Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors Influencing Farmers’ Decision on Homegarden Management Practices and Carbon Storage in Mizoram, Northeast India

Soibam Lanabir Singh, Uttam Kumar Sahoo

Abstract


The influence of socioeconomic factors on homegarden (HG) management practices impacting carbon storage was studied in Mizoram by involving 40 households based on the theory of planned behavior.  Traditional/Ancestors (normative belief) had the highest influence on decision-making and it significantly (P<0.05) influenced practices such as cultural operations, plant residue application, and fertilizer application. The education/experience factor (behavioral belief) influenced the decision with tree planting in a positive manner and affected the decision with fertilizer application in a negative manner. Other important factors influencing the farmer behavior were friends (normative belief), financial condition (control belief) of the farmer, and economic importance of the HG. The results of this study may have application in understanding the strength of socioeconomic and demographic factors in influencing homegarden management practices and can be used as a baseline for further research on HG carbon storage.

Keywords


Socioeconomic Factors; Theory of Planned Behavior; Homegarden; Carbon Storage

References


Ajzen, I. 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50: 179-211.

Alassaf, A.; Majdalwi, M. and Nawash, O. 2011. Factors affecting farmer’s decision to continue farm activity in marginal areas of Jordan. African Journal of Agricultural Research 6(12): 2755-2760, doi: 10.5897/AJAR11.481.

Anjichi, V.E.; Mauyo, L.W. and Kipsat, M.J. 2007. The effect of Socioeconomic factors on a farmer's decision to adopt farm soil conservation measures: An application of multivariate logistic analysis in Butere/Mumias district Kenya. Pages 915-920, In: Bationo, A.; Waswa, B.; Kihara, J.; Kimetu, J. (Editors) Advances in Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. Springer, Dorderecht, Netherlands.

Barbhuiya, A. Sahoo, U.K. and Upadhyaya, K. 2016. Plant diversity in the indigenous homegardens in the Eastern Himalyan region of Mizoram, Northeast India. Economic Botany 70(2): 115-131.

Beedell, J. and Rehman, T. 2000. Using social-psychology models to understand farmers' conservation behavior. Journal of Rural Studies 16(1): 117 - 127.

Busari, M.A.; Kukal, S.S.; Kaur, A.; Bhatt, R. and Dulazi, A.A. 2015. Conservation tillage impacts on soil, crop and the environment. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 3(2): 119-129, doi: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2015.05.002.

Buschiazzo, D.E.; Hevia, G.G.; Hepper, E.N.; Urioste, A.; Bono, A.A. and Babinec, F. 2001. Organic C N and P in size fractions of virgin and cultivated soils of the semi- arid pampa of Argentina. Journal of Arid Environment 48: 501-508.

Buyanovsky, G.A. and Wagner, G.H. 1998. Changing role of cultivated land in the global carbon cycle. Biology and Fertility of Soils 27: 242–245.

Carter, M.R. 1996. Analysis of soil organic matter in agroecosystems. Pages 3-11, In: M.R., Carter and B.A., Stewart (Editors). Structure and Organic Matter Storage in Agricultural Soil. CRC press, Boca Raton, FL.

Du, Zhang-Liu; Wu, Wen-Liang; Zhang, Qing-Zhong; Guo, Yan-bin and Meng, Fan-qiao 2014. Long term manure amendments enhance soil aggregation and carbon saturation of stable pools in north China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 13(10): 2276-2285, doi: 10.1016/S2095-3119(14)60823-6.

FAO. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) 2004. Carbon Sequestration in Dryland Soils. World Soil Resources Report No.102. Rome, Italy. 120 pages.

Fernandes, E.C.M. and Nair, P.K.R. 1986. An evolution of the structure and function of tropical homegardens. Agricultural Systems 21:279-310.

Gebhart, D.L.; Johnson, H.B.; Mayeux, H.S. and Polley, H.W. 1994. The CRP increases soil carbon. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 49: 488–492.

