Journal Articles

This study provides new insights into the co-occurrence of rhizosphere bacteria and archaea and the long-term impact of inorganic fertilization on these communities across developmental stages of field-grown rice. The long-term impact of inorganic fertilization on these communities across the developmental stages of field-grown rice could help to develop strategies to successfully manipulate microbial communities to improve rice yields

This study assesses the impact of the improved GEM parboiling system on the livelihoods of women rice parboilers and the factors affecting adoption of the GEM system, and estimates its impact on income, production rates and food security in Benin. In general, the results indicate that supporting and promoting the training of women parboilers in GEM and contact with extension agents is a means of increasing adoption and access to the technology and, consequently, improving their livelihoods.

This study examines the role of gender in income distribution among rice farmers in rural Ghana. The study used a two-stage BFG model, using primary data collected from rice farmers. The results show that gender, land ownership and childcare negatively influence women's use of inorganic fertilizer and also show that gender (women), childcare and location (where women have limited access to land) have a significant and inverse influence on inorganic fertilizer use.

This article aims to understand consumer preferences for rice quality attributes in Uganda and Kenya. The method consisted of collecting rice samples from retail markets in different districts/towns in the two countries and analyzing them in a grain quality laboratory to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of rice. The result is that Ugandan consumers are willing to pay a premium for rice with a relatively high proportion of intact grains, but ignore white grains.

This paper examines gender-specific rice trait preferences and their role in the adoption of improved rice varieties among male and female rice farmers in Ghana. Four hundred rice-farming households and 261 consumers were surveyed in 20 communities using a simple random sampling technique. The results show differences in preferences for cooking quality traits and postharvest traits among men and women farmers

This paper identifies some ways to effectively transfer complex and gender-biased technology information and knowledge (TIK) to both men and women by analyzing the diffusion of Smart-valleys technology in West-Africa. ANOVA and Fisher’s exact tests were applied to data collected from 1120 lowland rice farmers in West Africa. Results confirm the general gender inequality in TIK communication.

In this paper, authors evaluated farmers' local strategies for adapting to water scarcity in dry climatic zones of West Africa, as a necessary foundation for co-designing adaptive technologies that are more efficient than farmers' existing strategies.

In this article, authors developed a mid-season drainage technology to reduce iron toxicity and increase rice yield and water productivity and the suitable domains for its application. This is a significant contribution to increasing rice yield in iron-toxicity-affected rice fields in Africa, which cover 897,000 ha.

This paper contributes to the growing literature on empowerment by proposing a new survey-based, multi-domain empowerment measurement tool, the Individual Empowerment Index (IEI). Results from applying the IEI approach to data collected show that Female farmers have less control over their lives and are less empowered than male farmers. The new IEI is a suitable tool and is recommended for quantitative and rigorous impact assessment and monitoring of programs and projects empowerment indicators.

In this article, Genetic control of submergence tolerance was studied in an African landrace of moderately submergence tolerant rice 'TOS6454. A total of 57 lines carrying both qSUB2 and qSUB9 alleles were superior to all other lines in submergence tolerance.Pyramiding qSUB2 with the SUB1 gene locus is expected to further improve submergence tolerance in elite rice varieties.