Bernard Fungo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Bernard Fungo

Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management, Sep 21, 2011

A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirement fo... more A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Forestry of Makerere University

African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) commissioned a pilot study to understand the... more The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) commissioned a pilot study to understand the role of markets and marketing systems in African agriculture and to test the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) and its innovation platforms (IPs) as a new strategy for wealth creation. This was in response to the fact that Sub-Saharan Africaâ€™s small-scale farmers seem to have been trapped in cycles of poverty, and that the regional economy has stagnated. Using a market baseline survey in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSACP) found that disorganised markets and marketing were major factors in perpetuating poverty cycles and subsistence agriculture. These markets are characterised, among others, by too many players within a value chain, a lack of collective marketing and collective purchasing, poor transport infrastructure, a lack of value addition, poor market information, poor access to mark...

Tomatoes rank first among rainy season vegetables produced for cash within the Lake Victoria Cres... more Tomatoes rank first among rainy season vegetables produced for cash within the Lake Victoria Crescent Agro-Ecological zone of Uganda. Vegetable farmers are shifting to dry season production to improve market prices. The challenge to the tomato growers is how to manage irrigation for maximum yields. A 3-year field experiment was carried out on medium soils to determine the most appropriate irrigation schedule for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production under drip irrigation in the zone. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three replicates was adapted for experimental design. A tomato variety MT56 was studied for three seasons under three treatments (T1= daily, T2=2 day T3= 5 day) irrigation intervals compared with rain fed crop (T0=control). Fifteen plants per treatment were used for monitoring stem elongation and estimating yield at harvest. FAO Cropwat 8.0 model was used for simulating the seasonal crop water requirements using a timing of 100% depletion of readily availabl...

African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013

In this study we investigate the profitability of potato and pineapple enterprises and the techni... more In this study we investigate the profitability of potato and pineapple enterprises and the technical efficiency and drivers of efficiency among potato farmers, chosen purposively within IAR4D project sites in southwestern Uganda. For enterprise profitability, a non-parametric net crop revenue analysis was used, while a stochastic frontier parametric approach was used to analyse technical efficiency. Both potato and pineapple enterprises were found to be profitable, although returns from pineapples were lower. Seasonality impacted on the gross returns of both enterprises. Pineapple prices were lower than for potatoes during the peak seasons, but off-peak prices rose 350% above the peak price, resulting in substantial increases in gross incomes. All potato farms were inefficient. However, female farmers were relatively more efficient than male farmers. Education was positively and significantly associated with efficiency, indicating that public investments in education have complement...

Agroforestry Systems, 2019

Fodder banks are important agroforestry technologies that improve access to off-season livestock ... more Fodder banks are important agroforestry technologies that improve access to off-season livestock feed among smallholder farmers. However, fodder banks also contribute to nutrient mining, through biomass transfer, and therefore their sustainably may be downplayed. In order to identify sustainable managemt options, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of management practices (spacing and pruning frequency) on forage yield and soil organic carbon (SOC) of two contrasting leguminous Calliandra calothyrsus Meissner and non-leguminous ( Vernonia amygdalina Del) fodder shrubs. A field trial, with the two shrubs separately planted at different spacing (0.75 × 0.75 m and 1.0 × 1.0 m) and frequency of complete pruning (5- and 9-week interval), was established in a three-replicate randomized complete block design. Harvesting of fodder biomass was done for two consecutive years from the start of pruning. Total and aggregate SOC of the top soil (0–15 cm) and sub-soil (0.15–0.30 m) was assessed in four particle-size fractions. For both species, wider spacing significantly reduced ( p = 0.037) forage biomass by approximately 20%. Pruning at 9-weeks produced more forage biomass for C. calothyrsus , but not for V. amygdalina . The size of the soil aggregates significantly increased ( p = 0.027) by 8% in the 9-week compared to 5-week pruning frequency. Total organic carbon (TOC) in sub soil under C. calothyrsus was 7% higher than that under V. amygdalina . Wider spacing and lower pruning frequency significantly increased OC in sub soil ( p = 0.003) by 4% and 9%, respectively. Therefore, a spacing of 1.0 m combined with a pruning frequency of 9 weeks is optimum for forage and SOC. These results suggest that the sustainability of fodder banks can be achieved by optimizing pruning frequency and plant spacing. Therefore, proper management of fodder banks can contribute to climate-smart agriculture through increasing soil carbon sequestration and increased livestock productivity among stallholder farmers.

Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2019

African Journal of Plant Science, 2017

Field crops research, 2017

Biochar has been shown to reduce soil emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O in short-term incubation and ... more Biochar has been shown to reduce soil emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O in short-term incubation and greenhouse experiments. Such controlled experiments failed to represent variable field conditions, and rarely included crop growth feedback. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of biochar, in comparison to green manure and mineral nitrogen, on greenhouse gas Emissions Intensity (EI = emissions in CO2 equivalents per ton of grain yield) in a low-fertility tropical Ultisol. Using a field trial in western Kenya, biochar (0 and 2.5 t ha(-1); made from Eucalyptus wood) was integrated with urea (0 and 120 kg N ha(-1)) and green manure (Tithonia diversifolia; 0, 2.5 and 5 t ha(-1)) in a factorial design for four consecutive seasons from October 2012 to August 2014. Compared to the control, biochar increased soil CO2 emissions (9-33%), reduced soil CH4 uptake (7-59%) and reduced soil N2O emissions (1-42%) in each season, with no seasonal differences. N2O emissions increased foll...

Soil and Tillage Research, 2017

Journal of Biology Agriculture and Healthcare, 2013

Intercropping, particularly with legumes, is a food security and soil fertility management strate... more Intercropping, particularly with legumes, is a food security and soil fertility management strategy of smallholder , resource-poor farmers in sub Saharan Africa. Understanding the extent of and factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt intercropping practices is central to decisions to promote this practice. We assessed the socioeconomic factors affecting the farmers' choice to adopt an emerging rice intercrop technology in the Lake Victoria Crescent Agro-ecological Zone (LVCAZ) of Uganda. A household survey was conducted with 171 rice farmers in Kiboga, Kayunga and Luwero districts. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the willingness of farmers to adopt the rice intercrops. Results show that approximately 60% of the farmers are willing to adopt the practice. The willingness to adopt is higher with higher level of education of household heads, contact with extension agents and training, ease of access to rice seed and membership to farmer groups. On the other hand, farmer experience with rice cultivation negatively affects willingness to adopt the technology. The implication of our findings is that extension agents, especially the National Agricultural Advisory Services, should work with farmer groups to create awareness of the benefits of rice intercrops, link them with research institutions such as the National Agricultural Research Organization to enable them access seed. The Participatory Market Chain Approaches that have already shown success in potato value chains should be promoted so that commercial rice farmers have alternative markets for secondary crops from the intercrops. Further studies into the economic and social and environmental benefits of these practices are required to shed light on their sustainability.

African Journal of Agricultural Research, Jun 20, 2013

A study was conducted from 2005-2007 in areas around Mabira Forest Reserve, Central Uganda. The o... more A study was conducted from 2005-2007 in areas around Mabira Forest Reserve, Central Uganda. The objectives were to assess: awareness of the local communities about the current Forest Policy in Uganda, the local communities' opinions about the efficacy of the current Forest Policy, and the capacity in terms of training to manage forest resources by local communities. Fifty-two households from 4 villages were interviewed in Najjembe sub-county in Mukono district that surrounding Mabira Forest Reserve. Questions were pre-determined and interviews guided. Individuals were interviewed for about 30-60 min. Primary data were subjected to content analysis, coded and subsequently analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS). About 78% of the respondents were aware of the current Forest Policy in Uganda. About 59% of the respondents said that utilization and socio-economic benefits is strongly supported by the Forest Policy. Half of the respondents disagree that local pe...