ISSN 2348-313X (Print) International Journal of Life Sciences Research ISSN 2348-3148 (online) Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp: (14-19), Month: April - June 2021, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
A Comparative Study on Agroecological Benefits of Nine Seeded Holes Technology and Traditional Farming in Singida Rural District, Tanzania 1 1
Augustine Keya, 2Dr Dominick Ringo, 3Josephine Ng‟ang‟a, 4Emanuel lyatuu
Project Officer, 2 Director, 3 Program leader, 4 Project Manager, RECODA (Research, Community and Organizational Development Associates) Nanenane Themi Ground- Njiro, P.O. Box 10633 Arusha. Tel: +255 27 2549350, Email: info@recoda.or.tz., website: www.recoda.or.tz
Abstract: A mixed method research consisted of quantitative and qualitative carried out using descriptive and experiemental research design aimed to compare agroecological benefit of nine seeded holes and traditional farming on maize production in Singida rural district, Tanzania. A total of 50 respondents with the experience of using nine seeded holes and traditional farming for more than three cropping season and aged 18 years and above were included in the study. The sample size was calculated using kothari 2004. Data was collected using questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussion and pairwise ranking whereby field experimental data was collected using observation and keeping record of changes. All data collected was subjected to quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative analysis was analysed through SPSS-26 and Rstudio. Whereas qualitative material was analyzed by using NVivo-12 software and chi-squire and anova test was used to test the level of significance. The study discovered that nine seeded holes technology is much more productive than traditional farming system and has more agroecological profit and benefits compared to traditional farming in maize production in semi arid area. Keywords: comparative agroecological, profit, benefit, nine seeded holes technology, traditional farming.
1. INTRODUCTION Agroecology is a major part of the global responses to the impact of climate change offering a unique approach to meet vital increases in our food needs of the future[1].Globally the rise in maize yield per hectare is vividly slower as compared to rate of increasing population [2]. The current reports show that up to the year 2100 there will be decline in the production of maize yields by 20%-45% [2]. Whereas other reports recognized that maize production would have decreased not less than 10% globally and equal to 50% in some regions of the world as a results of climate change [3]. Tanzania is among the thirteen highly affected countries in the world by the effects of climate change [4]. Large number of populations in rural area who mostly depend on maize production for their livelihoods are affected by decreased availability of water as a result of change in rainfall patterns or increased temperature [4]. Rural inhabitants are mostly exposed to food insecurity than urban inhabitants whereas food shortages are mainly reported by households located in drought area[5]. This is due to poor temporal and uneven poor spatial distribution of short rain combined with a late start and early stop in some area [6]. Other factors include poor soil fertility, water retention, limited household stocks, and overdependence of maize as a staple food and poor maize yields caused by degraded soils [7] .Therefore increasing maize production is a vital challenge for them [6]. Water as a vital aspect that enable maize growth needs to be constant in the soil to improve maize growth [8]. In order to harvest rainwater, restore soil to the sufficient level of fertility and to increase yield agroecological micro catchment rainwater harvesting technology are promoted by NGOs and ministry of agriculture in semi-arid area of Tanzania [9].
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