Person: Teufel, N.
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Teufel
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Teufel, N.
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0000-0001-5305-6620 5 results
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- Food access deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa: prevalence and implications for agricultural interventions(Frontiers, 2019) Fraval, S.; Hammond, J.; Bogard, J.; Ng’endo, M.; Etten, J. van; Herrero, M.; Oosting, S.J.; Boer, I.J.M. de; Lannerstad, M.; Teufel, N.; Lamanna, C.; Rosenstock, T.; Pagella, T.; Vanlauwe, B.; Dontsop, P.; Baines, D.; Carpena, P.; Njingulula, P.; Okafor, C.; Wichern, J.; Ayantunde, A.; Bosire, C.; Chesterman, S.; Kihoro, E.; Rao, E.J.O.; Skirrow, T.; Steinke, J.; Stirling, C.; Yameogo, V.; Wijk, M. van
Publication - The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey, data from 13,310 farm households in 21 countries(Nature Research, 2020) Wijk, M. van; Hammond, J.; Gorman, L.; Adams, S.; Ayantunde, A.; Baines, D.; Bolliger, A.; Bosire, C.; Carpena, P.; Chesterman, S.; Chinyophiro, A.; Daudi, H.; Dontsop, P.; Douxchamps, S.; Emera, W.D.; Fraval, S.; Fonte, S.; Hok, L.; Kiara, H.; Kihoro, E.; Korir, L.; Lamanna, C.; Chau Thi Minh Long; Manyawu, G.; Mehrabi, Z.; Mengistu, D.K.; Mercado, L.; Meza, K.; Mora, V.; Mutemi, J.; Ng’endo, M.; Njingulula, P.; Okafor, C.; Pagella, T.; Phengsavanh, P.; Rao, J.; Ritzema, R.S.; Rosenstock, T.; Skirrow, T.; Steinke, J.; Stirling, C.; Suchini, J.G.; Teufel, N.; Thorne, P.; Vanek, S.; Etten, J. van; Vanlauwe, B.; Wichern, J.; Yameogo, V.
Publication - Identifying determinants, pressures and trade-offs of crop residue use in mixed smallholder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia(Elsevier, 2015) Valbuena, D.; Homann-Kee Tui, S.; Erenstein, O.; Teufel, N.; Duncan, A.J.; Abdoulaye, T.; Swain, B.; Mekonnen, K.; Germaine, I.; Gerard, B.Crop residues (CR) have become a limited resource in mixed crop-livestock farms. As a result of the increasing demand and low availability of alternative resources, CR became an essential resource for household activities, especially for livestock keeping; a major livelihood element of smallholder farmers in the developing world. Farmers? decisions on CR use are determined by farmers? preferences, total crop production, availability of alternative resources and demand for CR. Interaction of these determinants can result in pressures and trade-offs of CR use. Determinants, pressures and trade-offs are shaped by the specific socio-economic and agro-ecological context of these mixed farms. The objective of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the determinants of CR use and to examine some options to cope with pressures and trade-offs in 12 study sites across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Drawing on socio-economic data at household and village level, we describe how cereal intensification and livestock feed demand influence use, pressures and trade-offs of CR use across study sites, specifically cereal residue. Our results show that in low cereal production and livestock feed demand sites, despite a low demand for CR and availability of alternative biomass, pressures and trade-offs of CR use are common particularly in the dry season. In sites with moderate cereal production, and low?moderate and moderate livestock feed demand, alternative biomass resources are scarce and most residues are fed to livestock or used to cover household needs. Subsequently, pressures and potential trade-offs are stronger. In sites with low cereal production and high livestock feed demand, pressures and trade-offs depend on the availability of better feed resources. Finally, sites with high cereal production and high livestock feed demand have been able to fulfil most of the demand for CR, limiting pressures and trade-offs. These patterns show that agricultural intensification, better management of communal resources and off-farm activities are plausible development pathways to overcome pressures and trade-offs of CR use. Although technologies can largely improve these trends, research and development should revisit past initiatives so as to develop innovative approaches to tackle the well-known problem of low agricultural production in many smallholder mixed systems, creating more sustainable futures.
