Cultivation potential of different mango varieties in Kenya, considering likely impacts of climate change

作者：James Kinyae Ngulu, Roeland Kindt, Eike Luedeling, Katja Kehlenbeck · 发表于：CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · 年份：2013 · 研究领域：Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems

Agroforestry can potentially help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. Trees, including fruit trees, are less prone to water stress than annual crops, and they provide valuable products for subsistence and income generation. Mango (Mangifera indica L.) production is an integral component of rural livelihoods in many parts of Kenya, but farmers’ ability to grow this tree crop may be compromised by future climate change. These impacts are currently difficult to gauge, because the diversity of cultivated mango varieties, their distributions across Kenya’s agro-ecological zones and their climatic requirements are poorly understood. Such information is needed for modelling future suitable ranges and for identifying areas in need of new, better adapted mango varieties. This study sought to establish the spatial distribution and performance of mango varieties along an elevation
\n gradient across a broad spectrum of agro-ecological zones. Farmers’ opinions about the future prospects of mango cultivation were documented. On 228 spatially-randomly selected farms, all mango varieties were inventoried and semi-structured questionnaires completed together with farmers. Qualitative response models were used to analyse and evaluate farmer’s success following the adoption of different mango varieties. The survey identified 28 mango varieties, which varied widely in occurrence and abundance along the elevation gradient. Abundance, number and type of varieties also varied with gen...