Managing Soil Fertility and Nutrient Cycles through Fertilizer Trees in Southern Africa

Mafongoya, Paramu; Kuntashula, Elias; Sileshi, Gudeta W.

doi:10.1201/9781420017113.ch19

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…These studies demonstrate that improved fallows are more profitable than the non-use of any external inputs, a practise prevalent among resource poor farmers (Mafongoya et al 2006). Several studies (Akinnifesi et al 2006;Ajayi et al 2007, Phiri et al 2004Quinion et al 2010) also indicate that farmers who take up the technology have higher welfare, measured in terms of outcome parameters such as increased maize yields, household incomes, and assets among others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The causal effect of the improved fallows on maize productivity was estimated at about 800kg per hectare. Mafongoya et al (2006) showed that improved fallows on randomised experimental plots in eastern part of Zambia can give up to 3,000 -4,000 kg of maize per hectare in the first year of fallow termination. In subsequent years, the yields decline up to around 1,500 kg after 3 years or so.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an effort to contribute towards bridging the gap posed by soil fertility problems, limited use of external inputs and acute poverty among small scale farmers, the improved fallow technology was developed for use in Zambia and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa (Mafongoya et al 2006). The improved fallow, an ecologically robust approach to soil fertility improvement, is a product of many years of agroforestry research and development by the World Agroforestry Centre (WAC).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the causal effect of improved fallows on farmer welfare using robust identification strategies in Chongwe, Zambia

Kuntashula

Mungatana

2013

Agroforest Syst

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Agricultural technological improvements are crucial to increase on farm production and thereby reduce poverty. However the use of improper identification strategies on the impacts of improved technologies on farmer welfare could potentially pose a threat to good practice agricultural policy making. In this paper, propensity matching strategies and endogenous switching regression were used to test whether an improved fallow, a soil fertility improving technology that passed the requirements for a high impact intervention based on non randomised impact assessment methodologies could still pass this test. Using data from 324 randomly surveyed households in Chongwe district of Zambia, the rigorous econometric methods confirmed the positive impact of improved fallows on household maize yields, maize productivity, per capita maize yield and maize income. Conflicting results were obtained when a broader welfare indicator -per capita crop income, was considered. Whereas the non-randomised and kernel matching methods showed that per capita crop incomes were significantly higher for the adopters than for the non adopters, the causal effect of improved fallows on this variable was non significant when nearest neighbour matching strategy and the more robust endogenous switching regression were used. It was concluded that the technology improves welfare through increased maize and hence increased food security, and through incomes from the maize crop. The maize income derived from improved fallows were however not sufficient enough to drive the general crop income to significantly higher 2 levels. The need to diversify the use of improved fallows on high valued crops was recommended while the importance of using better and more robust methodologies in evaluating impact of interventions was emphasised.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the causal effect of improved fallows on farmer welfare using robust identification strategies in Chongwe, Zambia

Kuntashula

Mungatana

2013

Agroforest Syst

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“…Such investments in soil conservation could thus be considered as a redistribution of resource use rates towards the future. However, since the improved fallows are being promoted for soil fertility improvement Mafongoya et al, 2006) and not necessarily for environmental service provision, it would be unreasonable to tacitly assume that farmers adopting the technology are willing to supply ES. Further, it would also be wrong to assume that farmers who have not taken up the improved fallows are not willing to supply the ES through the technology.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fourth the improved fallows generally improve the physical soil structure thereby increasing bulk density, porosity and aggregate stability (Styger & Fernandes 2006) thus decreasing soil erosion. Among the common species of improved fallows used in Southern Africa include Sesbania sesban, Tephrosia vogelii and Gliricidia sepium (Mafongoya et al, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Trade-Offs Between Environmental Service Provision through Improved Fallows and Private Welfare Using Stated Preference Approach: A Case Study in Chongwe - Zambia

Kuntashula¹,

Mungatana²

2016

SAR

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The trade-offs between environmental service (ES) provision through the uptake of improved fallows and private farmer welfare losses have rarely been evaluated. Unlike inorganic fertiliser, improved fallows provide ES in addition to improving the soil fertility. This study used contingent valuation methodologies to evaluate willingness to provide ES through improved fallows among 324 farmers in Chongwe district of Zambia. Given scenarios that improved fallows, unlike inorganic fertiliser, help in mitigating soil erosion and water pollution, more than 70% of the farmers were willing to supply these services through the technology. The willingness to be pro-fertiliser oriented was positively associated with cropped land sizes and soil fertility challenges and negatively associated with total farm size. In addition, for users of improved fallows, increases in per capita income increased the probability of willingness to embrace fertiliser. Group membership decreased the probability for the users' willingness to embrace fertiliser. For the non-users, the probability of joining the association that would ensure blockage of an improved fallow policy decreased with maize productivity. For the few farmers, there was no significant difference in the willingness to pay (WTP) (t = 1.546, p = 0.136) to ensure availability of fertiliser or blocking a policy compelling uptake of improved fallows between the users (WTP = K1, 050,000, US$1 = K5, 000) and non-users (WTP= K1, 380,000) of the technology. The trade-off between ES provisions through improved fallows and loss in immediate private welfare by not embracing fertiliser was similar across the technology' users divide. Therefore a payment for environmental services policy could target the farmers as a homogenous group.

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The impacts of agroforestry interventions on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and human well‐being in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

Castle

Miller

Ordoñez

et al. 2021

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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Background: Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees or other woody perennials with crops or livestock in production systems, is being widely promoted as a conservation and development tool to help meet the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Donors, governments, and nongovernmental organizations have invested significant time and resources into developing and promoting agroforestry policies and programs in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide. While a large body of literature on the impacts of agroforestry practices in LMICs is available, the social-ecological impacts of agroforestry interventions is less well-studied. This knowledge gap on the effectiveness of agroforestry interventions constrains possibilities for evidence-based policy and investment decisions to advance sustainable development objectives.Objectives: The primary objective of this Campbell systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence on the impacts of agroforestry interventions in LMICs on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. The secondary objectives were to identify key pathways through which agroforestry interventions lead to various outcomes and how the interventions affect different sub-groups of the population.Search Methods: This review is based on a previously created evidence and gap map (EGM) of studies evaluating the impacts of agroforestry practices and interventions on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. We included published and unpublished literature in the English language covering the period between 2000 and October 20, 2017. We searched six academic databases and 19 organization websites to identify potentially relevant studies. The search was conducted for our EGM in mid-2017, and we did not conduct an additional search for this systematic review.

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Managing Soil Fertility and Nutrient Cycles through Fertilizer Trees in Southern Africa

Cited by 41 publications

References 34 publications

Estimating the causal effect of improved fallows on farmer welfare using robust identification strategies in Chongwe, Zambia

Estimating the causal effect of improved fallows on farmer welfare using robust identification strategies in Chongwe, Zambia

Understanding the Trade-Offs Between Environmental Service Provision through Improved Fallows and Private Welfare Using Stated Preference Approach: A Case Study in Chongwe - Zambia

The impacts of agroforestry interventions on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and human well‐being in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

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