143
4 Conclusions and Recommendations
The results from this study have demonstrated that (1) smallholder maize farmers’
practice produced less maize stover biomass than improved agronomic management practices; (2) rice straw productivity between the two methods did not differ
appreciably; (3) both maize stover and rice straw macro- and micronutrient concentrations did not differ markedly between the improved agronomic management and
farmer practices; (4) except for K in rice straw and Fe and Mn in both crop residues,
all other assessed macro- and micronutrients were very low to support livestock
growth, production and reproduction; and (5) even with the optimal and appropriate
application of required plant nutrients and protection against pests, it is high biomass production that is realised rather than increased macro- and micronutrient concentration in the crop residues. Therefore the benefit of improved agronomical
management practices is to increase crop residue biomass to feed more animals and
leave some residues for soil protection against erosion. There is a need, therefore, to
strategically train the smallholder farmers in treating the increased cereal crop residues from improved agronomical practices for efficient utilisation to enhance sustainable smallholder crop-livestock farming systems intensification in Tanzania.
Acknowledgements The authors of this chapter would like to thank the Norwegian government,
Yara International and Syngenta International for the financial support and Sokoine University of
Agriculture for the logistical support during the period of this study. Special thanks to Dr. Frank
Brentrup of Research Centre Hanninghof, Yara International, Dulmen, Germany, for the sample
handling and analysis. The authors are also grateful to the district council’s extension workers for
their assistance in data collection and smallholder maize and rice farmers in Njombe, Kilombero
and Mvomero districts for allowing part of their farms to be used in this study.
References
Abd-Talib N, Ahamad A, Mohd-Setapar S, Khamis AK, Lokhat D, Rufatullah M (2018) Removal
of silica from rice straw by using alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution in fixed bed column.
J Mater Environ Sci 9:864–872
Duncan AJ, Tarawali SA, Thorne PJ, Valubuena D, Descheemaeker K, Homann-Keetut S (2013)
Integrated crop-livestock systems – a key to sustainable intensification in Africa. Trop Grassl
1:202–206
FAOSTAT (2012) The food and agricultural organisation’s statistical database. Land Use
Area Database. Available Online at http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/DesktopDefault.
aspx?PageID=377#ancor
Foster AD, Rosenweig MR (2010) Microeconomics of technology adaption. Centre discussion
paper no. Economics Growth Centre, Yale University, New Haven, p 984
Kashenge-Killenga S, Meliyo J, Urassa G, Kongo V (2016) Extent of salt-affected soils and
their effects in irrigated and lowland rain-fed rice growing areas of southwestern Tanzania.
In: Lal R, Kraybill D, Hansen DO, Singh BR, Mosogoya T, Eik LO (eds) Climate change
and multi-dimensional sustainability in African agriculture. Springer, Basel, pp 97–126. ISBN
978-3-319-41238-2
Lenne JM, Thomas D (2006) Integrating crop-livestock research and development in SuSaharan
Africa. Option, Imperative and impossible? Outlook Agr 35:167–175
Productivity and Chemical Composition of Maize Stover and Rice Straw Under…
4 Conclusions and Recommendations
The results from this study have demonstrated that (1) smallholder maize farmers’
practice produced less maize stover biomass than improved agronomic management practices; (2) rice straw productivity between the two methods did not differ
appreciably; (3) both maize stover and rice straw macro- and micronutrient concentrations did not differ markedly between the improved agronomic management and
farmer practices; (4) except for K in rice straw and Fe and Mn in both crop residues,
all other assessed macro- and micronutrients were very low to support livestock
growth, production and reproduction; and (5) even with the optimal and appropriate
application of required plant nutrients and protection against pests, it is high biomass production that is realised rather than increased macro- and micronutrient concentration in the crop residues. Therefore the benefit of improved agronomical
management practices is to increase crop residue biomass to feed more animals and
leave some residues for soil protection against erosion. There is a need, therefore, to
strategically train the smallholder farmers in treating the increased cereal crop residues from improved agronomical practices for efficient utilisation to enhance sustainable smallholder crop-livestock farming systems intensification in Tanzania.
Acknowledgements The authors of this chapter would like to thank the Norwegian government,
Yara International and Syngenta International for the financial support and Sokoine University of
Agriculture for the logistical support during the period of this study. Special thanks to Dr. Frank
Brentrup of Research Centre Hanninghof, Yara International, Dulmen, Germany, for the sample
handling and analysis. The authors are also grateful to the district council’s extension workers for
their assistance in data collection and smallholder maize and rice farmers in Njombe, Kilombero
and Mvomero districts for allowing part of their farms to be used in this study.
References
Abd-Talib N, Ahamad A, Mohd-Setapar S, Khamis AK, Lokhat D, Rufatullah M (2018) Removal
of silica from rice straw by using alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution in fixed bed column.
J Mater Environ Sci 9:864–872
Duncan AJ, Tarawali SA, Thorne PJ, Valubuena D, Descheemaeker K, Homann-Keetut S (2013)
Integrated crop-livestock systems – a key to sustainable intensification in Africa. Trop Grassl
1:202–206
FAOSTAT (2012) The food and agricultural organisation’s statistical database. Land Use
Area Database. Available Online at http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/DesktopDefault.
aspx?PageID=377#ancor
Foster AD, Rosenweig MR (2010) Microeconomics of technology adaption. Centre discussion
paper no. Economics Growth Centre, Yale University, New Haven, p 984
Kashenge-Killenga S, Meliyo J, Urassa G, Kongo V (2016) Extent of salt-affected soils and
their effects in irrigated and lowland rain-fed rice growing areas of southwestern Tanzania.
In: Lal R, Kraybill D, Hansen DO, Singh BR, Mosogoya T, Eik LO (eds) Climate change
and multi-dimensional sustainability in African agriculture. Springer, Basel, pp 97–126. ISBN
978-3-319-41238-2
Lenne JM, Thomas D (2006) Integrating crop-livestock research and development in SuSaharan
Africa. Option, Imperative and impossible? Outlook Agr 35:167–175
Productivity and Chemical Composition of Maize Stover and Rice Straw Under…