Agricultural research monograph on traditional farming systems in eastern Nigeria - examines land utilization, and cultivation techniques of small farm sizes in a rural area of high population density, and covers soil fertility, crop yields, input output features, agricultural incomes, etc. Bibliography pp. 251 to 269, graphs, maps and statistical tables.
This book embodies work stretching over a fifteen year period. As a result· inevitably we are greatly indebted to a number of institutions and a large number of individuals. Over the years considerable administrative and financial help was provided by the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the northern states of Nigeria, the Ford Foundation, and more recently, Kansas State University.
In this book, the difficult problems of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa are examined by the farming systems approach, which aims to improve food production under adverse conditions through agronomic and social science research conducted on the farm. Particular attention is paid to household decision-making processes that affect the way households
Knowledge of Africa’s complex farming systems, set in their socio-economic and environmental context, is an essential ingredient to developing effective strategies for improving food and nutrition security. This book systematically and comprehensively describes the characteristics, trends, drivers of change and strategic priorities for each of Africa’s fifteen farming systems and their main subsystems. It shows how a farming systems perspective can be used to identify pathways to household food security and poverty reduction, and how strategic interventions may need to differ from one farming system to another. In the analysis, emphasis is placed on understanding farming systems drivers of change, trends and strategic priorities for science and policy. Illustrated with full-colour maps and photographs throughout, the volume provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of Africa’s farming systems and pathways for the future to improve food and nutrition security. The book is an essential follow-up to the seminal work Farming Systems and Poverty by Dixon and colleagues for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Bank, published in 2001.
Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.
Technical papers. Setting the scene. Interactions between animals and plants. Interactions between animals and soils. Interactions between plants and soils. Nutrient cycling in mixed farming systems. Modelling nutrient cycles in plant/animal/soil systems.
