Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice
In Malawi, population growth has reduced opportunities for farmers to expand and cultivate new land. The country's primary farming population is comprised of smallholders, many who cultivate monocultures of maize (Zea mays). To reduce negative outcomes from this practice, intercropping maize with le...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Informa UK Limited
2017
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/89158 |
| _version_ | 1855534633981050880 |
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| author | Silberg, Timothy Richardson, Robert Hockett, M. Snapp, Sieglinde S. |
| author_browse | Hockett, M. Richardson, Robert Silberg, Timothy Snapp, Sieglinde S. |
| author_facet | Silberg, Timothy Richardson, Robert Hockett, M. Snapp, Sieglinde S. |
| author_sort | Silberg, Timothy |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | In Malawi, population growth has reduced opportunities for farmers to expand and cultivate new land. The country's primary farming population is comprised of smallholders, many who cultivate monocultures of maize (Zea mays). To reduce negative outcomes from this practice, intercropping maize with legumes has been promoted. The sustainable intensification (SI) practice was once widely used, but has declined in recent decades. Little is known about the determinants of intercropping or its role in agricultural development. The objective of this study was to examine the drivers of intercropping among smallholders. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to estimate the determinants of intercropping based on a survey of 324 households. Smallholders who sold legumes were more likely to intercrop, contrary to literature positing intercropping as a practice primarily intended to enhance food security. In addition, complementary SI practices such as fertilizer, manure and compost application were more likely to have occurred on intercropped fields relative to sole maize fields. Furthermore, smallholder farmers appeared to apply more fertilizer to their intercropped fields relative to their sole maize fields. The study highlights the value of including field-level characteristics and household socioeconomic survey data to understand farming practices as a means to inform agricultural policy. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace89158 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| publisherStr | Informa UK Limited |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace891582024-08-27T10:36:44Z Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice Silberg, Timothy Richardson, Robert Hockett, M. Snapp, Sieglinde S. farming systems intensification crops legumes food security In Malawi, population growth has reduced opportunities for farmers to expand and cultivate new land. The country's primary farming population is comprised of smallholders, many who cultivate monocultures of maize (Zea mays). To reduce negative outcomes from this practice, intercropping maize with legumes has been promoted. The sustainable intensification (SI) practice was once widely used, but has declined in recent decades. Little is known about the determinants of intercropping or its role in agricultural development. The objective of this study was to examine the drivers of intercropping among smallholders. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to estimate the determinants of intercropping based on a survey of 324 households. Smallholders who sold legumes were more likely to intercrop, contrary to literature positing intercropping as a practice primarily intended to enhance food security. In addition, complementary SI practices such as fertilizer, manure and compost application were more likely to have occurred on intercropped fields relative to sole maize fields. Furthermore, smallholder farmers appeared to apply more fertilizer to their intercropped fields relative to their sole maize fields. The study highlights the value of including field-level characteristics and household socioeconomic survey data to understand farming practices as a means to inform agricultural policy. 2017-11-02 2017-10-31T15:34:58Z 2017-10-31T15:34:58Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/89158 en Open Access Informa UK Limited Silberg, T.R., Richardson, R.B., Hockett, M. and Snapp, S.S. 2017. Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| spellingShingle | farming systems intensification crops legumes food security Silberg, Timothy Richardson, Robert Hockett, M. Snapp, Sieglinde S. Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title | Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title_full | Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title_fullStr | Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title_short | Maize-legume intercropping in central Malawi: Determinants of practice |
| title_sort | maize legume intercropping in central malawi determinants of practice |
| topic | farming systems intensification crops legumes food security |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/89158 |
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