This presentation gives highlights from a doctoral research study contributing to sustainable management of smallholder banana farming systems for food security in central Uganda under the prevailing climatic conditions.

1. Joshua Zake Doctoral Thesis highlights, 17 March 2015
Masterseminar 910301 and Disertantenseminar 910400 –
Sommersemester 2015
Email: joshua.zake@boku.ac.at or joszake@gmail.com
Smallholder Banana Farming Systems and
Climate Variability: Understanding the
Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation in Mpigi
District, Uganda
Supervisors:
Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern, (Univ.Prof. Dr.phil.) Institute of Soil Research
Michael Hauser, (Ass. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.), Centre for Development Research

2. Introduction
• Uganda is one of the most unprepared and vulnerable countries
in the world in respect to impacts of climate variability disasters
• Farmers' perceptions are rarely integrated in the implementation
of climate change disasters preparedness policy strategies.
• Climate variability will worsen soil fertility depletion, which is
already a major constraint to agricultural productivity
• Agroforestry farming systems are more resilient (through soil
fertility improvement, C storage) to climate variability compared
to monocultures.

3. Main objective of the study
To contribute to sustainable banana farming systems
for food security amidst climate change impacts among
smallholder farmers in Central Uganda.
Specific objectives
(i) To examine farmers’ perceptions of the implementation of
climate change disaster preparedness policy strategies;
(ii) To evaluate the soil fertility status and C storage in
smallholder banana farming systems under the current climate
variability.

4. Study site characteristics
--Banana and Coffee are
major food and cash in
Uganda.
--Banana is grown as
monoculture or banana-
coffee agroforestry.
--Dominant soils are highly
old weathered Ferralsols.
--Rainfall is bimodal; Annual
average is 1320 mm.

5. Site selection
The study was conducted in Nkozi
and Kituntu sub-counties.
Materials and methods
--Literature review
--Preparation of research tools i.e.
survey questionnaires and check lists
for key informants and focus group
discussions.
--Research tools were tailored to
integrate gender issues.

6. Materials and methods
Farmer selection (socio-economy)
The respondents (133) and farmers (30) involved in the survey,
focus group discussions were randomly selected were as key
informants (30) were purposively selected
Farm selection (carbon storage)
• The 20 farms evaluated for soil fertility and C storage were
identified through simple stratified sampling and selected
purposively.
• Thus, each farming system was a stratum and 10 farms were
evaluated under banana monoculture versus banana agroforestry

7. Location of
selected farms
Paper 2– Zake et al. (2015). J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

8. Soil sampling and analyses
--Soil samples were randomly collected
from 100x100 m plots located along flat
plains within 20-40 m from the valleys on
each of the selected farms.
--They were obtained from the top and
sub layers and for each layer 6 replicates
were obtained. Thus, in total 240 samples
were collected.
--Soil samples were analyzed for total soil
organic matter, total soil C, total N, plant-
available P, exchangeable K, pH, soil
texture, bulk density.

9. Soil sampling and analyses
• Depth of top and sub soil layers was determined using a tape
measure.
• Soil core samples were collected for each soil layer up a 20 cm
depth. Soil core diameter was measured and fresh weight of
each core sample was measured using a field scale.
• Soil C stocks were calculated based on total organic carbon and
bulk density using formulae according to Murphy et al. (2003).

10. Data collection
Aboveground plant
biomass (on Ha basis) of
major trees (coffee,
bananas & key tree
species) was determined
using allometric equations
based on measurements
of diameter and height of
trees & tree bulk density.
Belowground biomass for
each tree species was
derived from the
aboveground biomass
using the equation by
Cairns et al. (1997).

11. Data analyses
• Total C pools under each were calculated as a sum of
aboveground, belowground and soil carbon in the soil layers.
• Data generated using the survey questionnaires were analyzed
using SPSS 16 to generate percentages for variables and
correlations between the variables using Chi-square.
• Gender was integrated in the analyses to compare perceptions
of males and females.
• Further analysis was done using a 2-factorial model to
determine analysis of variance at 5% using GenStat 13.

12. Interaction between key actors and farmers in the implementation of community
early warning actions in Mpigi district.
Paper 1 – Zake and Hauser (2014); Journal of Environmental Hazards.

13. Key results (socio-economy)
Respondents’ perceptions of early actions implemented against climate
change disasters in Mpigi district based on gender (n = 133).
Paper 1 – Zake and Hauser (2014); Journal of Environmental Hazards.

14. Key results (carbon storage)
Selected soil chemical properties of banana farming systems in
Mpigi district, Central Uganda.
Paper 2– Zake et al. (2015). J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

15. Paper 2– Zake et al. (2015). J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

16. Key results
Paper 2 – Zake et al. (2015). J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

17. Conclusions
• The inadequate implementation of climate change disaster
preparedness strategies at community level triggers early actions
by farmers
• Banana-coffee agroforestry improves soil fertility and C storage
under the prevailing climate conditions.
• Future research should focus on:
--Evaluation of the effectiveness of implementation of climate
change disasters management strategies by existing actors;
--Evaluation of C pools in deeper layers and greenhouse gas
emissions of smallholder banana farming systems.

18. Take home message
• Implementation of community climate change adaptation and
mitigation strategies should be strengthened.
• Farmer’s early actions for addressing climate change disasters should
be supported.
• Promotion of Banana-coffee agroforestry would result in more C
storage per ha compared to banana monoculture.
• Agricultural and environmental policies should implement this
shift.

19. Acknowledgements
Individuals
Supervisors
--Prof. Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern;
--Dr. Michael Hauser.
Advisory Team
--Priv. Doz. Dr. Stephan A. Pietsch;
-- Ao. Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Jürgen K. Friedel.
Others
--DI Elke Stinnig;
--Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.
Axel Mentler,
--Dr. Charles Walaga;
--Colleagues at the Institute of Soil Research and
CDR
Institutions
--OeAD/APPEAR
Program;
--Institute of Soil
Research;
--Centre for Development
Research;
--Environmental Alert;
--Mpigi District Local
Government;
--Smallholder farmers
from Kituntu and Nkozi
sub-counties
Thank you very much/Danke/Mwebale nnyo!!!

20. References
• Paper 1 - Zake, J. and Hauser, M. (2014). Farmers' perceptions
of implementation of climate variability disaster preparedness
strategies in Central Uganda. Journal of Environmental Hazards.
doi:10.1080/17477891.2014.910491
• Paper 2 - Zake, J., Pietsch, S. A., Friedel, J. K. and
Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S. (2015). Can agroforestry improve
soil fertility and carbon storage in smallholder banana farming
systems?. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. doi: 10.1002/jpln.201400281