The research was conducted during September – November 2009, within CAFNET’s areas of operation in Rubavu and Rutsiro districts, Rwanda. The main purpose of this research was to gather farmers’ agroecological knowledge, about trees, their interactions with coffee and other components of the shaded coffee systems, farming practices and how they impacted on coffee production and ecosystem services provision as well as the surrounding environment. A systematic approach mainly using repeated semi – structured interviews was used for acquiring knowledge about the coffee farm components, their interactions and the environmental services realised from the system. Other methods used were; focus group discussions, ranking exercises, diagram sketching, visual aids and informal talks. At the end of fieldwork in each study site, a feedback session was held in the community. Major findings were; coffee ( C. Arabica) was the main cash crop grown in the study area as well as the country, no intercropping (food crops) was permitted on coffee farms. Planting trees on coffee farms was a usual practice for it was inevitable because the area was hilly; the majority of farmers operated on a small scale and would hardly afford intensive management of full – sun coffee. Farmer s had detailed knowledge about trees and ecosystems services from the coffee agroforestry system. Ecosystem services provision largely depended on the system’s components. Farmers’ rationale for selecting coffee shade trees was mainly based on the tree attributes and their preference differed between locations
Tag: coffee
Promoting native trees in shade coffee plantations of southern India: Comparison of growth rates with the exotic Grevillea robusta
Traditional shade coffee plantations of Kodagu district, in the Western Ghats of southern India, harbor a high density and diversity of trees. Local farmers appreciate native biodiversity, but plantation economics and public policies drive them to gradually replace the original diversi ed cover with exotic shade trees such as Grevillea robusta, which grows fast and can be easily traded as timber. In order to identify and recommend native timber trees with fast growth rates, we compared the growth performance of four common native species against that of G. robusta, by tting steel dendrometer bands on 332 shade trees. Results showed that in general G. robusta had the fastest growth rates, but large trees of the native Acrocarpus fraxinifolius had faster growth in the wet western side of the district. Computer projections of long term performance showed that most species were in uenced by bioclimatic zone. Species-speci c local environmental effects also occurred, including competition from coffee bushes for A. fraxinifolius, in uence of aspect for G. robusta, and management block effects for Lagerstroemia microcarpa. Our results show that native species potentially could produce timber at rates equivalent to those of exotic species. However, as in many tropical countries, data on growth rates of native trees within mixed-cover plantations are scarce and this study underlines the urgent need to screen for fast-growing species. Such information provides a strong basis for recommending appropriate changes in public policies that would improve tree tenure security and encourage farmers to grow more native species.
Who communicates the information matters for technology adoption
The role of information in agricultural technology adoption in developing countries has been widely documented in the literature, but much less is known about the importance of the identity of the communicator of the information. We conduct a randomized experiment to assess the effects of information delivered through two approaches wherein either a peer farmer or a market actor supports the extension worker in communicating the standardized information regarding product-quality-enhancing practices and high-value market participation. Results show that farmers in the peer-farmer treatment arm improve the quality of their produce, whereas farmers in the market actor treatment participate in high-value markets to a larger extent than the extension-worker-only treatment farmers. We document positive but marginal treatment effects on coffee revenues. This study contributes to the literature by testing whether incorporating non-traditional communicators, such as private sector actors, into the extension programs is effective in removing the informational barriers to agricultural technology adoption.
