Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Developing Extension Model for Uptake of Precision Conservation Agricultural Practices in Developing Nations:Learning from Rice–Wheat System of Africa and India


Affiliations
1 Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
 

We have learnt time and again that food supply shocks have resulted in food price spikes, instability, violence and even regime collapse. When the supply chain at the primary producers (farmers) level is functioning well, the success will ripple down the whole chain. In this review, we present our approach for the development of an extension model for the promotion of precision conservation agricultural practices (PCAPs) uptake among rice–wheat smallholder farming households, considering the demand as well as the prospect for developing and up-scaling rice–wheat production system in Africa. PCAPs are technologies and practices that are capable of helping farmers to apply right resources at the right place and, at the right time, using the right method. The combination of these technologies and practices can help in achieving optimum resource stewardship and resource conservation in the farmers’ field. However, extension strategies and supports are needed to facilitate the adoption of these best practices at the farmers’ level.

Keywords

Developing Nations, Extension Strategies, Rice–Wheat System, Smallholder Farmers, Sustainable Agriculture.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • UN, The world population Prospects: 2015 Revision 29 July, United Nations, New York, 2015.

  • GSCSA, The Wageningen Statement: climate-smart agriculture – science for action. The Global Science Conference on Climate–Smart Agriculture, The Netherlands, 2011.

  • FAO, The state of food insecurity in the world 2014. Strengthening the enabling environment for food security and nutrition. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 2014.

  • Singh, A. K., Precision farming. Water Technology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 2010.

  • FAO, The role of women in agriculture. ESA Working Papers. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 2011.

  • World Bank, World Bank Databank, Agriculture and Rural Development. 2015; http://data.worldbank.org/topic/agriculture-and-rural-development.

  • FAO, The state of agricultural commodity markets trade and food security: achieving a better balance between national priorities and the collective good. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 2015.

  • AFDB, Feed Africa: strategy for agricultural transformation in Africa 2016–2025. African Development Bank Group. Ivory Coast, 2016.

  • USDA, India’s agricultural exports climb to record high, United States Department of Agriculture, USA, 2014; http://www.fas.usda.gov/data/india-s-agricultural-exports-climb-record-high.

  • AfricaRice, Boosting Africa’s rice sector: a research for development strategy 2011–2020, Cotonou, Benin, 2011.

  • AFDB, Background paper: cereal crops: rice, maize, millet, sorghum, wheat. Feeding Africa 2015. In Dakar High-Level Conference on Agricultural Transformation. Darkar, Senegal. 2015; https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Events/DakAgri2015/Cereal_Crops-_Rice__Maize__Millet__Sorghum__Wheat.pdf.

  • Faostat, Faostat Data, 2016.

  • Seck, P. A., Diagne, A., Mohanty, S. and Wopereis, M. C. S., Crops that feed the world 7: rice. Food Security, 2012, 4, 7–24.

  • Kennedy, G., Burlingame, B. and Nguyen, V. N., Nutritional contribution of rice and impact of biotechnology and biodiversity in rice-consuming countries. In Proceedings of the 20th Session of the International Rice Commission’. FAO, Bangkok, Thailand, 2002.

  • Faostat, Faostat Data, 2015.

  • Faostat, Faostat Data, 2017.

  • Negassa, A. et al., The potential for wheat production in Africa: analysis of biophysical suitability and economic profitability. CIMMYT, Mexico, DF, 2013.

  • Tanner D. G. and Van Ginkel, M. (eds), A review of the major constraints to wheat production in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. In Proceedings of the Fifth Regional Wheat Workshop, CIMMYT, Mexico City, 1988.

  • Braun, H. J., Atin, G. and Payne, T., Multi-location testing as a tool to identify plant response to global climate change. In Climate Change and Crop Production (ed. Rynolds, M. P.), CABI, Wallingford, UK, 2010.

  • IPCC, Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II, and III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001.

  • MoEF, India’s initial national communication to the United Nations framework convention on climate change. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 2004.

  • Aggarwal, P. K., Singh, A. K., Samra, J. S., Singh, G., Gogoi, A. K., Rao, G. G. S. N. and Ramakrishna, Y. S., In Global Climate Change and Indian Agriculture (ed Aggarwal, P. K.), ICAR, New Delhi, 2009, pp. 1–5.

  • Lobell, D. B., Sibley, A. and Ortiz-Monasterio, J. I., Extreme heat effects on wheat senescence in India. Nature Climate Change, 2012, 2, 186–189.

