Working Document Series

Romana Rombe Bandeira · Inocência Muzime · Amadeu Ossene · Cláudio dos Santos Quenhe +1 more

The study focused on the Mopane woodlands, a forest ecosystem in Mozambiques from which the rural poor extract various forest and non forests products. The size of the ecosystem has been reduced over the years due to extensive agriculture …

RUF-32737 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

J. Nyamangara · B. Nyamasoka · P. Nyamugafata

A survey of 205 farmers in Harare and Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe was conducted to characterise soil fertility and water management practices used by urban farmers to produce maize and to determine the influence of gender on their use. Results s…

RUF-32731 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

B.E. Mochoge · I. Munyabarenzi · L. Nabahungu

Agriculture in Rwanda is characterised by low productivity due to decline in soil fertility. This is mainly attributed to the mining of nutrients due to continuous cropping without external addition of adequate nutrients coupled with small…

RUF-32726 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

R. Chikowo · D. Dhliwayo · P. Mapfumo · F. Mtambanengwe +2 more

The study sought to identify suitable mechanisms for transferring the available knowledge on concepts and principles of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies to smallholder farmers and agricultural service providers in Z…

RUF-32722 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

B. Kayombo · O. Mpatane · C. Patrick

This report is an account of an on-going study being carried out in Mathathane, Motlhabaneng and Tsetsebjwe villages of Bobirwa Sub-district in eastern Botswana to assess the socioeconomic potential for RWH. Bobirwa Sub-district has a mean…

RUF-32715 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

B.O. Danda · C. Kibunja · G. Kironchi · B.E. Mochoge

The current food situation in Kenya is alarming so that food is extremely expensive for the larger Kenyan population. This is largely due to the frequent droughts in the country and especially because more than 80% of the land is arid to s…

RUF-32711 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

D. Kambewa · J. Kamoto · C. Mloza-Banda · H.R. Mloza-Banda +1 more

A study was carried out in Machinga Agricultural Development Division, located in the Southern Region of Malawi to assess the institutional arrangements for implementation of conservation agriculture (CA). Social network analysis was used …

RUF-32706 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

S. Hillier · E.M.M. Marwa · A.A. Meharg · C.M. Rice

The study assessed the mineral phases and properties of five Tanzanian vermiculites in response to the temperature used to expand them with respect to their potential suitability for agricultural applications. One sample from Palabora Mine…

RUF-32700 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

E. Manzungu · L. Mtali

The purpose of this study was to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of fallow land between 1984 and 2010 in Zimbabwe’s communal areas and its utilisation. Chivi district, which is located in south central Zimbabwe, was used as a …

RUF-32695 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

J.M. Macharia · M.W. Mucheru-Muna · D.N. Mugendi · J.N. Mugwe

Soil nutrient depletion is one of the major biophysical constraints affecting agricultural production in Sub Saharan Africa. Despite past research developing soil fertility management options, few of the recommendations from this research …

RUF-32692 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

J.J. Lelei · R.N. Onwonga · J.P. Ouma

Smallholder farming systems are characterised by application of suboptimal rates or non utilisation of inorganic fertilisers due to their exorbitant prices vis-à-vis low financial return from crops. Minjingu rock phosphate (MPR) would be a…

RUF-32687 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

M.N. Kamau · B. Mochoge · K.D. Shepherd

Soil mineralogy is essential to understanding many facets of land use and a key determinant of all soil functional properties that are expensive or time-consuming to measure, and can solve specific agricultural and environmental problems. …

RUF-32683 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

F.M. Kagimbo · H. Suter · A. Weatherley

This study was conducted at the University of Melbourne Burnley campus aimed at investigating the effectiveness of lignite coal and biochar in reducing nitrogen losses from feedlot cattle manure. Forty (40) kg of manure was mixed with eith…

RUF-32679 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

R. Hepelwa · J.J. Msaky · K.P. Sibuga

Striga asiatica is one of the most severe biological constraints to cereal production in low soil fertility areas, reducing maize and sorghum yield by 10-100%. The use of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers counteracts the effect of this parasi…

RUF-32675 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

Alemie Araya · S. Habtu · Haileselassie Hailay

Tef is one of the most important food crops grown in northern Ethiopia. This region is severely affected by drought. To continue producing the crop, it is necessary improve efficient use of water by tef within the context of climate variab…

RUF-32671 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

Alemie Araya · Gebresamuel Girmay · S. Habtu · Meles Kiros +1 more

The main limitation in stabilising food security in Ethiopia is the dependency of the farming system on erratic rainfall. The production of teff, an Ethiopian staple food crop adapted to rainfed farming, has been affected by water stress w…

RUF-32667 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

Frans Bongers · Birhane Emiru · Gebrehiwot Kindeya · T.W. Kuyper +1 more

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to increase seedling survival and performance through enhancement of nutrient and water uptake. Acacia etbaica, Acacia senegal and Boswellia papyrifera dominate large areas in African drylands. W…

RUF-32661 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

R. Bangizi · R. Mulwa · J.B. Tumuhairwe

One of the adaptation strategies to climatic change effects is use of soil and water conservation technologies. Studies in Uganda have revealed a variable significant adoption level of soil conservation practices across the country. Howeve…

RUF-32655 2012 CC BY 4.0 18 May 2014

F.P. Banga · R.S. Lumbuenamo · G.O. Obati

This study evaluated information flow within rural communities in the Moanda territory, Democratic Republic of Congo with an aim of aiding improved management and conservation of mangrove forests along the Atlantic coast. In this study, so…

RUF-32647 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

D.M. Nyariki · V.O. Wasonga · A.M. Yazan Elhadi

In drylands of Kenya, the adverse effects of climate variability and change has directly weakened the pastoral production system and made it less effective as a livelihood option. This has med most pastoral household food insecure. However…

RUF-32642 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

S.W. Chenyambuga · Mary Jackson · D.M. Komwihangilo · E.E. Ndemanisho

This study was carried out in Babati and Kongwa districts in Tanzania to determine the lactation performance, reproduction performance, profitability and contribution of dairy goats to household income of small scale farmers. The data were…

RUF-32638 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

S.W. Chenyambuga · T. Damas Msaki · D.M. Komwihangilo

An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of three concentrate diets made from locally available feed resources on milk production and growth rates of dairy goats kept by small-scale farmers in Kongwa district. The concentrate diet…

RUF-32632 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

Mohammed Kheir Abdelrahman · Dafaalla Mohammed Mekki · Hassan Hussein Musa · Jin-yu Wang +1 more

Three local types of Sudanese indigenous fowls, large Baladi (LB), Bare-neck (BN) and Betwil (BT) were characterised for maturity live weight and egg characteristics. The BN average live weight (1547.2±274.5 gm) was heavier than either LB …

RUF-32627 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

S.W. Chenyambuga · T. Damas Msaki · Mary Jackson · D.M. Komwihangilo +1 more

This study was carried out to evaluate the performance of dairy goats introduced in rural areas of Babati and Kongwa districts, Tanzania. In addition, the study was aimed at developing good quality and cheap supplementary feed rations base…

RUF-32621 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014

H.O. Abdalla · N.N.A. Ali · S.A.M. Ali · F.S. Siddig

This experiment was carried out at Gezira University Poultry Farm to evaluate the effect of adding papaya dry leaves to offlayer chicken diet before slaughter. Forty eight hens were used, half of them fed a concentrate ration containing 10…

RUF-32612 2012 CC BY 4.0 17 May 2014