Hacia Sistemas Sustentables Agrícola Ganaderos en el Altiplano Sur de Bolivia 2022

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura Ravi Gopal Singh (2022, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA GANADERÍA AGRICULTURA DE CONSERVACIÓN CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO LLUVIA SUELO FERTILIDAD DEL SUELO SEQUÍA

Plan de medidas preventivas y de mitigación de la sequía en la cuenca del río Balsas

ISRAEL VELASCO VELASCO DAVID ORTEGA GAUCIN (2014, [Documento de trabajo])

Tabla de contenido: Introducción – Caracterización de la cuenca del río Balsas – Análisis de las sequías históricas y sus impactos – Análisis de la vulnerabilidad ante la sequía – Etapas, indicadores y umbrales de la sequía – Medidas preventivas y de mitigación de la sequía – Programa de respuesta a las etapas de la sequía – Sistema de seguimiento y evaluación.

A partir de series históricas y datos hidrométricos y climatológicos, se realizó el análisis de las sequías históricas y sus impactos, además de evaluar la vulnerabilidad ante la sequía en las distintas regiones de la cuenca del río Balsas. Posteriormente se determinaron una serie de acciones que pueden ser implementadas en el marco del Consejo de Cuenca, con objeto de afrontar la sequía en tres sentidos: antes de que ocurra el fenómeno (medidas estratégicas); cuando apenas inicia (medidas tácticas); y cuando ya está presente (medidas de emergencia). Las medidas pueden ser de corto, mediano o largo plazos. Su consideración está en función de la intensidad del fenómeno, de los impactos que cause y de los recursos disponibles para invertir. Muchas de las medidas propuestas en este documento son de tipo estructural y necesarias para ahorrar agua y recuperar volúmenes. No obstante, como se ha visto históricamente y es una realidad, gran parte de los efectos de la sequía son consecuencias derivadas de las fallas en la gestión del agua. Razón por la cual el informe incluye, además, una serie detallada de acciones para administrar el riesgo de sequía y afrontar el fenómeno en sus distintas etapas, desde moderada hasta excepcional.

Introducción – Caracterización de la cuenca del río Balsas – Análisis de las sequías históricas y sus impactos – Análisis de la vulnerabilidad ante la sequía – Etapas, indicadores y umbrales de la sequía – Medidas preventivas y de mitigación de la sequía – Programa de respuesta a las etapas de la sequía – Sistema de seguimiento y evaluación.

Informes de proyectos Sequías Impacto ambiental Aspectos económicos Prevención y mitigación Río Balsas CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA

Factores socioculturales que limitan la gestión y el uso sustentable del agua: el caso del Distrito de Riego 005 Delicias, Chihuahua

David Ortega Gaucin (2013, [Artículo])

La problemática relacionada con la escasez de agua y su repercusión en el desarrollo económico y social del norte de nuestro país ha merecido una atención especial en los últimos años, debido a las controversias suscitadas entre México y Estados Unidos por el Tratado Internacional de Límites y Aguas de 1944. Así, la cuenca del río Conchos y, particularmente el distrito de riego 005 Delicias, Chihuahua, han sido el centro de diversos estudios y debates por el interés que han despertado las sequías recurrentes y la necesidad de hacer un uso racional y sustentable del agua. Por ello, a partir del año 2002 se puso en marcha el Programa de Modernización y Tecnificación de los Distritos de Riego de la Cuenca, mediante el cual se han hecho inversiones millonarias en infraestructura y equipo para aumentar la eficiencia en el uso del agua de riego. Sin embargo, en este artículo se sostiene que las acciones estructurales son insuficientes en la práctica para lograr la sustentabilidad del recurso, dado que en la gestión del agua en cualquier cuenca o sistema hidráulico intervienen diversos factores sociales y culturales que desempeñan un papel determinante y que, por lo tanto, no deberían ser ignorados.