  • IPCC, Summary for policymakers. In Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (eds Stocker, T. F. et al.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2013.

  • Singh, V. K., Dwivedi, B. S., Buresh, R. J., Jat, M. L., Majumdar, K. and Gangwar, B., Potassium fertilization in rice–wheat system on farmer’s fields in India: crop performance and soil nutrients. Agron. J., 2013, 105, 471e8.

  • IPCC, Summary for policymakers. In Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2014, pp. 1–32.

  • Prasanna, B. M., Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in eastern Africa: tackling a major challenge. Afr. Seed, 2015, 18–21.

  • EU, Climate change consequences. The European Commission DG climate action. European Union, Brussels, 2017; https://ec.europa.eu/clima/change/consequences_en#tab-0-0, retrieved 17 March 2017.

  • Anon., Annual Report. Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, 2013, p. 3.

  • Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aggarwal, P. K., Joshi, P. K. and Vyas, S., Farmers’ prioritization of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. Agric. Syst., 2017, 151, 184–191.

  • Porter, J. R. et al., Food security and food production systems. In Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ed. Field et al.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2014, pp. 485–533.

  • Maheswari, M. et al., National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), research highlights (2012–13). Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, 2014.

  • Pathak, H., Aggarwal, P. K. and Singh, S. D. (eds), Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation in Agriculture: Methodology for Assessment and Application, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 2012.

  • Sinha, S. K. and Swaminathan, M. S., Deforestation, climate change and sustainable nutrition security. Climate Change, 1991, 16, 33–45.

  • Ramirez-Villegas, J. and Thornton, P. K., Climate change impacts on African crop production (PDF). CCAFS Working Paper No. 119. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2015. https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/crops-under-changing-climate-what-are-impacts-africa#. WMuxJqIlHIU.

  • IPCC, Climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. In Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (eds Parry, M. L. et al.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2007, pp. 80–96.

  • DFID, Impact of climate change on Nigeria’s economy, Department for International Development, UK, 2009.

  • Ajayi, I. G., Sofoluwe, A. O. and Shitu G. A., People's awareness, knowledge and perceptions of climate change and environmental sustainability in Oshodi/Isolo local government area of Lagos state, Nigeria. Int. J. Soc. Sci. Interdiscip. Res., 2016, 5(3), 55–64.

  • Easterling, W. E. et al., Food, fibre and forest products. In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (eds Parry, M. L. et al.) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2007, pp. 273–313.

  • Schlenker, W. and Lobell, D. B., Robust negative impacts of climate change on African agriculture. Environ. Res. Lett., 2010, 5, 014010; doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/1/014010.

  • Nicola, R., How will climate change affect food production? The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE in collaboration with the Guardian, 2012; https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/19/climate-changeaffect-food-production (accessed on 17 March 2017).

  • FAO, State of food and agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 2011.

  • Morton, J. F., The impact of climate change on smallholder and subsistence agriculture. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2007, 104(50), 19680–19685.

  • Hertel, T. W. and Rosch, S. D., Climate change, agriculture and poverty. Policy Research Working Paper 5468, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA, 2010.

  • Ramanjaneyulu, G. V., Adapting smallholder agriculture to climate change. IDS Bull., 2012, 43, 113–121.

  • Erenstein, O., Sayre, K., Wall, P., Hellin, J. and Dixon, J., Conservation agriculture in maize- and wheat-based systems in the (sub) tropics: lessons from adaptation initiatives in South Asia, Mexico, and Southern Africa. J. Sustain. Agric., 2007, 36, 180–206.

  • Jat, M. L., Saharawat, Y. S. and Gupta, R., Conservation agriculture in cereal systems of South Asia: nutrient management perspectives. Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 2011, 24(1), 100–105.

  • Jat, M. L., Saharawat, Y. S., Majumdar, K. and Gupta, R., Precisionconservation agriculture practices for smallholder maize farming systems of South Asia. 11th Asian Maize Conference, China, 7–11 November 2011.

  • Berry, J. K., Delgado, J. A., Khosla, R. and Pierce, F. J., Precision conservation for environmental sustainability. J. Soil Water Conserv., 2003, 58, 332–339.

  • Searcy, S. W., Precision farming: a new approach to crop management, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, viewed 2 July 2005, 1997.

  • FAO, Conservation Agriculture, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, Rome, 2007; http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/ (accessed on November 2007).

