Analysis of Endogenous Strategies to Establish Rice Crops in Mangrove Swamp Fields

We documented and analyzed endogenous farmers’ knowledge and practices regarding sowing methods in mangrove swamp rice (MSR) farming in Southern Guinea-Bissau. Although many external interventions in MSR farming have occurred since colonial times, little is known about which techniques farmers use, and why, and when they establish their crops. To address this knowledge gap, we used a mixed-methods, transdisciplinary approach that combined technography, surveys, and participatory on-farm observations of crop establishment practices. We interviewed 221 farmers and made detailed observations in 21 rice fields. We show that farmers employ three crop establishment methods, resulting in five strategies to cope with their diverse and complex socio-ecological system. These strategies include volunteer crops, direct sowing through dibbling or broadcasting, and transplanting from nurseries sown in either upland or mangrove swamp fields. We found significant variation in strategy use across the four Tombali villages studied: nurseries in the mangrove swamp fields were most common, used by 90% of farmers across villages, followed by seed broadcasting (56%), upland nurseries (26%), and dibbling (16%). Grain yields were similar and consistent across most strategies (501–566 g.m− 2), with only dibbling yielding significantly lower (187 g.m− 2). We argue that farmers’ practices in MSR farming are contextual, situated in time and space within specific social and agroecological contexts. Understanding these localized practices is crucial for designing meaningful and effective agricultural interventions.