Sequías Gestión integrada de recursos hídricos Cultura del agua Desarrollo sustentable Modernización Riego CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA

Variability of the standardized precipitation over Mexico under the A2 climate change scenario

RICARDO PRIETO GONZALEZ MARTIN JOSE MONTERO MARTINEZ (2011, [Artículo])

En este estudio se presenta una aplicación del índice de precipitación estandarizada de 12 meses (SPI, por sus siglas en inglés) como una herramienta para identificar y evaluar la severidad en eventos de sequía en México durante el periodo 1949-2098, bajo la proyección del escenario de emisiones A2 del Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático. El análisis indica un incremento en la ocurrencia y severidad de eventos de sequía en México, con una tendencia negativa en los valores proyectados del SPI de 12 meses, concluyendo que las proyecciones de eventos de sequía superan la duración, magnitud y frecuencia de aquellos eventos modelados en la segunda mitad del siglo XX.

Cambio climático Sequías CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA

Manicaland inception meeting: Feed the future mechanization and extension a ctivity (October 2022 to September 2024)

Md Abdul Matin (2023, [Objeto de congreso])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SMALLHOLDERS ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Pathways from information to the adoption of conservation agriculture practices in Malawi and Tanzania

Paswel Marenya Dil Bahadur Rahut (2023, [Artículo])

To reduce agriculture's carbon, land and water footprint, the diffusion of conservation farming methods is one commonly cited proposition. Yet the process of translating available information on new conservation farming methods into farmers' practices is often a black box in many studies. This understanding is critical to inform strategies for scaling these complex, knowledge-intensive, but necessary practices for improving agriculture's resource and climate balance sheet. By implementing a series of mediation analysis using data from 700 households in Malawi and 930 households in Tanzania, this study examines how an improved understanding of conservation agriculture (CA) principles is an important mediator in the pathway from extension contact to the adoption of two of the CA practices examined. For the adoption of conservation tillage, the share of the mediated treatment effect was in the 31.5–34.4% range, while it was 31.6–46.9% for the adoption of soil cover (mulching). Our results suggest that unless learning from external sources strongly correlates with improved farmers' technical understanding of new farming practices, private learning by doing must be a critical adjunct to other avenues of learning. Beyond the basic promotional goals, improving farmers' technical know-how needs to be the centerpiece of holistic efforts in support of conservation farming and similar knowledge-intensive practices necessary for agriculture's sustinability goals.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SMALLHOLDERS AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES FIELD EXPERIMENTATION

Value chain research and development: The quest for impact

Jason Donovan (2023, [Artículo])

Motivation: For decades, governments, donors, and practitioners have promoted market-based development approaches (MBDA), most recently in the form of value chain development (VCD), to spur economic growth and reduce poverty. Changes in approaches have been shaped by funders, practitioners and researchers in ways that are incompletely appreciated. Purpose: We address the following questions: (1) how have researchers and practitioners shaped discussions on MBDA?; and (2) how has research stimulated practice, and how has practice informed research? We hypothesize that stronger exchange between researchers and practitioners increases the relevance and impact of value chain research and development. Methods and approach: We adopt Downs' (1972) concept of issue-attention cycles, which posits that attention to a particular issue follows a pattern where, first, excitement builds over potential solutions; followed by disenchantment as the inherent complexity, trade-offs, and resources required to solve it become apparent; and consequently attention moves on to a new issue. We review the literature on MBDA to see how far this framing applies. Findings: We identify five cycles of approaches to market-based development over the last 40 or more years: (1) non-traditional agricultural exports; (2) small and medium enterprise development; (3) value chains with a globalization perspective; (4) value chains with an agri-business perspective; and (5) value chain development. The shaping and sequencing of these cycles reflect researchers' tendency to analyse and criticize MBDA, while providing limited guidance on workable improvements; practitioners' reluctance to engage in critical reflection on their programmes; and an institutional and funding environment that encourages new approaches. Policy implications: Future MBDA will benefit from stronger engagement between researchers, practitioners, and funders. Before shifting attention to new concepts and approaches, achievements and failures in previous cycles need to be scrutinized. Evidence-based practice should extend for the length of the issue-attention cycle; preferably it should arrest the cycling of attention. Funders can help by requiring grantees to critically reflect on past action, by providing “safe spaces” for sharing such reflections, and by engaging in joint learning with practitioners and researchers.