Publication - Biophysical and socio-economic characterization of cereal production systems of Central Nepal(CIMMYT, 2013) Ghimire, S.; Dhungana, S.M.; Krishna, V.; Teufel, N.; Sherchan, D.P.The domestic food security of Nepal is critically depended on the sustainability of the cereal production systems of Central Nepal Terai region, as the major share of nation's cereal production comes from the agro-ecological regions of this belt. The present study focusses on the biophysical and socio-economic characterization of the cereal producing farm households in this region, with special attention on the economics of crop production, and the potentials of conservation agriculture (CA) technologies. The empirical part is based on a comprehensive baseline household survey (324 households), conducted among the cereal farmers, following a cluster sampling procedure across the Terai region. Primary data required for the study was collected from the sampled households through personal interviews using a comprehensive and pre-tested questionnaire. In order to obtain a complete picture of the farm-household activities and decisionmaking process, the sample households were categorized in to three more or less identical-sized, mutually-exclusive groups: small (lowest 33%with respect to scale of operation), medium (middle 33%) and large (upper 33%) farmers. The study area is dominated by small and marginal farmers, with the average size of land cultivated being 2.25 acres (0.91 ha). The mean acreage under cultivation by a large farmer is 6-times greater than that of a small farmer, showing a high inequality in distribution of land cultivated (with Gini coefficient of 0.47) existing across the farmer households. At the same time, a higher percentage of smallholders are sharing out their land, while sharing-in is done mostly by large landholders. During the Kharif (rainy) season, about 79% of the cultivated land is under rice open pollinated varieties (OPVs), while another 17% is under hybrid rice production. Wheat is a major crop of the second season (winter/Rabi), cultivated on 50% of the area by about 84% of households. The share of cultivated land under wheat is significantly higher among small farmers, while large farmers diversify the system with non-cereal crops during this season. Maize is cultivated in 9% of land during this season by about 20% of the sample farmers, and hybrid seed adoption is relatively high compared to the other two cereals. During the third season (spring/summer), land is mostly kept fallow (80%), mainly due to limited irrigation facilities, with maize being the only major crop: about 17% of the cultivable area is under spring maize cultivation, mainly with local open pollinated varieties (OPVs). The small and medium farmers are the ones mainly engaged in spring maize production. The most important source of irrigation in the study area is diesel tube-wells, providing 41% of the total irrigation water. Most small farmers purchase irrigation water from the diesel wells, whereas large scale farmers obtain water from their own wells. Purchasing water from the tube-wells causes significant cost increase for cereal production for the small farms. Canal water is the second most important source of irrigation. Cereal varietal diversity is limited in Nepal Terai area. The three most important varieties account for 56% of the rice, 97% of the wheat and 81% of the Rabi and spring maize acreage. The cereal production is also found highly labour intensive: 40% of the total paid-out cost is employed for hiring out human labour in rice, 25% in wheat and 26 (45)% in Rabi (spring) maize. Rice is the most profitable cereal crop in Nepal Terai, with benefit-cost (BC) ratio of 1.42 over the paid-out costs. The BC ratio for wheat is 1.38, and lower for maize (1.10 for Rabi and 0.97 for spring maize). Nevertheless, rice production is more labour intensive than the other two cereals, and unit area under rice cultivation requires 50% more variable cost than for wheat production, mostly to hire labour. Small-scale farmers obtain relatively higher profits from rice cultivation. However, no significant relationship between scale of operation and profitability is observed for both wheat and maize. Most of the cereal produce is used for home consumption. Only 28% of the rice, 25% of the wheat and 65% (46%) of the Rabi (spring) maize grains are marketed in the study area. Two out of three households keep large and small ruminants. Although the percentage share of livestock in household income is only about 6%, the sector's indirect contribution to rural livelihoods and crop production is highly significant. Rice straw is the main source of dry matter in animal feed, followed by collected green grass, wheat straw and concentrate. Small farmers depend mainly on collected grass, while large farmers depend more on wheat straw. The total milk produced per household per day is about 6.6 litres, of which about 48% is used for household consumption, and 44% sold raw. The average number of tillage for rice, wheat and maize is more than three, and only a marginal share of farmers are adopting zero tillage (ZT) wheat. Custom hiring of agricultural machineries is common, except for self-owning large farmers. The study examines the awareness and adoption status of various resource conserving and yield enhancing technologies in the study area. Products of hybridization (rice and maize hybrids) are the most popular technologies as more than 75% of the respondent households are aware of them with 20-30% having adopted them. Seed treatment, relay cropping, bed planting and direct seeding in rice are the technologies moderately familiar, but rarely adopted. Most of the farmers get information on these resource conserving technologies (RCTs) from progressive farmers. Results indicate that even among those farmers, who are familiar with the technology, awareness on the impact of CA technology on irrigation, cost, yield and profitability is extremely limited. Farmers are highly unaware of the impacts of bed planting (94%), quality protein maize (QPM) (92-95%), ZT (80-85%) and rotavator (86-89%) on farm profitability. Novel technology diffusion techniques and more emphasis on solving constraints faced by small and marginal farmers in obtaining information on farming are expected to accelerate the technology diffusion and enhance cereal productivity in the study area. In trying to understand the critical importance of value chains in increasing farm profitability and income, the study also examined the existing marketing channels for inputs (seeds, agro-chemicals and fertilizers) and outputs in the study area. Private dealers are the main suppliers of rice, wheat and maize seeds. Co-operatives also take up the role of seed providers in case of rice, although they mostly cater to the needs of medium- and large farmers. Small farmers depend mostly on private dealers within their villages, whereas large farmers depend on dealers located in the district headquarters to obtain modern seed varieties. The private dealers are also the major providers of fertilizers. The largest share of cereal produced is purchased by village- and district-level traders. The village traders are highly important for the small farmers: more than 90% of marketed rice, wheat and OPV maize are purchased by the village level traders. Linking cereal farmers with input/output markets effectively, especially for smallholders, may be considered as a major challenge in increasing farm income of Nepal.
