The African Highlands initiative has a challenging mandate. While charged with developing approaches to operationalize participatory natural resource management at farm and landscape levels, approaches must also be researched so that others may learn from AHI’s experiences. Futhermore, in recognition that agricultural development is not only about enabling the mobilization of local-level resources, AHI must learn how to add value to local initiatives to enable farmers to overcome critical development bottlenecks. One of the most significant challenges to operationalizing this complex agenda lies in balancing quality research with quality development. This brief shares progress made toward this end.
Tag: Highlands
Transforming knowledge to enhance integrated natural resource management research, development and advocacy in the highlands of Eastern Africa
Land-use analysis of highland agricultural systems using Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM): a case study from Ban Pha Phueng and Ban Mong Luang in the Mae Chaem Catchment, Northern Thailand
The study of agricultural land use system in the highland areas of the Mae Chaem catchment was conducted by using the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM). It aims to investigate the private and social profitability from dominant crops grown in the Karen communities (Ban Pha Phueng and Ban Mong Luang), as well as to evaluate the impact of economic and social policies on different land use systems. Extensive economic field survey was conducted in order to derive the necessary data required for creating a number of tables (i.e., Input-Output, private price and social price tables). Four crops chosen for this study are: (1) Paddy rice; (2) Upland rice; (3) Rainfed soy beans and (4) Upland corn. The results of PAM analysis revealed that paddy rice was privately and socially profitable, which should be extensively promoted. Upland rice was privately and socially non-profitable and it should be discouraged to grow on the highlands, except the improvement of yield has been made. Rainfed soy beans and upland corn were not privately profitable, but socially profitable. These two crops were taxed by the government or the society as indicated by a net negative transfer. Sensitivity analysis has been conducted by applying a number of situations on price and productivity on individual crops, so that effects from market imperfections or government policy can be determined. It has been recommended that PAM would be valid if externalities have been taken into account in the analytical process.
Influence of altitude on crop growing and yield
Wheat nutrient response functions for the East Africa highlands
Local Knowledge on Factors Leading to Agroforestry Diversification in Mid-hills of Nepal
Intra-Annual Radial Growth of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis Is Mainly Controlled by Moisture Availability in the Ailao Mountains, Southwestern China
Intra-annual monitoring of tree growth dynamics is increasingly applied to disentangle growth-change relationships with local climate conditions. However, such studies are still very limited in subtropical regions which show a wide variety of climate regimes. We monitored stem radius variations (SRV) of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis (Szemao pine) over five years (2012–2015 and 2017) in the subtropical monsoon mountain climate of the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan Province, southwest China. On average, the stem radial growth of Szemao pine started in early March and ended in early October, and the highest growth rates occurred during May to June. Stem radius increments were synchronous with precipitation events, while tree water deficit corresponded to the drought periods. Correlation analysis and linear mixed-effects models revealed that precipitation and relative humidity are the most important limiting factors of stem radial increments, whereas air temperature and vapor pressure deficit significantly affected tree water balance and may play an important role in determining the growing season length and seasonality (i.e., duration, start, and cessation). This study reveals that moisture availability plays a major role for tree growth of P. kesiya var langbianensis in the Ailao Mountains, southwest China.
Agronomic and economic appraisal of alley cropping with Leucaena diversifolia on an acid soil in the highlands of Burundi
Although alley cropping has been shown elsewhere to permit continuous cropping, it has not been widely tested in the highlands of east and central Africa where it has the additional potential of controlling soil erosion. The effect of four rates (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha1) of inorganic N on the performance of alley cropping using Leucaena diversifolia as the hedgerow species was studied in the central highlands of Burundi. Significant increase in maize yield (average of 26%) due to alley cropping was only first realised in 1992, three years after the commencement of the trial. In 1993, the average yield advantage of the alley cropping plots was 21%. The prunings augmented the response of maize yield to inorganic N in 1992 and 1993. Compared with the control, economic benefits over the five-year period for all the treatments were negative.
Bark for sale: the adoption potential of Prunus africana as an agroforestry tree for small-scale farmers in Cameroon
The bark of Prunus africana, a tree growing in African highland forests, has been exported from Cameroon to Europe since 1972 for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Bark harvesting has had a devastating effect on the tree in Cameroon, Africa’s largest P . africana bark exporter. This paper assesses the adoption potential of P. africana a m o n g s m a l l-scale farmers,that is, its profitability, acceptability and market potential. While not as profitable as Eucalyptusspp, an alternative enterprise, farmers want to grow P. africana because it is compatible with many crops and has multiple uses –bark sales, medicine, tools, poles, seed sales, and mulch. In fact, several thousand farmers have planted the tree. The availability of markets also appears high, as herbal treatments of BPH are popular and demand is likely to grow. Research is needed in four areas to help P . africana play a sustainable role in improving the livelihoods of s m a l l-scale farmers: domestication, understanding farmers’ experiences growing and using the tree, market assessments, and tree tenure. Moreover, progress on promoting P. Africanaa s a s m a l lholder enterprise is dependent on Cameroon meeting the demands of the European Union and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to conserve and sustainably manage the tree