Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR

At a farm level, economic returns are the single most important attributes that drive farmers to adopt agricultural technologies. This study was carried out at the Naphok and Veunkham villages, Lao PDR,to evaluate the yield response of a maize mono-cropping system to soil amendments and analyze the...

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Autores principales: Mekuria, Wolde, Getnet, Kindie, Noble, A.D., Hoanh, Chu Thai, McCartney, Matthew P., Langan, Simon J.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41777
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author Mekuria, Wolde
Getnet, Kindie
Noble, A.D.
Hoanh, Chu Thai
McCartney, Matthew P.
Langan, Simon J.
author_browse Getnet, Kindie
Hoanh, Chu Thai
Langan, Simon J.
McCartney, Matthew P.
Mekuria, Wolde
Noble, A.D.
author_facet Mekuria, Wolde
Getnet, Kindie
Noble, A.D.
Hoanh, Chu Thai
McCartney, Matthew P.
Langan, Simon J.
author_sort Mekuria, Wolde
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description At a farm level, economic returns are the single most important attributes that drive farmers to adopt agricultural technologies. This study was carried out at the Naphok and Veunkham villages, Lao PDR,to evaluate the yield response of a maize mono-cropping system to soil amendments and analyze the economic return of such interventions. The amendments were rice husk biochar, bentonite clay, compost, clay-manure compost, and rice husk biochar compost, in isolation and in various combinations. Over a period of two cropping seasons (2011-2012),the enhancement of maize yield due to soil amendments ranged from0.77 to 3.79tha-1 at Naphok and from 1.21 to 5.14tha-1 at Veunkham, resulting in net revenues ranging from -794 to 841 and -331 to 1391 US$ha-1 , respectively. Soils amended with low-cost amendments such as compost, rice husk biochar, rice husk biochar compost, and clay-manure compost were economically viable within the first cropping season. In contrast, soils amended with higher-cost amendments such as bentonite clay requires up to five years to be economically viable. Such variations indicate that taking into account maize yield revenues only does not provide sufficient incentives to farmers to adopt higher-cost soil amendments conclude that there is a possibility to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and improve the income of smallholders using locally available low-cost soil amendments. Our findings provide important information for decision makers to promote the adoption of low-cost soil amendments, and,thereby,to contribute to productivity growth and food security through sustainable intensification.
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spelling CGSpace417772025-07-23T18:05:32Z Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR Mekuria, Wolde Getnet, Kindie Noble, A.D. Hoanh, Chu Thai McCartney, Matthew P. Langan, Simon J. soil amendments economic value smallholders farmers farming systems crop yield seasonality maize rain sensitivity analysis cost benefit analysis At a farm level, economic returns are the single most important attributes that drive farmers to adopt agricultural technologies. This study was carried out at the Naphok and Veunkham villages, Lao PDR,to evaluate the yield response of a maize mono-cropping system to soil amendments and analyze the economic return of such interventions. The amendments were rice husk biochar, bentonite clay, compost, clay-manure compost, and rice husk biochar compost, in isolation and in various combinations. Over a period of two cropping seasons (2011-2012),the enhancement of maize yield due to soil amendments ranged from0.77 to 3.79tha-1 at Naphok and from 1.21 to 5.14tha-1 at Veunkham, resulting in net revenues ranging from -794 to 841 and -331 to 1391 US$ha-1 , respectively. Soils amended with low-cost amendments such as compost, rice husk biochar, rice husk biochar compost, and clay-manure compost were economically viable within the first cropping season. In contrast, soils amended with higher-cost amendments such as bentonite clay requires up to five years to be economically viable. Such variations indicate that taking into account maize yield revenues only does not provide sufficient incentives to farmers to adopt higher-cost soil amendments conclude that there is a possibility to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and improve the income of smallholders using locally available low-cost soil amendments. Our findings provide important information for decision makers to promote the adoption of low-cost soil amendments, and,thereby,to contribute to productivity growth and food security through sustainable intensification. 2013-08 2014-07-25T11:40:43Z 2014-07-25T11:40:43Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41777 en Limited Access Elsevier Mekuria, Wolde; Getnet, Kindie; Noble, Andrew; Hoanh, Chu Thai; McCartney, Matthew; Langan, Simon. 2013. Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR. Field Crops Research, 149(1):379-389. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.05.026
spellingShingle soil amendments
economic value
smallholders
farmers
farming systems
crop yield
seasonality
maize
rain
sensitivity analysis
cost benefit analysis
Mekuria, Wolde
Getnet, Kindie
Noble, A.D.
Hoanh, Chu Thai
McCartney, Matthew P.
Langan, Simon J.
Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title_full Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title_fullStr Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title_full_unstemmed Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title_short Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDR
title_sort economic valuation of organic and clay based soil amendments in small scale agriculture in lao pdr
topic soil amendments
economic value
smallholders
farmers
farming systems
crop yield
seasonality
maize
rain
sensitivity analysis
cost benefit analysis
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41777
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