Agri-Food Value Chains Issue-Attention Cycles Market-Based Development Approaches CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA VALUE CHAINS PRIVATE SECTOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT SMALLHOLDERS

Mapping crop and livestock value chain actors in Mbire and Murehwa districts in Zimbabwe

Hambulo Ngoma Moti Jaleta Frédéric Baudron (2023, [Documento de trabajo])

We conducted a preliminary value chain actors mapping for major crops grown and livestock kept by smallholder farmers in Mbire and Murehwa districts of Zimbabwe. Accordingly, in this report we mapped value chain actors for 11 crops and livestock commodities: namely, sorghum, cotton, sesame, maize, groundnut, sweet-potato, vegetables (tomato and onion), cattle, goats, poultry, and honey/beekeeping. Except sesame from Mbire, most of the crop and livestock commodities are channeled to the main markets in Harare and Marondera for Murehwa. Sesame is smuggled to Mozambique and the market is mainly dependent on middlemen. The Grain Market Board (GMB) is the major actor in sorghum and maize marketing in both districts. Groundnut is sold to both rural and urban consumers after processing it to peanut butter locally within the production zones. Goats and cattle are mostly supplied to the Harare market by middlemen collecting these livestock from village markets and moving door-to-door to buy enough quantity to transport to Harare. Honey production and marketing is still at its initial stage through the support of HELP from Germany and the Zimbabwe Apiculture Trust projects. Long dry season is a challenge in honey production. The Pfumvudza program supported by the Presidential free input scheme helped in introducing and scaling conservation agriculture practices in Zimbabwe. Though there is strong integration of crop-livestock systems at both districts, the level of manure use is gradually decreasing because farmers receive chemical fertilizer support from the Pfumvudza program and applying manure to crop fields is labor-intensive. The input supply system is more competitive in Murehwa district where there are quite several input suppliers in town. The possible interventions that favor agroecological transitions are: (1) honey processing plants and supply of beehives to potential areas, (2) encouraging manure use in crop production, possibly linking it to the basins preparation requirement to be eligible for the presidential input subsidy scheme, (3) support the organic vegetable production initiatives and explore market segments in Harare paying premium prices for certified organic products, (4) Expedite payment systems in sorghum and maize marketing with GMB, and (5) sesame production with agroecologically friendly agronomy and improve markets.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA VALUE CHAINS CROPS LIVESTOCK SMALLHOLDERS SUPPLY CHAINS

Using Sentinel-2 to track field-level tillage practices at regional scales in smallholder systems

Preeti Rao ML JAT Balwinder-Singh Deepak Bijarniya Urs Schulthess Rajbir Singh Meha Jain (2021, [Artículo])

Sentinel-2 Random Forest Google Earth Engine CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SATELLITES ZERO TILLAGE CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE SMALLHOLDERS

Using microsatellite data to estimate the persistence of field-level yield gaps and their drivers in smallholder systems

Balwinder-Singh Meha Jain (2023, [Artículo])

One way to meet growing food demand is to increase yields in regions that have large yield gaps, including smallholder systems. To do this, it is important to quantify yield gaps, their persistence, and their drivers at large spatio-temporal scales. Here we use microsatellite data to map field-level yields from 2014 to 2018 in Bihar, India and use these data to assess the magnitude, persistence, and drivers of yield gaps at the landscape scale. We find that overall yield gaps are large (33% of mean yields), but only 17% of yields are persistent across time. We find that sowing date, plot area, and weather are the factors that most explain variation in yield gaps across our study region, with earlier sowing associated with significantly higher yield values. Simulations suggest that if all farmers were able to adopt ideal management strategies, including earlier sowing and more irrigation use, yield gaps could be closed by up to 42%. These results highlight the ability of micro-satellite data to understand yield gaps and their drivers, and can be used to help identify ways to increase production in smallholder systems across the globe.

Yield Drivers Yield Mapping CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA MICROSATELLITES YIELD GAP SMALLHOLDERS FOOD PRODUCTION YIELD INCREASES