Geoghegan, J., Villar; S.C., Klepeis; P.; Mendoza, P.M.; Ogneva-Himmelberger, Y.; Chowdhury, R.R.; Turner II, B.L. and Vance, C. 2001. Modeling tropical deforestation in the southern Yucatan peninsula region: comparing survey and satellite data. Agriculture Ecosystem and Environment 85: 25-46.

Glover, E.K.; Ahmed, H.A. and Glover, M.K. 2012. Analysis of socio-economic conditions influencing adaptation of agroforestry practices. International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 3(4): 178-184, doi: 10.5923/j.ijaf.20130304.09.

Gupta, R.K.; Kumar, V.; Sharma, K.R.; Buttar, T.S.; Singh, G. and Mir, G. 2017. Carbon sequestration potential through agroforestry: A review. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Science 6(8): 211-220.

Haddaway, N.R.; Hedlund, K.; Jackson, L.E.; Kalterer, T.; Lugato, E.; Thomsen, I.K.; Jorgensen, H.B. and Isberg, Per-Erik 2016. How does tillage intensity affect soil organic carbon? A systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence 5(1), doi:10.1186/S13750-016-0052-0.

Haile, S.G.; Nair, P.K.R. and Nair, V.D. 2008. Carbon storage of different soil-size fractions in Florida silvopastoral systems. Journal of Environmental Quality 37: 1789-1797, doi: 10.2134/jeq2007.0509.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2006. Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use. In: Eggleston H.S., Buendia L., Miwa K., Ngara T. and Tanabe K., Eds., 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories , Prepared by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme, IGES.

Jenkinson, D.S., 1990. The turnover of organic carbon and nitrogen in soil. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Society 329: 361 - 368.

Kiyangi, A.A. 2014. Factors Influencing the Adaptation of Agricultural Technology Among Smallholder Farmers in Kamega North Sub-county, Kenya. M.A. Dissertation, University of Nairobi, Kenya, 87 pages.

Kapkiyai, J.J.; Karanja, N.K.; Qureshi, J.N.; Smithson, P.C. and Woomer, P.L. 1999. Soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics in a Kenyan nitisol under long-term fertilizer and organic input management. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 31: 1773 -1782.

Kumar, B. M. 2006. Carbon sequestration potential of tropical homegardens. Pages185-204, In: Kumar, B,M and Nair, P.K.R. (Editors) Tropical Homegardens: A Time-tested example of Sustainable Agroforestry. Springer, Dordrecht, New York.

Kumar, B.M. and Nair, P.K.R. 2004. The enigma of tropical homegardens. Agroforestry Systems 61:135-152.

Kursten, E. 2000. Fuelwood production in agroforestry systems for sustainable land use and CO2 mitigation. Ecological Engineering 16: 69-72.

Lal, R. 1997. Residue management conservation tillage and soil restoration for mitigating greenhouse effect by CO2-enrichment. Soil Tillage Research 43: 81-107.

Lal, R.; Hassan, H.M. and Dumanski, J. 1999. Desertification control to sequester C and mitigate the greenhouse effect. Pages 83-149, In: Rosenberg, N.; Izaurralde, R.C. and Malone, E.L. (Editors). Carbon Sequestration in Soils: Science, Monitoring and Beyond. Battelle Press, Columbus, USA.

Lambin, E.F.; Turner, B.L.; Geist, H.J.; Agbola, S.B.; Angelson, A.; Bruce, J.W.; Coomes, O.T.; Dirzo, R.; Fischer, G.; Folke, C.; George, P.S.; Homewood, K.; Imbernon, J.; Leemans, R.; Li, X.; Moran, E.F.; Mortimer, M.; Ramakrishnan, P.S.; Richards, J.F.; Skanes, H.; Steffen, W.; Stone , G.D.; Svedin, U.; Veldkamp, T.A.; Vogel, C. and Xu, J. 2001. The causes of land- use and land- cover change: moving beyond the myths. Global Environmental Change 11: 261-269.

