Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?

In Lake Zone, Tanzania, farmers were trained to multiply and distribute quality sweetpotato planting material. The objectives of this study were to assess changes in skills and practices among the trained farmers as vine multiplication became a specialized task. Nine months after the project ended,...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: McEwan, M., Lusheshanija, D., Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia, Sindi, K.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81127
_version_ 1855531558202507264
author McEwan, M.
Lusheshanija, D.
Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia
Sindi, K.
author_browse Lusheshanija, D.
McEwan, M.
Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia
Sindi, K.
author_facet McEwan, M.
Lusheshanija, D.
Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia
Sindi, K.
author_sort McEwan, M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In Lake Zone, Tanzania, farmers were trained to multiply and distribute quality sweetpotato planting material. The objectives of this study were to assess changes in skills and practices among the trained farmers as vine multiplication became a specialized task. Nine months after the project ended, all 88 decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs) operating as groups (72%) or individuals (28%) were visited and qualitative data on their current multiplication practices collected through a questionnaire, checklists and observations. Results showed that 69% of DVMs were still multiplying vines, but less than half were using the seed production technologies promoted by the project. 34% used rapid multiplication beds; 61% used conventional plant spacing on ridges for roots and vines and 5% used both. As the vine multiplication cycle became a specialised activity, the multiplication and root production cycles were separated. Vines were treated differently in terms of site selection, length of cutting and spacing, depending on whether the objective of their use was for high root or high vine production. Capacity building of specialised vine multipliers and scaling-up seed interventions should consider the implications of skilling and task segregation in a broader context based on society’s choice of technologies and agrarian change.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace81127
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
publishDateSort 2017
publisher Walter de Gruyter GmbH
publisherStr Walter de Gruyter GmbH
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace811272024-11-14T08:04:54Z Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes? McEwan, M. Lusheshanija, D. Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia Sindi, K. sweet potatoes propagation by cuttings vines multipliers In Lake Zone, Tanzania, farmers were trained to multiply and distribute quality sweetpotato planting material. The objectives of this study were to assess changes in skills and practices among the trained farmers as vine multiplication became a specialized task. Nine months after the project ended, all 88 decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs) operating as groups (72%) or individuals (28%) were visited and qualitative data on their current multiplication practices collected through a questionnaire, checklists and observations. Results showed that 69% of DVMs were still multiplying vines, but less than half were using the seed production technologies promoted by the project. 34% used rapid multiplication beds; 61% used conventional plant spacing on ridges for roots and vines and 5% used both. As the vine multiplication cycle became a specialised activity, the multiplication and root production cycles were separated. Vines were treated differently in terms of site selection, length of cutting and spacing, depending on whether the objective of their use was for high root or high vine production. Capacity building of specialised vine multipliers and scaling-up seed interventions should consider the implications of skilling and task segregation in a broader context based on society’s choice of technologies and agrarian change. 2017-02-01 2017-05-18T19:13:06Z 2017-05-18T19:13:06Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81127 en Open Access Walter de Gruyter GmbH McEwan, M.A.; Lusheshanija, D.; Shikuku, K.M.; Sindi, K. 2017. Specialised Sweetpotato Vine Multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “Sticks” and What Changes?. Open Agriculture. ISSN 2391-9531. 2(1):64-69.
spellingShingle sweet potatoes
propagation by cuttings
vines
multipliers
McEwan, M.
Lusheshanija, D.
Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia
Sindi, K.
Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title_full Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title_fullStr Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title_full_unstemmed Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title_short Specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “sticks” and what changes?
title_sort specialised sweetpotato vine multiplication in lake zone tanzania what sticks and what changes
topic sweet potatoes
propagation by cuttings
vines
multipliers
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81127
work_keys_str_mv AT mcewanm specialisedsweetpotatovinemultiplicationinlakezonetanzaniawhatsticksandwhatchanges
AT lusheshanijad specialisedsweetpotatovinemultiplicationinlakezonetanzaniawhatsticksandwhatchanges
AT shikukukelvinmashisia specialisedsweetpotatovinemultiplicationinlakezonetanzaniawhatsticksandwhatchanges
AT sindik specialisedsweetpotatovinemultiplicationinlakezonetanzaniawhatsticksandwhatchanges