June 2007

Livestock and livelihoods: Development goals and indicators applied to Senegal

In this report, we present a series of empirical techniques to examine linkage between livestock and livelihood, using data from Senegal, a West African economy with high levels of smallholder poverty and livestock dependence. Our results for this country show that livestock dependent populations are more likely to be poor and the severity of their poverty is greater, yet the same reliance on livestock also offers a way...

Author(s): D. Roland-Holst and J. Otte

June 2007

Effect of differential irrigation on physical and histochemical properties of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) grown in the field in Eastern Nigeria

The effect of moisture stress on the physical and histochemical properties of three certified improved varieties of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) relevant to pulp and paper production were investigated. The test plants were grown in the field on a deep sandy-loam soil in the Botanical Garden of Abia State University, Uturu. Three watering regimes representing well-watered control, moderate stress and severe water...

Author(s): Nkaa, F. A., Ogbonnaya, C. I. and Onyike, N.B.

June 2007

Nitrogen budgets in crop sequences with or without phosphorus-fertilised cowpea in the maize-based cropping systems of semi-arid eastern Africa

Advantages of cowpea were tested in terms of net N-input by cowpea mono- or intercropped with maize in a crop sequence where sparingly soluble P sources were added to the first year crop. The grain yield of maize grown after cowpea monocrop was doubled and the N uptake increased by 60% compared to maize following maize. The N-value of growing cowpea monocropped prior to maize monocrop was equivalent to the application...

Author(s): J.M. Vesterager, N.E. Nielsen and H. Høgh-Jensen

June 2007

Yields and qualities of pigeonpea varieties grown under smallholder farmers’ conditions in Eastern and Southern Africa

Pigeonpea is one of the few crops with a high potential for resource-poor farmers due to its complementary resource use when intercropped with maize. A three year comprehensive comparative study on the performance of six pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) varieties on farmers’ fields in Eastern and Southern Africa where intercropping with maize is normal practice, was undertaken. The varieties were tested for accumulation...

Author(s): Høgh-Jensen, H., Myaka, F. A., Sakala, W. D., Kamalongo, D., Ngwira, A., Vesterager, J. M., Odgaard R., Adu-Gyamfi, J. J.