Hardpans (plough/hoe pans) are commonly believed to restrict plant root growth and crop yields under conventional small-scale agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This study questions the notion of widespread hardpans in Zambia and their remedy under conservation tillage. Soil penetration resistance was measured in 8x12 grids, covering 80 cm wide and 60 cm deep profiles in 32 soil pits. Large and...

Cultivation of Coffea arabica is highly sensitive to and has been shown to be negatively impacted by progressive climatic changes. Previous research contributed little to support forward-looking adaptation. Agro-ecological zoning is a common tool to identify homologous environments and prioritize research. We demonstrate here a pragmatic approach to describe spatial changes in agro-climatic zon...

A tentative list of ecological attributes; diversity, cycling, stability and capacity, is proposed for quantification and ranking of farming systems along a hypothetical scale of increasing ecological sustainability. The modelling and preliminary analysis of four rice-based systems from the Philippines, two on-station experimental systems and two smallholder farms, confirms our intuitive percep...

Homegarden agroforestry is believed to be more diverse and provide multiple services for household than other monocropping system and this is due to the combination of crops, trees and livestock. The aim of this study was to assess socio-economic and agro-ecological role of homegardens in Jabithenan district, North-western Ethiopia. Two sites purposively and two villages randomly from each site...

Abstract: The natural occurrence of fungal contamination was evaluated in stored soybeans in different agro-ecological zones. Of 30 samples examined, fungal contaminations were positive in 25.9 percent and 74.1 percent of Iranian and imported soybeans (p

The ever-increasing human population has resulted in political pressure to increase crop production. Currently, smallholder farmers are expected be environmentally considerate, adapt extreme climatic conditions and deal with financial instability. Despite these recent developments, their farming activities rural environs of developing countries need improve household food income security on a s...

Bambara groundnut is the main food legume after cowpea, especially in rural areas Burkina Faso. Due to inappropriate production and storage conditions, seeds are susceptible contamination by several fungi. Therefore, present study was conducted isolate identify postharvest fungi associated with produced To do this, a total of 99 seed samples were collected three agro ecological zones The sanita...

Agro-biodiversity is the result of natural and human selection processes involving animal, plant, and micro-organisms in agricultural systems, and is important for determining the socioeconomic and ecological benefits that can be derived from the systems [1]. The trend of developing monoculture agricultural systems for the sake of high productivity and economic return, however, has led agro-bio...

Agro-biodiversity is the result of natural and human selection processes involving animal, plant, and micro-organisms in agricultural systems, and is important for determining the socioeconomic and ecological benefits that can be derived from the systems [1]. The trend of developing monoculture agricultural systems for the sake of high productivity and economic return, however, has led agro-bio...