IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v126y2014icp25-37.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Whole-farm nitrogen cycling and intensification of crop-livestock systems in the highlands of Madagascar: An application of network analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Alvarez, S.
  • Rufino, M.C.
  • Vayssières, J.
  • Salgado, P.
  • Tittonell, P.
  • Tillard, E.
  • Bocquier, F.

Abstract

Food insecurity, soil fertility depletion and strong competition for biomass are commonly observed in smallholder crop-livestock systems. The objective of this study was to explore options to improve farm-level nitrogen cycling, productivity and economic performance through the analysis of N flows within four contrasting crop-livestock farm systems of Madagascar highlands. Farms were conceptualized as networks where the compartments were the household and their farming activities, all connected by N flows. Indicators assessing network size and cycling, and the organization and diversity of the N flows, were compared with system productivity, food self-sufficiency, and gross margins for the current situation and under four scenarios of intensification (i) dairy production increased by increasing N inputs as supplementary feed; (ii) crop production increased by increasing N inputs as mineral fertilizer; (iii) manure management improved to increase N conservation during storage and application to soils; (iv) a combination of the two most economically attractive scenarios (i and iii). The four case study farms represent local diversity differing widely in terms of network size, with total annual system N throughput ranging from 113 to 1037kgN per capita, and in terms of N cycling, from 3 to 41kgN per capita per year. They differed less in terms of external dependence, from 0.26 to 0.41kgN kgN−1. Improving N conservation through improved manure management (scenario iii) had a positive impact on gross margin, and this in combination with increased concentrate supply (scenario iv) led to increases in whole-farm N use efficiencies from 2% to 50%, in N cycling from 9% to 68% and in food self-sufficiency from 12% to 37% across farm types. Gross margin was the most sensitive indicator to changes in management. Intensification through scenario iv had the highest impact on farm productivity, gross margin, food self-sufficiency, and environment sustainability (N use efficiency, capacity of the soil to stock N).

