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Browsing Journal Articles by Subject "Analysis"
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- ItemInforming the Design of a Multistakeholder Platform in Ghana using Stakeholder Analysis and Social Network Analysis.(Springer, 2023-03) Aremu, T.B.; Comfort Y. Freeman; Laamari Abdelali; Y. Iddrisu; Williams K. Atakora; Bindraban, Prem S.The fertiliser value chain in Ghana faces many challenges that limit its potential contribution to food production and food security in the country. This has necessitated discussions on the need to establish a multi-stakeholder platform to address existing value chain challenges. In preparation for this platform, this study conducted 31 interviews and identified 24 stakeholder groups in the fertiliser value chain using stakeholder analysis and social network analysis. We found that while many of the public sector stakeholders have a lot of power and show high interest in the fertiliser value chain, they usually face resource constraints in exercising their duties. Conversely, a majority of the private sector stakeholders have a high interest in fertilisers but do not have much power to influence decisions. Also, development partners are very powerful and resourceful, but practically, they have a temporary presence in the value chain. The study subsequently combined the results from stakeholder analysis and social network analysis and identified 19 critical stakeholders out of the initial 24 who can highly influence the initial planning and subsequent success of the platform. Lastly, the study identified challenges that the platform may face and the conditions to put in place to avoid/address these identified challenges. Overall, the study concludes that if the identified critical stakeholders are engaged and the platform clearly outlines its objectives and vision, it can address the challenges in the fertiliser value chain, contribute to the development of the general agriculture sector and improve food production and food security in Ghana.
- ItemLong-term Fertility Experiments for Irrigated Rice in the West African Sahel: Effect on Soil Characteristics(2003-06-20) S.M. Haefele; M.C.S. Wopereis; A.-M. Schloebohm; H. WiechmannLong-term fertility experiments (LTFEs) are a tool to investigate the sustainability of cropping systems. The present study analyzed two LTFEs for intensive rice-based irrigated systems in the Senegal River valley at Ndiaye and Fanaye (Sahel savanna). The trials were established in 1991, contain six different fertilizer treatments and rice is grown two times per year. Soil types are a typical Orthithionic Gleysol and an Eutric Vertisol at Ndiaye and Fanaye, respectively. The objectives of the presented study were to analyze the effect of intensive irrigated rice cropping on the soil resource base by studying the changes of soil characteristics over time and by comparing soil N, P and K pools in different fertilizer treatments. In the LTFE at Ndiaye, topsoil pH values increased significantly from 5.5 to about 6.5 and electrical conductivity was high but remained stable. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) dropped slightly after 16 consecutive seasons but the difference was statistically not significant. At both sites, exchangeable N ranged between 1.6 and 2.8% of TSN and fixed N accounted for 5.5–8.2% of TSN, with slightly higher values in Fanaye. Treatment differences in N dose had no significant effect on these parameters. Results of d13C analysis showed a decrease due to rice cropping at both sites, and the measurements indicate high turnover rates of soil organic matter. Soil analyses of total soil P and K and of different pools indicated only small changes when these elements were applied at medium quantities. In contrast, treatments with N application only showed considerable soil P and K depletion, and rice cultivation without P and/or K application cannot maintain soil fertility. The soil mining process is relatively quick for P due to the naturally low soil P status, whereas the high soil K reserves buffer even important negative K balances for decades. It is concluded that irrigated rice cultivation in the region can maintain soil fertility if at least medium P doses are applied together with nitrogen
- ItemMapping Soil Properties to Advance the State of Spatial Soil Information for Greater Food Security on US Tribal Lands(2021-07-06) Bryan Fuentes; Amanda J. Ashworth; Ngunjiri Mercy; Phillip R. OwensKnowledge, data, and understanding of soils is key for advancing agriculture and society. There is currently a critical need for sustainable soil management tools for enhanced food security on Native American Tribal Lands. Tribal Reservations have basic soil information and limited access to conservation programs provided to other U.S producers. The objective of this study was to create first ever high-resolution digital soil property maps of Quapaw Tribal Lands with limited data for sustainable soil resource management. We used a digital soil mapping (DSM) approach based on fuzzy logic to model the spatial distribution of 24 soil properties at 0–15 and 15–30 cm depths. A digital elevation model with 3 m resolution was used to derive terrain variables and a total of 28 samples were collected at 0–30 cm over the 22,880-ha reservation. Additionally, soil property maps were derived from Gridded Soil Survey Geographic Database (gSSURGO) for comparison. When comparing properties modeled by DSM to those derived from gSSURGO, DSM resulted in lower root mean squared error (RMSE) for percent clay and sand at 0–15 cm, and cation exchange capacity, percent clay, and pH at 15–30 cm. Conversely, gSSURGO-derived maps resulted in lower RMSE for cation exchange capacity, pH, and percent silt at the 0–15 cm depth, and percent sand and silt at the 15–30 cm depth. Although, some of the soil properties derived from gSSURGO had lower RMSE, spatial soil property patterns modeled by DSM were in better agreement with the topographic complexity and expected soil-landscape relationships. The proposed DSM approach developed property maps at high-resolution, which sets the baseline for production of new spatial soil information for Quapaw Tribal soils. It is expected that these maps and future versions will be useful for soil, crop, and land-use decisions at the farm and Tribal-level for increased agricultural productivity and economic development. Overall, this study provides a framework for developing DSM on Tribal Lands for improving the accuracy and detail of soil property maps (relative to off the shelf products such as SSURGO) that better represents soil-forming environments and the spatial variability of soil properties on Tribal Lands.