Li, E.; Yan, C.; Mei, X.; Zhang, Y. and Fan, Y. 2013. Long term effect of manure and fertilizer on soil organic carbon pools in dryland farming northwest China. PLoS One 8(2): e56536, doi: 10.1037/journal-pone.0056536.

Liang, A.; Chen, S.; Zhang, X. and Chen, X. 2014. Short-term effects of tillage practices on soil organic turnover assessed by δ 13C abundance in particle-size fractions of black soils from northeast China. Scientific World Journal vol. 2014, Article ID 514183, 7 pages. doi: 10.1155/2014/514183.

Likert R.1932. A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes. Archives of Psychology 22(140): 1-55.

Lorenz, K. and Lal, R. 2014. Soil organic carbon sequestration in Agroforestry system. A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 34: 443-454, doi. 10.1007/s13593-014-0212-y.

Mango, N.; Makate, C.; Tamene, L.; Mponela, P. and Ndengu, G. 2017. Awareness and adaptation of land, soil and water conservation practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, southern Africa. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 5(2): 122-129, doi: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.04.003.

Matata P.Z.; Ajayil, O.C.; Oduol, P.A. and Agumya, A. 2008. Socio-economic factors influencing adoption of improved fallow practices among smallholder farmers in western Tanzania. International NGO Journal 3 (4): 68-73.

Mathew, R.P.; Feng, Y.; Githinji, Ankumah, R. and Balkcom, K.S. 2012. Impact of no-tillage and conventional tillage systems on soil microbial communities. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, Article ID 548620, doi: 10.1155/2012/548620.

Mendez, V. E.; Lok, R. and Somarriba, E. 2001. Interdisciplinary analysis of homegardens in Nicaragua: Microzonation, plant use and socioeconomic importance. Agroforestry Systems 51: 85-96.

Mercer, D.E. and Miller, R.P. 1998. Socioeconomic research in agroforestry: progress prospects priorities. Agroforestry Systems 38: 177-193.

Miheretu, B.A. and Yimer, A.A. 2017. Determinants of farmers’ adaptation of land management practices in Gelana sub-watershed of northern highlands of Ethiopia. Ecological Processes 6:19, doi: 10.1186/s13717-017-0085-5.

Misra, R. 1968. Ecology Work Book. Oxford and IBH Publishing, Calcutta. 244 pages.

Nair, P.K.R. 1993. An Introduction to Agroforestry. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. The Netherlands. 499 pages.

Phillips, R.E.; Blevins, R.L.; Thomas, G.W.; Frye, W.W. and Phillips, S.H. 1980. No-tillage agriculture. Science 208: 1108 - 1113.

Pichon, F.J. 1997. Settler households and land- use patterns in the Amazon frontier: farm-level evidence from Ecuador. World Development 25: 67-91.

Pinho, R.C.; Miller, R.P. and Alfaia, S.S. 2012. Agroforestry and the improvement of soil fertility: A review from Amazonia. Applied and Environmental Soil Science Article ID 616383, doi: 10.1155/2012/616383.

Post, W.M. and Kwon, K.C. 2000. Soil carbon sequestration and land-use change: Processes and potential. Global Change Biology 6: 317–327.

Reicosky, D.C.; Kemper, W.D.; Langdale, G.W.; Douglas Jr. C.L. and Rasmussen, P.E. 1995. Soil organic matter changes resulting from tillage and biomass production. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 50: 253-261.

Riar, A.; Mandloi, L.S.; Poswal, R.S.; Messemer, M.M. and Bhullar, G.S. 2017. A diagnosis of biophysical and socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ choice to adopt organic or conventional farming system for cotton production. Front Plant Science 8: 1289, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01289.

