Cassava as drought insurance: Food security implications of cassava trials in Central Zambia
Cassava as drought insurance: Food security implications of cassava trials in Central Zambia
复制标题
木薯作为干旱保险：赞比亚中部木薯试验对粮食安全的影响
DOI：
10.1080/03031853.2006.9523737
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发表时间：
2006
期刊：
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
T. Stevens
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
N. Barratt;D. Chitundu;O. Dover;J. Elsinga;S. Eriksson;L. Gumà;M. Haggblade;S. Haggblade;T. Henn;F. Locke;C. O'Donnell;C. Smith;T. Stevens
摘要由于天气原因，玉米产量波动很大，导致赞比亚玉米消费区经常出现粮食短缺，而北部木薯种植区即使在干旱年份粮食产量也很稳定。赞比亚越来越多的机构注意到干旱的脆弱性与玉米作为主食的普遍性之间的这种显著相关性，开始向中部和南部地区引进在北部培育的高产木薯新品种，以便在干旱年份提供低成本的粮食保障。然而，这些干旱易发地区的农业生态条件与赞比亚科学家开发新木薯品种的北方研究站有很大不同。因此，目前尚不清楚在北方行之有效的品种或管理做法是否会在其他地区证明是最佳的。为了帮助有兴趣在赞比亚中部扩大木薯作为粮食安全作物的农民和机构，我们在过去三年中在赞比亚中部进行了木薯试验。与此同时，我们定期与早期采用的农民进行农场讨论。这些调查的结果表明，在北部建议对管理做法进行一些修改后，许多新的木薯无性系提供了一种可行的手段，可以减轻旱季饥饿，并为赞比亚中部的农村家庭提供低成本的实物干旱保险。
Abstract Wide, weather-induced fluctuations in maize production lead to recurrent food shortages in Zambia's maize consuming regions, while the cassava-growing regions of the north enjoy stable food production, even in drought years. Noting this striking correlation between drought vulnerability and the prevalence of maize as a staple food, a growing array of agencies in Zambia has begun introducing highly productive new cassava varieties, developed in the north, to more central and southerly regions in an effort to provide low-cost food security during drought years. Yet agro ecological conditions in these drought-prone regions differ significantly from the northern research stations where Zambian scientists developed the new cassava varieties. So it is not clear that the varieties or management practices that work well in the north will prove optimal in other regions. In order to assist farmers and agencies interested in expanding cassava as a food security crop in central Zambia, we have conducted cassava trials in central Zambia over the past three years. Concurrently, we have engaged in regular on-farm discussions with early adopting farmers. Results from these investigations suggest that, with some modification of management practices recommended in the north, many of the new cassava clones offer a feasible means of mitigating lean season hunger and providing low-cost, in-kind drought insurance for rural households in central Zambia.