Suggested Citation

  • Alvarez, S. & Rufino, M.C. & Vayssières, J. & Salgado, P. & Tittonell, P. & Tillard, E. & Bocquier, F., 2014. "Whole-farm nitrogen cycling and intensification of crop-livestock systems in the highlands of Madagascar: An application of network analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 25-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:126:y:2014:i:c:p:25-37
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2013.03.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X13000383
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2013.03.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tittonell, P. & Leffelaar, P.A. & Vanlauwe, B. & van Wijk, M.T. & Giller, K.E., 2006. "Exploring diversity of crop and soil management within smallholder African farms: A dynamic model for simulation of N balances and use efficiencies at field scale," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 91(1-2), pages 71-101, November.
    2. Place, Frank & Barrett, Christopher B. & Freeman, H. Ade & Ramisch, Joshua J. & Vanlauwe, Bernard, 2003. "Prospects for integrated soil fertility management using organic and inorganic inputs: evidence from smallholder African agricultural systems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 365-378, August.
    3. Nkonya, Ephraim & Kaizzi, Crammer & Pender, John, 2005. "Determinants of nutrient balances in a maize farming system in eastern Uganda," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 155-182, August.
    4. Tsujimoto, Yasuhiro & Horie, Takeshi & Randriamihary, Hamon & Shiraiwa, Tatsuhiko & Homma, Koki, 2009. "Soil management: The key factors for higher productivity in the fields utilizing the system of rice intensification (SRI) in the central highland of Madagascar," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 100(1-3), pages 61-71, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Epper, C.A. & Paul, B. & Burra, D. & Phengsavanh, P. & Ritzema, R. & Syfongxay, C. & Groot, J.C.J. & Six, J. & Frossard, E. & Oberson, A. & Douxchamps, S., 2020. "Nutrient flows and intensification options for smallholder farmers of the Lao uplands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Dutilly, Céline & Alary, Véronique & Bonnet, Pascal & Lesnoff, Matthieu & Fandamu, Paul & de Haan, Cees, 2020. "Multi-scale assessment of the livestock sector for policy design in Zambia," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 401-418.
    3. Naudin, K. & Bruelle, G. & Salgado, P. & Penot, E. & Scopel, E. & Lubbers, M. & de Ridder, N. & Giller, K.E., 2015. "Trade-offs around the use of biomass for livestock feed and soil cover in dairy farms in the Alaotra lake region of Madagascar," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 36-47.
    4. Alary, Véronique & Messad, Samir & Aboul-Naga, Adel & Osman, Mona A. & H. Abdelsabour, Taha & Salah, Abdel-Aal E. & Juanes, Xavier, 2020. "Multi-criteria assessment of the sustainability of farming systems in the reclaimed desert lands of Egypt," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    5. Audouin, Elise & Odru, Mariana & Masse, Dominique & Dorégo, Gualbert Séraphin & Delaunay, Valérie & Lecomte, Philippe & Vayssières, Jonathan, 2024. "A methodology based on territorial metabolism analysis to assess the multi-criteria sustainability of African village terroirs with contrasted crop-livestock systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    6. Mateusz Iskrzyński & Freek Janssen & Francesco Picciolo & Brian Fath & Franco Ruzzenenti, 2022. "Cycling and reciprocity in weighted food webs and economic networks," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 838-849, June.
    7. Tittonell, Pablo & Gérard, Bruno & Erenstein, Olaf, 2015. "Tradeoffs around crop residue biomass in smallholder crop-livestock systems – What’s next?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 119-128.
    8. Ditzler, L. & Breland, T.A. & Francis, C. & Chakraborty, M. & Singh, D.K. & Srivastava, A. & Eyhorn, F. & Groot, J.C.J. & Six, J. & Decock, C., 2018. "Identifying viable nutrient management interventions at the farm level: The case of smallholder organic Basmati rice production in Uttarakhand, India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 61-71.
    9. Venkatesh Paramesh & Giri Bhavan Sreekanth & Eaknath. B. Chakurkar & H.B. Chethan Kumar & Parappurath Gokuldas & Kallakeri Kannappa Manohara & Gopal Ramdas Mahajan & Racharla Solomon Rajkumar & Natesa, 2020. "Ecosystem Network Analysis in a Smallholder Integrated Crop–Livestock System for Coastal Lowland Situation in Tropical Humid Conditions of India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nhamo, Nhamo & Rodenburg, Jonne & Zenna, Negussie & Makombe, Godswill & Luzi-Kihupi, Ashura, 2014. "Narrowing the rice yield gap in East and Southern Africa: Using and adapting existing technologies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 45-55.
    2. Teklewold, Hailemariam, 2011. "Farming or burning? shadow prices and farmer’s impatience on the allocation of multi-purpose resource in the mixed farming system of Ethiopia," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 116080, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Giuseppe Maggio & Marina Mastrorillo & Nicholas J. Sitko, 2022. "Adapting to High Temperatures: Effect of Farm Practices and Their Adoption Duration on Total Value of Crop Production in Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 385-403, January.
    4. Dang, Hai-Anh & Carletto, Calogero & Gourlay, Sydney & Abanokova, Kseniya, 2024. "Addressing Soil Quality Data Gaps with Imputation: Evidence from Ethiopia and Uganda," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1445, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Terrance Hurley & Jawoo Koo & Kindie Tesfaye, 2018. "Weather risk: how does it change the yield benefits of nitrogen fertilizer and improved maize varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(6), pages 711-723, November.
    6. Waithaka, M.M. & Thornton, P.K. & Herrero, M. & Shepherd, K.D., 2006. "Bio-economic evaluation of farmers' perceptions of viable farms in western Kenya," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 90(1-3), pages 243-271, October.
    7. Winda Ika Susanti & Sri Noor Cholidah & Fahmuddin Agus, 2024. "Agroecological Nutrient Management Strategy for Attaining Sustainable Rice Self-Sufficiency in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-29, January.
    8. Bjorn Van Campenhout & David J. Spielman & Els Lecoutere, 2021. "Information and Communication Technologies to Provide Agricultural Advice to Smallholder Farmers: Experimental Evidence from Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 317-337, January.
    9. Pouria Ataei & Hassan Sadighi & Mohammad Chizari & Enayat Abbasi, 2020. "In-depth content analysis of conservation agriculture training programs in Iran based on sustainability dimensions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 7215-7237, December.
    10. Bevis, Leah E.M. & Conrad, Jon M. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Gray, Clark, 2017. "State-conditioned soil investment in rural Uganda," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 254-281.
    11. Ruth Hill & Carolina Mejia-Mantilla & Kathryn Vasilaky, 2021. "Is the Price Right? Returns to Input Adoption in Uganda," Working Papers 2105, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Economics.
    12. Poulton, Colin & Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan, 2010. "The Future of Small Farms: New Directions for Services, Institutions, and Intermediation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1413-1428, October.
    13. Perez, Carlos & Roncoli, Carla & Neely, Constance & Steiner, Jean L., 2007. "Can carbon sequestration markets benefit low-income producers in semi-arid Africa? Potentials and challenges," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 2-12, April.
    14. Sara Helen Kaweesa & Hamid El Bilali & Willibald Loiskandl, 2021. "Analysing the socio-technical transition to conservation agriculture in Uganda through the lens of the multi-level perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7606-7626, May.
    15. Shively, Gerald E. & Hao, Jing, 2012. "A Review Of Agriculture, Food Security And Human Nutrition Issues In Uganda," Working papers 135134, Purdue University, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    16. So Pyay Thar & Thiagarajah Ramilan & Robert J. Farquharson & Deli Chen, 2021. "Identifying Potential for Decision Support Tools through Farm Systems Typology Analysis Coupled with Participatory Research: A Case for Smallholder Farmers in Myanmar," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, June.
    17. Vondolia, Godwin Kofi & Eggert, HÃ¥kan & Stage, Jesper, "undated". "Nudging Boserup? The Impact of Fertilizer Subsidies on Investment in Soil and Water Conservation," RFF Working Paper Series dp-12-08-efd, Resources for the Future.
    18. Berkhout, Ezra & Glover, Dominic & Kuyvenhoven, Arie, 2015. "On-farm impact of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Evidence and knowledge gaps," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 157-166.
    19. Larson,Donald F. & Muraoka,Rie & Otsuka,Keijiro, 2016. "On the central role of small farms in African rural development strategies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7710, The World Bank.
    20. Munialo Sussy & Hall Ola & Francisca Archila Bustos Maria & Boke-Olén Niklas & Onyango M. Cecilia & Oluoch-Kosura Willis & Marstorp Håkan & Göran Djurfeldt, 2019. "Micro-Spatial Analysis of Maize Yield Gap Variability and Production Factors on Smallholder Farms," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-23, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:126:y:2014:i:c:p:25-37. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.