Tradeoffs in crop residue utilization in mixed crop-livestock systems and implications for conservation agriculture and sustainable land management
Material type:
TextLanguage: English Publication details: Brazil : International Association of Agricultural Economists, 2012.Description: 28 pagesSubject(s): Summary: Using bivariate ordered Probit and bivariate Tobit models, this paper analyzes the tradeoffs in maize residue use as soil mulch and livestock feed in mixed farming systems using data from Kenya. Residue use for soil mulch and animal feed are the two major competing purposes and the basic source of fundamental challenge in conservation agriculture (CA) where residue retention on farm plots is one of the three CA principles. Survey data from five districts in eastern and western Kenya is used for the analysis. Results show that both the proportion and quantity of maize residue used for soil mulch and livestock feed are strongly affected by agroecology and livestock holding. Farmer knowledge about alternative use of crop residues and farmer perception of soil erosion risk (proxied through plot steepness) positively affect the amount of residue farmers retain on maize plots. Results imply that crop residue use as soil mulch in conservation agriculture is challenged in mixed crop-livestock systems and particularly by smallholder farmers owning cross-bred and exotic dairy animals. In general, introduction of alternative feed sources, better extension services on the use of crop residue as soil mulch and designing agroecology specific strategies and interventions could facilitate the adoption and expansion of CA-based practices in mixed crop-livestock systems.
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference paper | CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library | CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection | CIS-7094 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available |
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Using bivariate ordered Probit and bivariate Tobit models, this paper analyzes the tradeoffs in maize residue use as soil mulch and livestock feed in mixed farming systems using data from Kenya. Residue use for soil mulch and animal feed are the two major competing purposes and the basic source of fundamental challenge in conservation agriculture (CA) where residue retention on farm plots is one of the three CA principles. Survey data from five districts in eastern and western Kenya is used for the analysis. Results show that both the proportion and quantity of maize residue used for soil mulch and livestock feed are strongly affected by agroecology and livestock holding. Farmer knowledge about alternative use of crop residues and farmer perception of soil erosion risk (proxied through plot steepness) positively affect the amount of residue farmers retain on maize plots. Results imply that crop residue use as soil mulch in conservation agriculture is challenged in mixed crop-livestock systems and particularly by smallholder farmers owning cross-bred and exotic dairy animals. In general, introduction of alternative feed sources, better extension services on the use of crop residue as soil mulch and designing agroecology specific strategies and interventions could facilitate the adoption and expansion of CA-based practices in mixed crop-livestock systems.
Socioeconomics Program
Text in English
INT3210|INT3096|INT3019
CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection
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