Browsing by Author "Kimaro, Anthony Anderson"

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Bringing evidence to bear for negotiating tradeoffs in sustainable agricultural intensification using a structured stakeholder engagement process
(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Winowiecki, Leigh Ann; Bourne, Mieke; Magaju, Christine; Neely, Constance; Massawe, Boniface; Masikati, Patricia; Vågen, Tor-Gunnar; Musili, Faith; Nabi, Muhammad; Nguyo, Anthony; Seid, Hadia; Hadgu, Kiros; Shoo, Aikande; Tembo, Howard; Chipatela, Floyd; Chesterman, Sabrina; Hughes, Karl; Temu, Emmanuel; Kimaro, Anthony Anderson; Sinclair, Fergus
Sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) has the potential to increase food security without detrimental effects on ecosystem services. However, adoption of SAI practices across sub-Saharan Africa has not reached transformational numbers to date. It is often hampered by lack of context-specific practices, sub-optimal understanding of tradeoffs and synergies among stakeholders, and lack of approaches that bring diverse evidence sources together with stakeholders to collectively tackle complex problems. In this study, we asked three interconnected questions: (i) What is the accessibility and use of evidence for SAI decision making; (ii) What tools could enhance access and interaction with evidence for tradeoff analysis; and (iii) Which stakeholders must be included? This study employed a range of research and engagement methods including surveys, stakeholder analysis, participatory trade-off assessments and co-design of decision dashboards to better support evidence-based decision making in Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia. At the inception, SAI evidence was accessible and used by less than half of the decision makers across the three countries and online dashboards hold promise to enhance access. Many of the stakeholders working on SAI were not collaborating and tradeoff analysis was an under-utilized tool. Structured engagement across multiple stakeholder groups with evidence is critical.
Effect of gliricidia sepium green manure placement on solubility of minjingu rock phosphate, growth and yield of maize at SUA farm, Morogoro, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2000) Kimaro, Anthony Anderson
This study was carried out at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Farm, Morogoro, Tanzania to assess the effect of Gliricidia sepiutn green manure (GM) placement method on solubility of Minjingu rock phosphate (MRP), growth and yield of maize. The study involved pot and field factorial experiments with treatments arranged in a complete randomized block design in three replications. For the pot experiment, the experimental factors were G. septum. GM placement method (5 t ha’1) at three levels (i.e. No GM, Incorporation and Mulching) and P- fertilizer application rates at seven levels (i.e. 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 150 mg P kg soil’1 as MRP and 50 mg P as TSP). Air dried soil (2 kg) was filled in each of the 63 pots representing the 21 treatment combinations. The various treatments were then incubated at 70% field capacity (FC) at ambient temperature for three months. Within this period soil sub samples were collected at two weeks intervals for available phosphorus (AVP) deter mination in the laboratory. For the field experiment, the experimental factors remained the same as for the pot experiment except that the P-fertilizer application rates were 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 kg P ha’1 as MRP and 30 kg P ha’1 as TSP. Soil samples were collected at two weeks intervals for the determination of AVP in the laboratory. Additionally, maize height (m) at tasseling stage was recorded and maize samples were collected for the determination of P and N in the leaf, grain and stover. Grain and stover yields were also determined at maturity. The results indicated that GM placement method significantly improved AVP in both pot and field experiments, with the highest AVP obtained by the incorporation treatment. In most of the sampling dates AVP values for incorporation and mulching treatments were not significantly different in both the pot and field experiments. The AVP increased with increase in MRP application rates for both experiments and for all sampling dates. Except for stover N, GM placement method significantly increased concentration and content of P and N in maize leaf. For the incorporation treatment, the values were leaf concentra- tion (0.2005% P; 2.298% N) and leaf content (5.835mg P; 66.19 mg N). The corresponding values for the mulching treatment were leaf concentration (0.1908% P; 2.252% N) and leaf content (5.426 