Publication - Characterizing the cereal systems and identifying the potential of conservation agriculture in South Asia(CIMMYT, 2012) Krishna, V.; Mehrotra, M.B.; Teufel, N.; Bishnoi, D.K.Conservation agriculture (CA) and related resource conserving technologies (RCTs) potentially offer a way to sustainably increase the agricultural productivity in developing countries. These practices, which involve minimal soil disturbance, residue retention and crop rotations, can potentially help farmers increase crop yields and reduce the costs of production. The present paper includes the major findings of a set of village level surveys aiming at the characterization of the cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) with a special focus on the potential entry points for CA-related technologies. The study area comprises of four regions in the IGP, namely Indian Punjab, Haryana, Central Nepal Terai and northwest (NW) Bangladesh. The village surveys were conducted in three districts from each of these regions, which were selected based on the prevailing cropping systems. From each of the selected districts, three sub-district units (blocks in India, Village Development Committees in Nepal and Union Councils in Bangladesh) were chosen randomly from a set of blocks with project intervention. Finally, one intervention village (for the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia project or CSISA) and one non-intervention (control) village were selected from each of these units. In this way, data from 72 villages were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted from April-May 2010. The tools used to gather information for the present study were FGDs and village census. The IGP has traditionally been the major grain producer of South Asia. On the one hand, the NW Plains, including Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, have a relatively favorable rice-wheat environment, dominated by wheat and irrigated rice. On the other hand, the eastern IGP regions, including the Nepal Terai and Bangladesh, have a less favorable rice-wheat environment, dominated by rainfed rice and partially irrigated wheat. Significant intra-regional differences with respect to resource endowments and incidence of poverty also exist. The NW Plains have a higher level of resource endowment and lower incidence of income poverty as compared to the eastern IGP. The cropping pattern in all the study regions consists primarily of rice and wheat. In addition, some farmers grow cotton and sugarcane in Haryana and Punjab. The cropping pattern of Central Nepal Terai is more diverse compared to the NW India, with significant share of acreage under vegetables, legumes and oilseeds. Among cereals, rice is more prominent than wheat and other cereals (e.g. finger millet and maize) are also cultivated. In NW Bangladesh, rice is cultivated in all the three cropping seasons while wheat and maize are cultivated on a limited scale. The landholding size is larger in Punjab and Haryana compared to Nepal and Bangladesh. A significantly larger proportion of landless households is engaged in non-farm activities. Land tenure systems also differ widely across the regions. In Punjab and Haryana, it is the relatively large farmers, with average landholding of 5-6 acres, who are engaged in leasing-in of land for cereal production, thereby utilizing economies of scale. On the contrary, marginal and small farmers and the landless are leasing-in land for cultivation in NW Bangladesh. In Central Nepal very few farmers were found to lease-in land for cultivation. This difference in land ownership is of critical importance as the existing land tenure system in the eastern plains could indicate greater livelihood vulnerability, making the farmers more exposed to risks and averse to the adoption of new agricultural practices including the CA-based RCTs. As part of the characterization of production systems, details of livestock production were collected in both FGDs and village census. According to the village census, nearly all the farming households in India’s NW states maintain dairy animals, while this figure is just around 50% in Central Nepal and NW Bangladesh. The considerable importance of dairy animals is also reflected in the herd sizes relative to available farm land. Fodder crops are only grown in NW India and even there the proportion is limited. Crop residues are the major source of fodder for all livestock in the investigated villages.
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