A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Awareness and interest in Biochar Soil Amendments in Northern Namibia
Authors: Pratiwi, Ayu; Haufiku, Anna; Lisao, Kamuhelo; Ndeinoma, Albertina; Ndeunyema, Elizabeth; Amuthenu, Ndapandula; Huttunen, Sanna
Editors: Jayanegara, A.; Abu Hassim, H.; Iqbal, N.
Conference name: International Seminar on Tropical Bioresources Advancement and Technology
Publication year: 2025
Journal: BIO Web of Conferences
Book title : The 2nd International Seminar on Tropical Bioresources Advancement and Technology (ISOTOBAT 2025)
Volume: 186
ISSN: 2273-1709
eISSN: 2117-4458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202518602015
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202518602015
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499601454
Bush encroachment is a major driver of soil degradation in Northern Namibia, threatening rangeland health and agricultural productivity. This study investigated local awareness and interest in biochar production as a soil amendment derived from encroached bush biomass. We delivered identical workshops in three constituencies in the Ohangwena Region, targeting smallholder farmers and combining technical lectures on biochar with both technical and practical sessions on composting and tree planting, and then measured the determinants of attendance, knowledge gains, and practice preferences. Our results found that households living farther from the training venue and local administrative office were more likely to attend and rate the training as more valuable, suggesting that formal workshops fill an information gap in remote areas. In contrast, tenure-secure households showed less urgency to adopt organic soil amendments and practices that demand extra labor, time, and on-farm biomass, which may strain their available resources. These findings underscore the need for decentralized training programs closer to remote and smaller village clusters, targeted engagement with land-secure farmers, and community-based forestry arrangements to support collective soil fertility management and tree- planting efforts.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |