Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology
Several agricultural technologies have been promoted to intensify smallholder farming systems in Ghana, but there is limited literature on sustainability assessment of these technologies. A 2-year (2017–2018) on-farm study was conducted to evaluate the sustainability of using cowpea [Vigna unguicula...
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Wiley
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151558 |
| _version_ | 1855538264130191360 |
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| author | Abdul Rahman, N. Larbi, A. Kizito, F. Kotu, B.H. Hoeschle-Zeledon, I. |
| author_browse | Abdul Rahman, N. Hoeschle-Zeledon, I. Kizito, F. Kotu, B.H. Larbi, A. |
| author_facet | Abdul Rahman, N. Larbi, A. Kizito, F. Kotu, B.H. Hoeschle-Zeledon, I. |
| author_sort | Abdul Rahman, N. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Several agricultural technologies have been promoted to intensify smallholder farming systems in Ghana, but there is limited literature on sustainability assessment of these technologies. A 2-year (2017–2018) on-farm study was conducted to evaluate the sustainability of using cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] living mulch (CPLM) technology to intensify smallholder maize (Zea mays L.) production in northern Ghana. Four treatments (control, CPLM planted with maize on the same day, CPLM planted 1 week after maize, and CPLM planted 2 weeks after maize) were laid in RCBD with four replications per treatment. We used Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework (SIAF) to assess the sustainability of the above treatments based on five domains (productivity, economic, environment, human, and social). We conducted the assessment in the following three steps: (1) measured selected indicators from the five SIAF domains, which were useful to answering research question; (2) converted measured values of the indicators into scores using a scale of 0–1; and (3) calculated sustainability index using geometric rules considering each SIAF domain as an edge of a pentagon. The sustainability indices for the CPLM increased by 143%–300% compared with the control treatment. The sustainability indices for the CPLM were >1, indicating better sustainability relative to the control treatment, which recorded sustainability index of <1. This suggests that smallholder farmers in northern Ghana and similar agroecologies can intercrop cowpea 1–2 weeks after planting maize as living mulch for better sustainability of their maize production and well-being through its effect on yield, income, food security, nutrition, and gender equity. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace151558 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| publisherStr | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1515582025-11-11T10:45:22Z Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology Abdul Rahman, N. Larbi, A. Kizito, F. Kotu, B.H. Hoeschle-Zeledon, I. sustainable intensification smallholders farming systems food security Several agricultural technologies have been promoted to intensify smallholder farming systems in Ghana, but there is limited literature on sustainability assessment of these technologies. A 2-year (2017–2018) on-farm study was conducted to evaluate the sustainability of using cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] living mulch (CPLM) technology to intensify smallholder maize (Zea mays L.) production in northern Ghana. Four treatments (control, CPLM planted with maize on the same day, CPLM planted 1 week after maize, and CPLM planted 2 weeks after maize) were laid in RCBD with four replications per treatment. We used Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework (SIAF) to assess the sustainability of the above treatments based on five domains (productivity, economic, environment, human, and social). We conducted the assessment in the following three steps: (1) measured selected indicators from the five SIAF domains, which were useful to answering research question; (2) converted measured values of the indicators into scores using a scale of 0–1; and (3) calculated sustainability index using geometric rules considering each SIAF domain as an edge of a pentagon. The sustainability indices for the CPLM increased by 143%–300% compared with the control treatment. The sustainability indices for the CPLM were >1, indicating better sustainability relative to the control treatment, which recorded sustainability index of <1. This suggests that smallholder farmers in northern Ghana and similar agroecologies can intercrop cowpea 1–2 weeks after planting maize as living mulch for better sustainability of their maize production and well-being through its effect on yield, income, food security, nutrition, and gender equity. 2024-07 2024-08-07T09:01:10Z 2024-08-07T09:01:10Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151558 en Open Access application/pdf Wiley Abdul Rahman, N., Larbi, A., Kizito, F., Kotu, B.H. & Hoeschle‐Zeledon, I. (2024). Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology. Agronomy Journal, 116(4), 1952-1965. |
| spellingShingle | sustainable intensification smallholders farming systems food security Abdul Rahman, N. Larbi, A. Kizito, F. Kotu, B.H. Hoeschle-Zeledon, I. Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title | Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title_full | Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title_short | Sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern Ghana: the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| title_sort | sustainable intensification of smallholder maize production in northern ghana the case of cowpea living mulch technology |
| topic | sustainable intensification smallholders farming systems food security |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151558 |
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