The utility of process-based models for simulating N2O emissions from soils: A case study based on Costa Rican coffee plantations
Soil moisture and gaseous N-flux (N2O, N-2) dynamics in Costa Rican coffee plantations were successively simulated using a mechanistic model (PASTIS) and two process-based models (NGAS and NOE). Two fertilized (250 kg N ha(-1) y(-1)) coffee plantations were considered, namely a monoculture and a system shaded by the N-2 fixing legume species Inga densiflora. In situ N2O fluxes were previously measured in these plantations. NGAS and NOE used specific microbial activities for the soils. To parameterize NGAS, we estimated N mineralization via in situ incubations and the contribution of heterotrophic soil respiration to total soil respiration. Potential denitrification rates and the proportion of denitrified N emitted as N2O were measured in the laboratory to define the values of NOE parameters, as well as nitrification rates and related N2O production rates for parameterizing both models. Soil moisture and both NGAS and NOE N2O fluxes were best modelled on an hourly time step. Soil moisture dynamics were satisfactorily simulated by PASTIS. Simulated N2O fluxes by both NGAS and NOE (3.2 and 2.1 kg N ha(-1) y(-1) for NGAS; 7.1 and 3.7 kg N ha(-1) y(-1) for NOE, for the monoculture and shaded plantations respectively) were within a factor of about 2 of the observed annual fluxes (4.3 and 5.8 kg N ha(-1) y(-1), for the monoculture and shaded plantations respectively). Statistical indicators of association and coincidence between simulated and measured values were satisfactory for both models. Nevertheless, the two models differed greatly in describing the nitrification and denitrification processes. Some of the algorithms in the model NGAS were apparently not applicable to these tropical acidic Andosols. Therefore, more detailed information about microbial processes in different agroecosystems would be needed, notably if process-oriented models were to be used for testing strategies for mitigating N2O emissions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Coffee agroforestry: Training handbook – Most suitable for Training of Trainers
Coffee is Uganda’s most important cash crop and has sustained livelihoods for generations across a range of farming systems. Yet the coffee sector — both in Uganda and internationally — is under the threat from climate change. However, the effective use of agroforestry systems can mitigate these impacts and keep 75% of the current area in play for coffee production. Boosting the uptake of coffee agroforestry is critical for climate resilience.
Coffee agroforestry — also known as shade-grown coffee — is practiced by growing coffee together with other trees and shrubs for environmental, social and economic benefits. Agroforestry is not new: farmers have practised it for thousands of years, and scientists have recognized it since the 1970s as a productive and ecologically sustainable form of agriculture and land use. But agroforestry is now at centre stage: it is promoted as a land-use strategy to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and other goals.
This training handbook supports extensionists, advisors and practitioners working on coffee agroforestry in Uganda. To achieve maximum benefits from agroforestry, farmers need to understand its principles — and their application for coffee cultivation. The resource will help trainers and extension agents support farmers to design, establish and manage coffee agroforestry systems in a range of contexts.
Woody species diversity and coffee production in remnant semi-natural dry Afromontane Forest in Zegie Peninsula, Ethiopia
The forest structure and composition of Afromontane forests in Ethiopia, where Arabica coffee is originated and grown as an understorey shrub, have been deteriorating following intensive and ever-increasing management interventions for coffee production. The study conducted in Zege Peninsula Dry Afromontane forest to (1) examine the impacts of coffee production on vegetation composition and forest productivity, (2) document farmers’ forest management practices and tree species preference, and (3) understand the challenges in conserving Zege Peninsula forests. Vegetation data were collected in 67 circular sample plots, each with 10 m radius. Household survey and focus group discussion was used to gather socioeconomic data. The results indicated that forest management practices that favor coffee production influenced the diversity and evenness of woody species. The non-coffee forest displayed significantly (p = 0.001) higher woody species diversity than coffee-based forest. The Shannon diversity and evenness were 3.23 and 0.79 in non-coffee and 2.00 and 0.52 in the coffee-based forest, respectively. However, the basal area in the coffee-based forest (23.09 m2 ha−1) showed significantly (P = 0.001) higher when compared to non-coffee (13.92 m2 ha−1). The majority (81.4%) of respondents put Ehretia cymosa, Albizia schimperiana and Millettia ferruginea as their first choice in coffee production. Timber and fuelwood extraction for the market is the main factor currently threatening Zege forest. Coffee yield reduction, mentioned by 84.5% of the respondents, owing to seasonal rainfall variability aggravated timber and fuelwood extraction for the market.
The Integrated Household Leaky Bucket. Building financial and economic literacy by doing: A simple guide to help smallholder farmers separate their farm and household revenues and expenses
This guide is the product of 6 years of action-research in Kenya with more than a thousand smallholder farmers. The action-research that led to the production of this guide was carried out by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is a centre of scientific excellence that harnesses the benefits of trees for people and the environment. Leveraging the world’s largest repository of agroforestry science and information, ICRAF develops knowledge practices, from farmers’ fields to the global sphere, to ensure food security and environmental sustainability.