mg P; 63.43 mg N). Similarly, P and N uptake were significantly increased by GM placement method. The uptake values for incorporation treatment were as follows: grain (6.22 kg ha"1 P;37.82 kg ha"1 N), stover (2.18 kg ha"1 P; 10.98kg ha"1). Whereas corresponding values for the mulching treatment were grain (5.40 kg ha"1 P; 33.77 kg ha"1 N), and stover (1.76 kg ha"1 P; 9.59kg ha"1). Total P and N and maize height as affected by GM placement method followed a pattern similar to that of P and N for grain and stover. Maize yield was (2.07 kg ha"1 grain; 2.57 kg ha"1 stover) for control, (2.60 kg ha"1 grain; 3.33 kg ha'1 stover) for incorporation and (2.34 kg ha"1 grain; 2.98 kg ha"1 stover) for mulching. P and N uptake by maize significantly increased with increase in MRP application rate. However, at higher rates (i.e. 40, 80 kg P ha"1 as MRP), the increase of maize leaf P and P uptake was not significant. Generally, most of the parameters studied showed a linear and quadratic relationship with MRP application rates. Furthermore, the interactions between GM placement method and MRP application rates for most of the parameters studied were not significant. Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that incorporation and mulching of GM has the potential to improve solubility as well as growth and yield of maize. However, adoption of the practice may be limited because of the labour required in cutting, transporting and incorporating the GM into the soil. Getting a source that will provide sufficient amount of GM to cater for the needs of most of small holder farmers at the appropriate time may also be a problem. Furthermore, GM in this study was used as a source of N for maize and this is merely transferring nutrients within the farm and not actually redressing the nutrient depletion in the soil, therefore it may not be sustainable in the long run.
Profitability of gliricidia-maize system in selected dryland areas of Dodoma region, Tanzania
(MDPI, 2021-12) Swamila, Martha; Philip, Damas; Akyoo, Adam Meshack; Manda, Julius; Mwinuka, Lutengano; Smethurst, Philip J.; Sieber, Stefan; Kimaro, Anthony Anderson
Declining soil fertility and climatic extremes are among major problems for agricultural production in most dryland agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa. In response, the agroforestry tech- nology intercropping of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.)) and Maize (Zea mays L.) was developed to complement conventional soil fertility management technologies. However, diversified information on the profitability of Gliricidia-Maize intercropping system in dryland areas is scanty. Using data from the Gliricidia and maize models of the Next Generation version of the Agriculture Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), this study estimates the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system relative to an unfertilized sole maize system. Results show significant heterogeneity in profitability indicators both in absolute and relative economic terms. Aggregated over a 20-year cycle, Gliricidia- Maize intercropping exhibited a higher Net Present Value (NPV = Tsh 19,238,798.43) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR = 4.27) than the unfertilized sole maize system. The NPV and BCR of the latter were Tsh 10,934,669.90 and 3.59, respectively. Moreover, the returns to labour per person day in the Gliricidia-Maize system was 1.5 times those of the unfertilized sole maize system. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system is more negatively affected by the decrease in output prices than the increase in input prices. A 30% decrease in the former leads to a decrease in NPV and BCR by 38% and 30%, respectively. Despite the higher initial costs of the agroforestry establishment, the 30% increase in input prices affects more disproportionally unfertilized sole maize than the Gliricidia-Maize system in absolute economic terms, i.e., 11.1% versus 8.8% decrease in NPV. In relative economic terms, an equal magnitude of change in input prices exerts the same effect on the unfertilized sole maize and the Gliricidia-maize systems. This result implies that the monetary benefits accrued after the first year of agroforestry establishment offset the initial investment costs. The Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology therefore is profitable with time, and it can contribute to increased household income and food security. Helping farmers to overcome initial investment costs and manage agroforestry technologies well to generate additional benefits is critical for the successful scaling of the Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology in dryland areas of Dodoma, Tanzania.