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Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials

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Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials. / Traore, Bouba; Van Wijk, Mark T.; Descheemaeker, Katrien et al.
In: Experimental Agriculture, Vol. 51, No. 4, 10.2015, p. 615-634.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Traore, B, Van Wijk, MT, Descheemaeker, K, Corbeels, M, Rufino, MC & Giller, KE 2015, 'Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials', Experimental Agriculture, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 615-634. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479714000507

APA

Traore, B., Van Wijk, M. T., Descheemaeker, K., Corbeels, M., Rufino, M. C., & Giller, K. E. (2015). Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials. Experimental Agriculture, 51(4), 615-634. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479714000507

Vancouver

Traore B, Van Wijk MT, Descheemaeker K, Corbeels M, Rufino MC, Giller KE. Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials. Experimental Agriculture. 2015 Oct;51(4):615-634. Epub 2015 Feb 20. doi: 10.1017/S0014479714000507

Author

Traore, Bouba ; Van Wijk, Mark T. ; Descheemaeker, Katrien et al. / Climate variability and change in Southern Mali : learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials. In: Experimental Agriculture. 2015 ; Vol. 51, No. 4. pp. 615-634.

Bibtex

@article{76562b2926c146d7bcae0e0ba7fe30fc,
title = "Climate variability and change in Southern Mali: learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials",
abstract = "Agricultural production in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of west Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and climate change. The present study aimed to understand farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change and to evaluate adaptation options together with farmers, including tactical management of planting date in combination with the use of mineral fertilizer. Farmers perceived an increase in annual rainfall variability, an increase in the occurrence of dry spells during the rainy season, and an increase in temperature. Overall, this is in line with the observed meteorological data. Drought tolerant, short maturing crop varieties and appropriate planting dates were the commonly preferred adaptation strategies to deal with climate variability. On-farm trials confirmed that planting delays significantly reduce crop yields. The use of mineral fertilizer is often promoted, but risky for smallholders: although larger fertilizer applications increased the yield of maize (Zea mays) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum) significantly, a gross margin analysis indicated that it did not lead to more profit for all farmers. We conclude that integrating management of nutrients and planting time with improved farmer access to timely weather information, especially on the onset of the rains, is critical to enhancing adaptive capacity to increased climate variability and change.",
keywords = "SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, RAINFALL VARIABILITY, DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES, CROPPING SYSTEMS, ADAPTATION, AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGIES, IMPACTS, OPTIONS, SAHEL",
author = "Bouba Traore and {Van Wijk}, {Mark T.} and Katrien Descheemaeker and Marc Corbeels and Rufino, {Mariana C.} and Giller, {Ken E.}",
year = "2015",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1017/S0014479714000507",
language = "English",
volume = "51",
pages = "615--634",
journal = "Experimental Agriculture",
issn = "0014-4797",
publisher = "CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Climate variability and change in Southern Mali

T2 - learning from farmer perceptions and on-farm trials

AU - Traore, Bouba

AU - Van Wijk, Mark T.

AU - Descheemaeker, Katrien

AU - Corbeels, Marc

AU - Rufino, Mariana C.

AU - Giller, Ken E.

PY - 2015/10

Y1 - 2015/10

N2 - Agricultural production in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of west Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and climate change. The present study aimed to understand farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change and to evaluate adaptation options together with farmers, including tactical management of planting date in combination with the use of mineral fertilizer. Farmers perceived an increase in annual rainfall variability, an increase in the occurrence of dry spells during the rainy season, and an increase in temperature. Overall, this is in line with the observed meteorological data. Drought tolerant, short maturing crop varieties and appropriate planting dates were the commonly preferred adaptation strategies to deal with climate variability. On-farm trials confirmed that planting delays significantly reduce crop yields. The use of mineral fertilizer is often promoted, but risky for smallholders: although larger fertilizer applications increased the yield of maize (Zea mays) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum) significantly, a gross margin analysis indicated that it did not lead to more profit for all farmers. We conclude that integrating management of nutrients and planting time with improved farmer access to timely weather information, especially on the onset of the rains, is critical to enhancing adaptive capacity to increased climate variability and change.

AB - Agricultural production in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of west Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and climate change. The present study aimed to understand farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change and to evaluate adaptation options together with farmers, including tactical management of planting date in combination with the use of mineral fertilizer. Farmers perceived an increase in annual rainfall variability, an increase in the occurrence of dry spells during the rainy season, and an increase in temperature. Overall, this is in line with the observed meteorological data. Drought tolerant, short maturing crop varieties and appropriate planting dates were the commonly preferred adaptation strategies to deal with climate variability. On-farm trials confirmed that planting delays significantly reduce crop yields. The use of mineral fertilizer is often promoted, but risky for smallholders: although larger fertilizer applications increased the yield of maize (Zea mays) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum) significantly, a gross margin analysis indicated that it did not lead to more profit for all farmers. We conclude that integrating management of nutrients and planting time with improved farmer access to timely weather information, especially on the onset of the rains, is critical to enhancing adaptive capacity to increased climate variability and change.

KW - SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

KW - RAINFALL VARIABILITY

KW - DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES

KW - CROPPING SYSTEMS

KW - ADAPTATION

KW - AGRICULTURE

KW - TECHNOLOGIES

KW - IMPACTS

KW - OPTIONS

KW - SAHEL

U2 - 10.1017/S0014479714000507

DO - 10.1017/S0014479714000507

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 615

EP - 634

JO - Experimental Agriculture

JF - Experimental Agriculture

SN - 0014-4797

IS - 4

ER -