Examinando por Autor "Hove, Rumbidzai Chipo"

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Design and conceptualization of an agroforestry system in the dry tropics using the software SExI-FS : project La Flor, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
(Universidad EARTH, 2016-12) Hove, Rumbidzai Chipo; Morales Peña, Victor Hugo
Since the world is not expanding in land space, innovative and strategic methods of practicing agriculture more efficiently in the areas available are required. In countries such as Zimbabwe, many farmers have turned to tobacco farming, a cash crop, which brings in an income substantially higher than other options. However, this practice has led to the deforestation of many areas and there is need to recuperate the soil fertility via the diversification of crops planted on one given piece of land. In order to discourage rural farmers from socially and environmentally hazardous agricultural practices, there needs to be a system they can convert to which gives them more financial gains than tobacco farming. Agroforestry, a system where various components of crops interact, is a possible solution. By employing the Spatially Explicit Individual-based Forest Simulator (SExI-FS) software to design and conceptualize an agroforestry system (AFS) in the dry tropics, this study determined the growth of the components of each system over the span of ten years. The use of this technology enabled the visualization of the development of selected crops in 2D and 3D form, acting as a tool to forecast the necessary activities, thereby saving them time, money and inputs. This study investigated the interactions between three components of the AFS and proposed various species of arboreal, perennial and annual crops apt for the dry zones of Costa Rica and Zimbabwe. The usefulness of the selected plants was based on the social, economic and environmental benefits they brought to the nations (food security and rural development). Through this project, it is evident that strategically investing on climate smart agriculture, incorporating traditional farming methods and investigating market needs well in advance are all of equal importance to the success of agriculture in these regions.