions to improve productivity and sustainability of smallholder dairy systems, because increasing lifetime productivity may have a larger impact on smallholders' income than interventions targeted to only improving daily milk yields through feeding strategies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifetime productivity of dairy cows in smallholder farming systems of the Central highlands of Kenya

Rufino¹,

Herrero

Wijk³

et al. 2009

Animal

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“…Crop and livestock production are closely integrated in mixed smallholder farming systems of Southern Africa [117][118][119] . Crops supply residues to feed livestock during the dry season while livestock, in turn, provide draft power and manure for crop production 37,[119][120][121] .…”

Section: Trade-offs In Mixed Crop-livestock Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation agriculture in Southern Africa: Advances in knowledge

Thierfelder¹,

Rusinamhodzi²,

Ngwira

et al. 2014

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

139

112

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The increasing demand for food from limited available land, in light of declining soil fertility and future threats of climate variability and change have increased the need for more sustainable crop management systems. Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on the three principles of minimum soil disturbance, surface crop residue retention and crop rotations, and is one of the available options. In Southern Africa, CA has been intensively promoted for more than a decade to combat declining soil fertility and to stabilize crop yields. The objective of this review is to summarize recent advances in knowledge about the benefits of CA and highlight constraints to its widespread adoption within Southern Africa. Research results from Southern Africa showed that CA generally increased water infiltration, reduced soil erosion and run-off, thereby increasing available soil moisture and deeper drainage. Physical, chemical and biological soil parameters were also improved under CA in the medium to long term. CA increased crop productivity and also reduced on-farm labor, especially when direct seeding techniques and herbicides were used. As with other cropping systems, CA has constraints at both the field and farm level. Challenges to adoption in Southern Africa include the retention of sufficient crop residues, crop rotations, weed control, pest and diseases, farmer perception and economic limitations, including poorly developed markets. It was concluded that CA is not a 'one-size-fits-all' solution and often needs significant adaptation and flexibility when implementing it across farming systems. However, CA may potentially reduce future soil fertility decline, the effects of seasonal dry-spells and may have a large impact on food security and farmers' livelihoods if the challenges can be overcome.

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“…Genotypes performed well in on-station trials may yield lower or fail completely in farmers' fields, when the plant encounters more challenges. On-farm trials are important to speed up the variety development process and enhance the adoption of new varieties in farm communities (Romney et al 2003, Assefa et al 2005. Therefore, to evaluate and select high yielding nutrient-rich potato varieties suitable for targeted environments, various on-station and on-farm experiments were undertaken simultaneously with CIP clones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yield Evaluation of Nutrient-rich Potato Clones in High Hill of Nepal

Luitel¹,

Khatri²,

Lama³

et al. 2017

J. Nep. Agric. Res. Counc.

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A study was conducted to evaluate the yield of nutrient-rich potato clones in high-hill districts: Dolakha and Jumla of Nepal during the years 2013 and 2014, respectively. Fourteen potato clones were tested as on-station and on-farm experiments at both districts, and those fourteen clones were compared to 'Lady Rosita' and 'Jumli Local' respectively as the check varieties in the first year experiment, 2013. Eight promising clones were selected from the first year experiment, and were evaluated and compared with same local varieties in the consecutive year, 2014.

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Maize as food and feed in intensive smallholder systems: management options for improved integration in mixed farming systems of east and southern Africa

Cited by 50 publications

References 11 publications

Lifetime productivity of dairy cows in smallholder farming systems of the Central highlands of Kenya

Lifetime productivity of dairy cows in smallholder farming systems of the Central highlands of Kenya

Conservation agriculture in Southern Africa: Advances in knowledge

Yield Evaluation of Nutrient-rich Potato Clones in High Hill of Nepal

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