  • Jat, M. L. et al., Evaluation of precision land leveling and double zero-till systems in the rice–wheat rotation: water use, productivity, profitability and soil physical properties. Soil Tillage Res., 2009, 105, 112–121.

  • Steve, T., Hove, L., Mupangwa, W., Masikati, P. and Mashingaidze, N., Precision conservation agriculture for vulnerable farmers in low-potential zones. In Paper Presented at CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food Meeting, Ghana, 2008.

  • Jerich, M., Potential of precision conservation agriculture as a means of increasing productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers. J. Soil Water Conserv., 2011, 66, 171A–174A.

  • FAO, ‘Climate-Smart’ agriculture: policies, practices and financing for food security, adaptation and mitigation, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 2010.

  • Pathak, H., Aggarwal, P. K. and Singh, S. D. (eds) Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation in Agriculture: Methodology for Assessment and Applications, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 2012.

  • Kumar, V., Saharawat, Y. S., Gathala, M. K., Jat, A. S., Singh, S. K., Chaudhary, N. and Jat, M. L., Effect of different tillage and seeding methods on energy use efficiency and productivity of wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Field Crops Res., 2013, 142, 1–8.

  • Jat, R. K., Sapkota, T. B., Singh, R. V., Jat, M. L. and Kumar, M., Seven years of conservation agriculture in a rice–wheat rotation of Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia: yield trends and economic profitability. Field Crop Res., 2014, 164, 199–210.

  • Sapkota, T. B., Manjumdar, K., Jat, M. L., Kumar, A., Bishonoi, D. K., Mcdonald, A. J. and Pampolino M., Precision nutrient management in conservation agriculture based wheat production of Northwest India: profitability, nutrient use efficiency and environmental footprint. Field Crops Res., 2014, 155, 233–244.

  • Aryal, J. P., Sapkota, T. B., Jat, M. L. and Bishnoi, D. K., On-farm economic and environmental impact of zero-tillage wheat: a case of North-West India. Exp. Agric., 2015, 51(1), 1–16.

  • Shitu G. A., Maraddi, G. N. and Sserunjogi, B., A comparative analysis in resource utilization and yield performance of precision farming technologies in northeastern Karnataka. Indian J. Econ. Dev., 2015, 11, 1,137–145.

  • Anandajayasekeram, P., Puskur, R., Sindu Workneh and Hoekstra, D., Concepts and Practices in Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries: A Source Book, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA, and International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. 2008, p. 275.

  • Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, 2017.

  • Dictionary.com 2017.

  • Akinwumi, A. A., Inaugural speech. Africa Development Bank Group, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 2015.

  • Owolabi, O. T. et al., Can Africa achieve food sufficiency? Taking lessons from Indian agriculture in the face of 21st century Agricultural Challenges. Extended Summaries. In 4th International Agronomy Congress, 22–26 November 2016, New Delhi, Vol. 3.

  • Tanner, D. G., Africa. In Wheat Production Constraints in Tropical Environments (ed. Klatt. A. R..), CIMMYT, Mexico, D. F., 1988, pp. 35–43.

  • CYMMYT-CCAFS, Climate smart villages in Haryana, India, 2014.


Abstract Views: 302

PDF Views: 107




  • Developing Extension Model for Uptake of Precision Conservation Agricultural Practices in Developing Nations:Learning from Rice–Wheat System of Africa and India

Abstract Views: 302  |  PDF Views: 107

Authors

G. A. Shitu
Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
M. S. Nain
Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Rashmi Singh
Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

Abstract


We have learnt time and again that food supply shocks have resulted in food price spikes, instability, violence and even regime collapse. When the supply chain at the primary producers (farmers) level is functioning well, the success will ripple down the whole chain. In this review, we present our approach for the development of an extension model for the promotion of precision conservation agricultural practices (PCAPs) uptake among rice–wheat smallholder farming households, considering the demand as well as the prospect for developing and up-scaling rice–wheat production system in Africa. PCAPs are technologies and practices that are capable of helping farmers to apply right resources at the right place and, at the right time, using the right method. The combination of these technologies and practices can help in achieving optimum resource stewardship and resource conservation in the farmers’ field. However, extension strategies and supports are needed to facilitate the adoption of these best practices at the farmers’ level.

Keywords


Developing Nations, Extension Strategies, Rice–Wheat System, Smallholder Farmers, Sustainable Agriculture.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi04%2F814-825