Analysis of maize production in Honduras: Linking census data to environment variables through geographic information systems
1999
Barreto, H.J. | Hartkamp, A.D.
Because data from traditional censuses are not spatially referenced, biophysical information is generally the only type used to define the spatial domains for targeting technologies. Using existing census data for Honduras aggregated at the municipality and village levels (291 municipalities and 3,728 villages), agricultural census data were linked to spatial data for altitude, precipitation, and market access. Village-level census data were stratified by altitude (1,000, 1,000-1,200, 1,200-1500,1,500 m) and farm size (5,5-20, 20-100, 100-500 and 500 ha.). This study characterizes four principal maize production systems in a spatial and temporal context: 1) summer season maize under monoculture; 2) summer season maize under intercropping; 3) winter season maize under monoculture; and 4) winter season maize under intercropping. By far the most important and widespread maize production system is summer monocropped maize, accounting for two-thirds of national maize harvested area and about 75percent of maize production. Summer intercropped maize and winter monocropped maize are more geographically concentrated. Differences in maize productivity (as measured by grain yield) were observed as a function of cropping season, system, altitude class, and farm size. Average yields for the 1,000, 1,000-1,200, 1,200-1500 and 1,500 altitude classes were 1.47, 1.07, 1.01, and 1.13 t/ha, respectively. In the summer season monoculture systems, a positive relationship between yield and farm size was found. Maize yields in the intercropped systems were low (0.5-1.0 t/ha) and were less related to farm size. Most maize area was planted at elevations below 1,000 m on farms of less than 20 ha (57percent).
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre