Participatory action research and quantitative analysis for nutrient management in southern Mali: a fruitful marriage?

Defoer, T.; Groote, Hugo De; Hilhorst, Dorothea; Kanté, S.; Budelman, A.

doi:10.1016/s0167-8809(98)00142-x

Cited by 62 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The negative phosphorus balances that were simulated with all three strategies indicate that at the farm level, the direction of the nutrient flow is from the cultivated areas to the other farm components, rather than vice versa, as noted by Defoer et al (1998) in semi-arid conditions in Africa.…”

Section: The Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Only partial phosphorus balances were simulated to represent the flows that are visible to farmers, such as exports by harvests and returns by animal feces. Phosphorus losses due to leaching and erosion were not included in the present analysis because the cost of quantifying such processes is not reasonable in the context of farmers' learning and action (Defoer et al, 1998).…”

Section: Simple and Consistent With The Existing Literature And Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling biomass flows at the farm level: a discussion support tool for farmers

Andrieu

Nogueira

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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-Many simulation models that are used to assess the impact of mixed farming systems have a high level of complexity that is not suitable for teaching farmers about the impacts of their practices. In this paper, we present a model that was developed and used with farmers as a discussion support tool to address the impacts of farming management strategies on farm resources. We assumed that the characterization of biomass flows at the farm level would provide a simple framework for designing a discussion support tool for farmers. The study was carried out in the semi-arid region of Brazil, where areas of native vegetation of the Caatinga Biome have been reduced in recent decades due to population pressure. In this region, simulation models are not used to discuss the impact of practices. We decided that a model for this purpose should: (1) be simple enough to be used by farmers, (2) be consistent with existing data, and (3) take into account the three main biomass management strategies. The model we built simulates biomass exports (harvest, animal intake, clearing vegetation of Caatinga), imports (purchase of fodder), and returns (animal manure) for farms with different vegetation types (Cenchrus ciliaris, Sorghum bicolour, Opuntia sp. and Caatinga native vegetation). We used the model to compare three management strategies over a 15-year period and found that the strategy that allows for the preservation of Caatinga vegetation is less sensitive to bad years but results in a reduced herd size. We validated the use of this model by testing it with farmers. We found that farmers were interested in using the model as a learning (38%), management (33%), or prospective tool (24%). This study shows that the dynamic modeling of biomass flows provides a simple and operational framework to analyze the impact of farming systems on farm resources with farmers. Contrary to current dynamic biophysical models that are based on extensive experimental data, this model does not give accurate predictions but allows both farmers and researchers to learn the impacts of farming systems. The complexity of the model should be increased progressively as farmers improve their understanding of the underlying processes. mixed crop-livestock farming systems / simulation model / Caatinga / sustainable development

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Section: The Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Simple and Consistent With The Existing Literature And Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling biomass flows at the farm level: a discussion support tool for farmers

Andrieu

Nogueira

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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“…Arshad and Coen (1992) indicate that many soil attributes can be estimated by calibrating quantitative observations against measured values. Such ethnopedological research typically recommends integrating local and technical soil quality information to optimize the management of local resources and external soil inputs (Defoer et al, 1998). Nevertheless, there are still few tested ways of how to achieve this effectively.…”

Section: 'Folk Ecology': Knowledge As Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Strengthening ‘folk ecology’: community-based learning for integrated soil fertility management, western Kenya

Ramisch

Misiko

Ekise³

et al. 2006

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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Farmers and researchers in western Kenya have used community-based learning approaches to jointly develop a 'dynamic expertise' of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). This transformative learning approach builds on farmers' 'folk ecology' and outsiders' knowledge, taking action research on natural resource management beyond methods that are descriptive (ethnopedology) or curriculumdriven (farmer field schools). The paper presents insights from a project's experience of applying the strengthening 'folk ecology' approach in western Kenya, with emphasis on the community-based learning process, collective and individual experimentation, the power dynamics of farmer research groups, and learning from the farmer -researcher interface. Farmer groups have been empowered by this approach but diversification into non-soil activities highlights the limitations of experimentation and the challenges of scaling up participatory action research.

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“…Links between the sub-systems (i.e. INT) of the farm are identified and refer to internal flows (Defoer et al, 1998;. After five seasons of experimentation and resource flow mapping, farmers evaluated themselves to establish a continuum as to whether they had moved from one soil fertility management class to another or remained in the same class and establish factors that led to these scenarios (Table 2).…”

Section: U N C O R R E C T E D P R O O Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resource flows and nutrient balances for crop and animal production in smallholder farming systems in eastern Uganda

Esilaba

Nyende

Nalukenge

et al. 2005

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Resource flow models are useful tools that assist farmers in analysing their soil fertility management strategies and in planning, experimenting and adapting ways to improve the use of scarce local resources. Resource flows and farm nutrient balance studies were carried out in eastern Uganda to ascertain the movement of organic resources and nutrients in and out of the farm system during a participatory learning and action research (PLAR) process. The resource flows were transformed into nutrient flows and partial nutrient balances were calculated using the Resource Kit computer package. Results of a farmers' soil fertility management classification at the start of the PLAR intervention in 1999 revealed that 3% of the farmers were good soil fertility managers (class I), 10% were average soil fertility managers (class II) and 87% were poor soil fertility managers (class III). The results indicate that the net farm nutrient balances in kg ha À1 per season for all the nutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)] were negative for both the good and the poor soil fertility managers. Class 1 farm balances irrespective of the season, were however more negative than those of class 3 farms. For the long rains seasons (LR 2000(LR , 2001(LR and 2002, the average net farm nutrient balances for N, P, and K for class I farms were À5.0, À0.6 and À8.0 kg ha À1 year À1, while for the short rains seasons (SR 2000 and2001), the nutrient balances were À3.5, À0.5 and À6.0 kg ha À1 year À1, respectively. For the class III farms, the average net farm nutrient balances for N, P, and K in the long rain seasons (LR 2000(LR , 2001(LR and 2002 were À3.3, À0.3 and À4.0 kg ha À1 year À1 while for the short rains seasons (SR 2000 and2001), the nutrient balances were À3.5, 0.5 and À5.0 kg ha À1 year À1, respectively. Soil management interventions for these small-scale farmers should aim at reversing nutrient depletion with a focus on profitable management of the crop production system, which is the major cause of nutrient depletion. # 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.

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Participatory action research and quantitative analysis for nutrient management in southern Mali: a fruitful marriage?

Cited by 62 publications

References 4 publications

Modeling biomass flows at the farm level: a discussion support tool for farmers

Modeling biomass flows at the farm level: a discussion support tool for farmers

Strengthening ‘folk ecology’: community-based learning for integrated soil fertility management, western Kenya

Resource flows and nutrient balances for crop and animal production in smallholder farming systems in eastern Uganda

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