A Multi-Objective Model Exploration of Banana-Canopy Management and Nutrient Input Scenarios for Optimal Banana-Legume Intercrop Performance

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Thank you for the submission of your manuscript, and I appreciate the extensive work and effort of the authors. Here are my comments.

 

L144-145: “complexity of systems” - meaning of the “systems” is not clear. “Agricultural systems” or “cultivation systems”?

L190-191, 206: “five different fertilizer options” - There is “goat manure + inorganic fertilizer option” that described only in the abstract which makes six different fertilizer options. Please revise the abstract.

L272: “field explorations” - “model explorations”?

L400: “Banana-bush bean” is presented differently throughout the manuscript. For example, “bush bean-banana intercrop”(L265), “bush bean - banana” (L374), “banana bush-bean system” (L400).

L698, 708: both ha and hectare are used. Please choose one.

L706: “banana-banana treatment” - “banana-bush bean treatment”?

Table 2: Please provide what “OM” stands for (organic matter) in the footnote.

 

(1) Substantial revision to the title is required. Title indicates canopy management options are explored, however, much more emphasis is given to the fertilizer options and soil nutrients than canopy management, and the maximization of operating profit, SOM, and protein yield, and minimization of N input are mainly explored.

(2) Therefore, revisions to the introduction and abstract are required accordingly.

(3) The abstract also should be rephrased to include a more clear research background, objective, materials and methods, and core findings with final conclusion.

(4) Conclusion could be more concise.

(5) “banana-bush bean intercrop” would convey a clearer meaning than “banana-bush bean”.

Author Response

Thank you for the submission of your manuscript, and I appreciate the extensive work and effort of the authors. Here are my comments.

L144-145: “complexity of systems” - meaning of the “systems” is not clear. “Agricultural systems” or “cultivation systems”?

Response: This has been amended to “complexity of farming systems”

L190-191, 206: “five different fertilizer options” - There is “goat manure + inorganic fertilizer option” that described only in the abstract which makes six different fertilizer options. Please revise the abstract.

Response: This has been amended. We have clearly distinguished the inorganic fertilizer sources from the organic one (goat fertilizer).

L272: “field explorations” - “model explorations”?

Response: This has been amended to “-bush-bean intercrop model explorations”

L400: “Banana-bush bean” is presented differently throughout the manuscript. For example, “bush bean-banana intercrop”(L265), “bush bean - banana” (L374), “banana bush-bean system” (L400).

Response: The language used has been made consistent in the highlighted sections and throughout the manuscript.

L698, 708: both ha and hectare are used. Please choose one.

Response: “ha” has now been consistently used

L706: “banana-banana treatment” - “banana-bush bean treatment”?

Response: “banana-banana treatment” has been converted to “banana-bush bean treatment”

Table 2: Please provide what “OM” stands for (organic matter) in the footnote.

Response: This and others have been added to the footnote

(1) Substantial revision to the title is required. Title indicates canopy management options are explored, however, much more emphasis is given to the fertilizer options and soil nutrients than canopy management, and the maximization of operating profit, SOM, and protein yield, and minimization of N input are mainly explored.

Response: The title has been revised as advised. The aspect of the dealing with multiple objectives is dealt by the words “multi-objective”.

(2) Therefore, revisions to the introduction and abstract are required accordingly.

Response: The title has been revised to reflect the contents of the manuscript

(3) The abstract also should be rephrased to include a more clear research background, objective, materials and methods, and core findings with final conclusion.

Response: Comments above have been captured into the abstract

(4) Conclusion could be more concise.

Response: The conclusion has also been revised making it more concise.

(5) “banana-bush bean intercrop” would convey a clearer meaning than “banana-bush bean”.

Response: This has been made consistent within the manuscript

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The abstract presents general aspects, therefore the purpose of the study, the main objectives and the synthesis of the results should be formulated briefly, for the reader to understand what kind of research the authors conducted.

In the introduction, it is necessary to exemplify other studies that detail the implementation of the system of mixed cultivation, banana-legume, applied in different regions of the Earth, specifying whether they have major advantages.

In the methodology, the studied region should be located exactly, considering that in the abstract it is mentioned that the area of the Great Lakes is the one targeted. However, the reader must know how the area is delimited, what is the type of farms within it, if there are large farms or if they are exclusively small farms. It is also necessary in the methodology to refer in detail to the local actors. At this moment we do not know if the population involved practices an intensive agriculture on these small areas or on the contrary, an extensive one, if the farms belong to an investor, etc.

Given that the study refers to the use of the Farm DESIGN model, the authors must treat equally the biophysical environment, the socio-economic environment, but also the human component that determines both. The correlation of the all factors involved is the more important as the research aimed at a case study, respectively a field with two cultures. Thus, the management practices of culture and production, environmental conditions-microclimate, precipitation, temperatures, human factor-labor force, economic characteristics of the region-prices, market, are important elements to analyze.

In the discussions, beyond the detailed analysis and the proposals regarding the implementation scenarios of the banana-legume cultivation system, the authors must refer to the economic effects that this model would produce, to the implementation method at the level of local communities and the success rate.

Author Response

The abstract presents general aspects, therefore the purpose of the study, the main objectives and the synthesis of the results should be formulated briefly, for the reader to understand what kind of research the authors conducted.

In the introduction, it is necessary to exemplify other studies that detail the implementation of the system of mixed cultivation, banana-legume, applied in different regions of the Earth, specifying whether they have major advantages.

Response: Literature on banana-legume intercropping is scanty and much of this is from the east and central African region. L84-91 highlights some references that suggest benefits of legume intercrops in banana and other crops. Some of these references come from other regions.

Response:

In the methodology, the studied region should be located exactly, considering that in the abstract it is mentioned that the area of the Great Lakes is the one targeted. However, the reader must know how the area is delimited, what is the type of farms within it, if there are large farms or if they are exclusively small farms. It is also necessary in the methodology to refer in detail to the local actors. At this moment we do not know if the population involved practices an intensive agriculture on these small areas or on the contrary, an extensive one, if the farms belong to an investor, etc.

Response: Additional sentences (L137-142) have been added to give the reader a picture of the study location and the characteristics of the farms and farmers.

 

Given that the study refers to the use of the Farm DESIGN model, the authors must treat equally the biophysical environment, the socio-economic environment, but also the human component that determines both. The correlation of the all factors involved is the more important as the research aimed at a case study, respectively a field with two cultures. Thus, the management practices of culture and production, environmental conditions-microclimate, precipitation, temperatures, human factor-labor force, economic characteristics of the region-prices, market, are important elements to analyze.

Response: These aspects suggested here (biophysical environment, socio-economic aspects such as labour costs, prices of inputs and outputs) are integrated into the FarmDESIGN model and have been discussed in the materials and methods section (See lines 174-186; 217-228 and 243-258). Addition information in supplementary Table S1.

 

In the discussions, beyond the detailed analysis and the proposals regarding the implementation scenarios of the banana-legume cultivation system, the authors must refer to the economic effects that this model would produce, to the implementation method at the level of local communities and the success rate.

Response: Several sentences have been added (L505-524) to address/ strengthen the community level issues with respect to the modelling process, adoption of the outcomes and success rate in the discussion section

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

I accept all changes proposed by the authors.
Congratulations on your work.