Assessing the adoption potential of improved fallows in Eastern Zambia.
Assessing the adoption potential of improved fallows in Eastern Zambia.
复制标题
评估赞比亚东部改良休耕地的采用潜力。
DOI：
10.1079/9780851995618.0037
复制
发表时间：
2002
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
S. Scherr
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
S. Franzel;D. Phiri;F. Kwesiga;S. Scherr
土壤肥力下降是赞比亚东部农民面临的一个关键问题。本章评估了农民在参与式农场试验中测试改良休耕树木以提高土壤肥力的经验。它还强调发展机构和农民团体的适应性研究和传播网络，以测试和传播改良的农耕。田菁和非洲山毛豆表现良好，但木豆因牲畜大量觅食而停产。经济分析比较了两年的改良休耕，然后种植了三年的玉米，以及施肥和不施肥的连续种植玉米。在五年的时间里，农民在改良的休耕地上使用的劳动力比未施肥的玉米少11%，但收获的玉米多83%。与连续种植未施肥玉米相比，改良休耕对土地和劳动力的回报更高；与施肥玉米相比，回报好坏参半。农民的兴趣很大，因为种植改良休闲作物的农民数量从1993-94年的不到20人增加到2000年的大约1万 000人。迄今取得进展的关键因素包括：(1)有效地诊断农民的问题和筛选可能的解决办法；(2)农民参与改良耕作的早期测试阶段；(3)农民和研究人员测试一系列管理选择，并鼓励农民创新；(4)发展适应性研究和传播网络。
Declining soil fertility is a key problem faced by farmers in eastern Zambia. This chapter assesses farmers' experiences of testing improved tree fallows in participatory on-farm trials to increase soil fertility. It also highlights the development of an adaptive research and dissemination network of institutions and farmer groups for testing and disseminating improved fallows.Sesbania sesbanandTephrosia vogeliiperformed well, butCajanus cajanwas discontinued because it was browsed heavily by livestock. The economic analysis compared a 2-year improved fallow, followed by maize cropped for 3 years, with fertilized and unfertilized continuously cropped maize. Over a 5-year period, farmers used 11% less labour on the improved fallow plot than on unfertilized maize, but harvested 83% more maize. Improved fallows had higher returns to land and to labour than continuously cropped unfertilized maize; returns compared to fertilized maize were mixed. Farmer interest is strong, as the number of farmers planting improved fallows has increased from under 20 in 1993-94 to roughly 10 000 in 2000. Key elements contributing to the progress made thus far include: (1) effective diagnosis of farmers' problems and screening of potential solutions; (2) farmer participation in the early stages of testing of improved fallows; (3) testing of a range of management options by farmers and researchers, and encouraging farmers to innovate; and (4) development of an adaptive research and dissemination network.