Potential for adoption of Sesbania sesban improved fallows in Zimbabwe: A linear programming-based case study of small-scale farmers |
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Authors: | M Mudhara PE Hilderbrand PKR Nair |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. MP 167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe;(2) Food and Resource Economic Department, University of Florida, P. O. Box 110240, Gainesville, FL 32611-0240, USA;(3) Center for Subtropical Agroforestry, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, USA |
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Abstract: | Farmers' adoption of improved technologies is the ultimate measure of the success of any agricultural innovation. In a joint
project of the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and the Department of Research and Specialist Services
of Zimbabwe, the potential for adoption of the improved planted fallow technology using Sesbania sesban was assessed in the Mangwende Communal Area. The study was based on experimental data of maize (Zea mays) yields following 1-, 2- and 3-year improved fallows at Domboshawa Training Center, northern Zimbabwe where the improved
fallows were promising. The data indicated that maize yields were higher after S. sesban fallows than after Cajanus cajan and Acacia angustissima fallows. A five-year linear programming model sensitive to the diversity within households was developed to simulate the
livelihood system of households in the Mangwende Communal Area. Improved fallows of S. sesban were incorporated into the model to determine the potential for their adoption. Model results indicated that there is potential
for the technology to be adopted by 80% of the farmers. According to the model, the new technology on average occupies 60%
of the area under maize. Nevertheless, households continue to use fertilizers and cattle manure. One-year improved fallows
are planted every other year; three-year improved fallows are also planted. Farmers who adopt the fallow technologies realize
an increase in the cash available for discretionary spending. Factors such as composition of the household in terms of fulltime
workers, size of the arable land owned by the farmer, and whether the household differentiates activities by gender, determine
the adoption of the improved-fallow technology.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | Household composition Livelihood systems Poverty Soil fertility |
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