Robertson, G.P.; Paul, E.A. and Harwood, R.R. 2000. Greenhouse gases in intensive agriculture: Contributions of individual gases to the radiative forcing of the atmosphere. Science 289: 1922 - 1925.

Saha, S.; Nair, P.K.R.; Nair, V.D. and Kumar, B.M. 2009.Soil carbon stock in relation to plant diversity of home gardens in Kerala, India. Agroforestry Systems 76: 53-65.

Sahoo, U.K. 2009. Traditional homegardens and livelihood security in north east India. Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment 7: 665-670.

Sahoo, U.K.; Rocky, P.; Vanalhriatpuia, K. and Upadhyaya, K. 2010. Structural diversity and functional dynamism of traditional homegardens of north-east India. The Bioscan, Special volume 1: 159-171.

Sahoo, U.K.; Rocky, P.; Vanlalhriatpuia, K. and Upadhaya, K. 2011. Species composition, production and energetic sustainability of homegardens in the highlands of eastern Mizoram, India. Tree and Forest Science and Biotechnology 5 (special issue):1-13.

Sahoo, U. K. and Rocky, P. 2015. Species composition and plant diversity as influenced by altitude and size of homegardens in Mizoram, North-East India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 41(3-4): 195-215.

Sahoo, U.K. 2017. Homegardens: Traditional systems for maintenance of biodiversity in Kolashib district of Mizoram, Northeast India. Pages 219-245, In: Sati, V.P. and Lalmal-sawmzuava, K.C. (Editors) Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Development and Rural Livelihoods Vol. 1, Today & tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, New Delhi 110002.

Seabrook, L.; McAlpine, C. and Fensham, R.J., 2008. What influ-ences farmers to keep trees? A case study from the Brigalow Belt Queensland Australia. Landscape Urban Planning 84: 266 -281.

Shrestha, B.M.; Chang, S.X.; Bork, E.W. and Carlyle, C.N. 2018. Enrichment planting and soil amendments enhance carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agroforestry sytems: A review. Forests, 9: 369, doi: 10.3390/f9060369

Singh, S.L. and Sahoo, U.K. 2015. Soil carbon sequestration in homegardens of different age and size in Aizawl district of Mizoram, Northeast India. NeBIO 6(3): 12-15.

Singh, S.L. and Sahoo, U.K. 2018. Assessment of biomass, carbon stock and carbon sequestration potential of two major land uses of Mizoram, India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Science 43(3): 293-306.

Six, J.; Elliott, E.T. and Paustian, P. 2000. Soil macroaggregate turnover and microaggregate formation: A mechanism for C sequestration under no-tillage agriculture. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 32: 2099–2103.

Song, K.; Yyang, J.; Xue, Y.; Lv, W.; Zheng, X. and Pan, J. 2016. Influence of tillage practices and straw incorporation in soil aggregates, organic carbon, and crop yields in a rice-wheat rotation system. Scientific Reports, 6: 36602, doi: 10:1038/srep36602.

Welch, F., 1970. Education in Production. Journal of Political Economy 78(1): 35 - 59.

Whalen, J.K. an, Chang, C. 2002. Macroaggregate characteristics in cultivated soils after 25 annual manure applications. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66: 1637 - 1647.

Xie, H.; Li, J.; Zhang, B.; Wang, L.; Wang, J.; He, H. and Zhang, X. 2015. Long-term manure amendments reduced soil aggregate stability via redistribution of the glomalin-related soil protein in macro aggregates. Scientific Reports 5: 14687, doi: 10.1038/srep14687.

Yelenik, S.G.; Stock, W.D. and Richardson, D.M., 2004. Ecosystem level impacts of invasive Acacia saligna in the South African fynbos. Restoration Ecology 12: 44-51.


Full Text: PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

COPYRIGHT of this Journal vests fully with the National Instional Institute of Ecology. Any commercial use of the content on this site in any form is legally prohibited.