Browsing by Author "Farquharson RJ"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Identifying potential for decision support tools through farm systems typology analysis coupled with participatory research: A case for smallholder farmers in Myanmar
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-06-02) Thar SP; Ramilan T; Farquharson RJ; Chen D; Gröngröft A
    Decision Support Tools (DSTs) in agriculture have been widely developed but have not been well accepted by smallholder farmers. One reason for the limited use is that the tools do not account for the complexity of heterogeneous smallholder farming systems. Identifying farm typologies has facilitated technology transfer to target groups of farmers. Accounting for heterogeneity in farm systems can help in designing and deploying DSTs to address farmer needs. Typology analysis was applied to a 600-household survey dataset to identify different farm system types. Qualitative participatory research was used to assess the potential deployment of DSTs for fertilizer management. Six types of farm systems were identified with distinct characteristics in the study area of central Myanmar. Participatory research through focus group discussions with 34 participants from the six different farm types validated the farm typologies and found that farmers from one type considered that DSTs could be useful in gaining more information and knowledge. An important finding was that DSTs providing prescriptive advice were inconsistent with what many farmers want. Farmers indicated that discussion groups are a preferred learning-based approach rather than a prescriptive tool. Farmers preferred video clips and infographics integrated into existing familiar digital platforms. This study identifies heterogeneity within a large farm sample and develops a deeper understanding of fertilizer decisions as well as knowledge and intentions related to the use of DSTs or apps via follow-up focus group discussions. Incorporating a participatory research framework with typology identification can have a beneficial role in direct interactions with smallholders that may increase their acceptability of DSTs. This study has generated valuable information about farmer types and serves as a starting point for developing a framework for discussion support systems that may better relate to the needs of farmers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Optimal nitrogen fertilizer decisions for rice farming in a cascaded tank system in Sri Lanka: An analysis using an integrated crop, hydro-nutrient and economic model
    (Elsevier B V, 2023-04-01) Kanthilanka H; Ramilan T; Farquharson RJ; Weerahewa J; Timsina J
    CONTEXT: The ancient irrigation systems in Sri Lanka, known as village tank cascade systems, were developed to ensure an adequate and sustainable supply of good quality water to communities. However, there is growing concern about health and environmental issues related to the degradation of water quality caused by excessive nitrogen (N) levels from the overuse of chemical fertilizer. Subsidies for chemical fertilizer have encouraged fertilizer use for rice production in Sri Lanka. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate the use of N fertilizers for rice production in the Thirappane cascaded tank system and its impact on nitrate water quality. An optimal rate of N use was determined based on private (farm-level) decisions on fertilizer use. However, the private optimal fertilizer rate is not adequate for overall social welfare due to market failures such as incomplete information and the lack of a market to account for the negative impact of fertilizer use on tank water quality. The hypothesis is that the social optimal fertilizer rate is lower than the private optimal rate due to this discrepancy. The study aims to identify the sources of inefficiency in the sub-optimal use of fertilizers from a social perspective. METHOD: We developed an integrated crop, hydro-nutrient and economic model to analyze fertilizer decisions in the rice production process. The method involved conducting a marginal economic analysis based on simulated yield responses to N fertilizer and prices for inputs and outputs. The analysis was performed for three soil types across the Maha (rainy) and Yala (dry) seasons and for three different weather scenarios within each season. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: When the negative impact of nitrate contamination on water quality is taken into account, the optimal N fertilizer rate from a social perspective is always lower than the optimal rate determined solely by private economic considerations. These optimal rates varied based on factors such as soil type, season, weather conditions during the growing season, and fertilizer prices. At unregulated, higher, fertilizer prices, the crop yields achieved at the social optimum were only slightly lower than those achieved under the private economic optimum. However, under regulated, lower, fertilizer prices, achieving the social optimum would require a larger reduction in N fertilizer use and result in a greater decrease in crop yields. SIGNIFICANCE: A systematic analysis that takes into account the social costs can serve as a guide for creating effective policies aimed at enhancing fertilizer decision making
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Recommended vs. Practice: smallholder fertilizer decisions in central Myanmar
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-01-14) Thar SP; Farquharson RJ; Ramilan T; Coggins S; Chen D
    Agriculture in Myanmar has substantial development potential given the abundance of land, water, and labor resources in the country. Despite this, agricultural productivity in Myanmar is low and farm incomes are amongst the lowest in Asia. The underperformance of crops and low yield is widely reported to be due to low fertilizer use by smallholders. This study investigated the perceptions of smallholders about fertilizer use for cereal crops by considering their motives and decision making. We reported results of a 600 smallholders’ survey and tested whether the reportedly low fertilizer use by smallholders is generally true for central Myanmar. We compared the fertilizer application timing against recommended “good management practices”. Among the surveyed rice farmers, the average fertilizer applied was much higher than previously reported national average fertilizer rates while the majority of the surveyed maize farmers were found to be applying less than the national recommended rates. With respect to timing, nearly half of the surveyed smallholders were not applying nitrogen at the estimated panicle initiation stage, which is often crucial to increase yield, and the majority (82%) of smallholders were applying phosphorus throughout the growth stages, when earlier applications are desirable. Smallholders may be able to reduce the cost of labor by reducing the number of P applications and avoiding late applications.