Conservation Farming Unit - Zambia No Farmers no Future A BRIEF Transforming Small-scale Agriculture through adoption of Conservation Farming & Conservation Agriculture in Central and Southern Africa Could the lessons learned from 15 years promoting CA in Zambia be of value to Central and Southern Africa region?
The Origins of Conservation Farming The US Dust Bowl 1930 s The Dust Bowl destroyed 40 million hectares of farmland, caused the migration of 2.5 million people and gave birth to the idea of the need to conserve soils by maximising soil cover, minimising tillage and rotating crops
Estimates of land degradation in Africa range from alarming to catastrophic and are difficult to verify. Many experts suggest that 70% of agricultural land suited for raising crops or livestock is already severely degraded.
Global adoption of Conservation Farming Today adoption exceeds 120 million hectares Primarily Brazil, USA, Paraguay, Argentina, Australia, Canada Yet Africa only represents about 0.5% of the total Who can adopt CF? Hoe farmers Animal draft farmers Farmers with small tractors clients of tractor owners Farmers who use the latest and most sophisticated equipment
CONVENTIONAL SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE FARMING PRACTICES IN CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA THE CORE PROBLEM - TILLAGE THE VAST MAJORITY OF FARMERS ESTABLISH CROPS BY: 1.Overall digging with hoes 2.Ridge splitting with hoes 3.Ploughing with oxen 4.Ploughing and/or harrowing with tractors The common feature is continuous and overall soil disturbance
BEFORE FARMERS EVEN COMMENCE TILLAGE MANY BURN OFF RESIDUES Zambia BURNING IS A COSTLY MISTAKE! (1) Residues protect crops from sheet erosion (2) Residues improve infiltration of rain water into the soil (3) Residues reduce capping to top soil after heavy storms
Kenya Burning of Crop Residues Burning of crop residues is less common
OX PLOUGHING Zambia STOP AND THINK! PLOUGHING PROBLEMS (1) SOILS ARE EXPOSED TO CAPPING AND EROSION (2) DEPTH OF SEEDS SOWN IN EACH 3 RD FURROW IS VARIABLE LEADING TO UNEVEN EMERGENCE AND POOR PLANT POPULATIONS (3) IF EARLY RAINS STOP PLOUGHING STOPS LEADING TO DELAYS IN PLANTING
VERY LATE PLOUGHING AND PLANTING WITH BORROWED OR HIRED OXEN Many thousands of farmers in Zambia loose their cattle to Corridor Disease and borrow or hire oxen to plough. Farmers like these are often seen still ploughing a month or longer after the first planting rains. 50 KGS OF MAIZE IS LOST FOR EACH DAY OF DELAY IN PLANTING FROM THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY A later visit to this farmer s field showed that the Maize crop had failed and had been abandoned. Late planting is the main cause of poor yields and total crop failure in drier seasons.
PLOUGHING AND SHEET EROSION Gully Forming Top Soil Moved Here If the soils are exposed to early storms, erosion will continue each year even where slopes are minimal.
Zambia LATE PLOUGHING AND NITROGEN IMOBILISATION Large amounts of weeds ploughed into the soil reduce availability of N to crops because micro-organisms convert inorganic i.e. absorbable N, into non absorbable organic forms
PLOUGHING AND POOR CROP EMERGENCE Kenya Seeding behind the plough can lead to poor emergence due to very uneven depth. Deep seeds have failed to emerge. Stand is 40% below optimum.
PLOUGHING AND CAPPING OF TOP SOIL Heavy rainfall on some soils that have been continuously disturbed and exposed to heavy rainfall by ploughing can cause capping and poor emergence of crops
PLOUGHING AND SOIL COMPACTION Continuous soil disturbance from ploughing, harrowing and weeding with cultivators, oxidises organic matter, breaks up soil aggregates, reduces aeration and creates compact layers immediately below the plough zone
PLOUGHING AND TEMPORARY FLOODING WET SEASONS Because soil structure has been damaged by continuous disturbance from ploughing, drainage is impeded and soils become water logged for long periods after heavy rainfall.
PLOUGHING AND WILTING CROP STRESS When wilting occurs in patches in a field after only 7 to 10 days of dry weather, the sub soil has probably been compacted by years of continuous ploughing. In some soils compaction may be caused by shallow layers of pure clay or laterite. Severe weed competition can also induce wilting
PLOUGHING AND KAPINGA (Cooch Grass) INFESTATION Zambia Land abandoned due to heavy infestation of Cooch grass Continuous ploughing year after year encourages the spread Cooch grass, a very competitive weed that can only be eradicated by herbicides.
HOE TILLAGE Annual Dry Season Ridge Splitting - Malawi Annual soil movement 300 tons/ha Total in Malawi > 540 million tons 17 million kms of ridges annually Common in Eastern Province Zambia and universal in Malawi. Labour input 30 to 35 days/ha
Ridge Splitting Zambia Ridges often aligned down the slope. Furrows concentrate rainfall and wash top soil away. In the north of Zambia ridge splitting is done after the rains. These soils are particularly fragile and acidify rapidly when disturbed. Severe erosion
Catastrophic Soil Erosion on Steeper Slopes - Malawi Breeched Ridges from storm Flow
Land degradation occurs gradually and we seldom notice the early symptoms Here it is too late. 10cms or 1,000 tons of top soil per hectare has been lost. Even the toughest weeds struggle to grow.
Soil Movement Involved in Overall Digging - Kenya May 2009 38kgs 0.25sqm Jembe Scheme on cleared upland forest reserve Nyaharuru where landless farmers are allowed to cultivate for 2 to 3 years in exchange for establishing and tending tree seedlings. This area of hoed land is 150ha +. Over 150,000 tons of soil inverted by hand! Hoeing denser Zambian soils to a depth of only 10cms as above equates to inverting 1,520 tons/ha or 228,000 tons for 150ha Labour input 50 to 60 days per hectare
Holing out on class A volcanic soils after Overall Digging Karatina - Kenya This farmer has holed out to dry plant a plot of Maize after digging over the soil. Soil structure appears damaged.
Holing out down slope after overall digging Ol Kalou March 2009 Evidence of Gully forming According to farmers interviewed, If labour is hired for digging it costs $60/ha to $80/ha equivalent
Kenya Overall Digging Typical landscape in Central and Eastern Highlands Many thousands of hectares are dug by hand or ploughed ready for the onset of the rains.
Hoe Farming: Overall digging Kenya Kenya highland soils have better structure and higher infiltration rates than soils in Zambia or Malawi where farming slopes like this without Vetiver strips or bunds leads to catastrophic erosion March 2009 Soil Disturbance 100% Overall digging of individual plots up to 2 hectares is very common. A heroic and unnecessary effort. Dry seeding of Maize in rows of dug holes is occurring in foreground
Dust and Damage Diesel consumption/ha: Ploughing 30 litres/ha Harrowing 15 litres March 2009 Some farmers have their fields ploughed only and some ploughed and harrowed. Plough hire costs $65/ha. Harrowing $33/ha
The Fundamental Principles of CF Minimise tillage (soil disturbance) to the extent possible Maximise soil cover to the extent possible Rotate cereals with legumes to the extent possible Secondary Principles For all farmers establish permanent planting zones Use herbicides to control weeds instead of hoes or cultivators
Adaptability of CF Separating on the ground from above the ground The key entry point of CF is Min-Till. Once adopted farmers can accommodate a wide range of crops, planting configurations and cropping systems including rotations, intercrops, relays and agro-forestry trees.
Progress to date in Zambia and Zimbabwe It is estimated that 175,000 farmers have already adopted CF/CA Min-Till practices. In Zimbabwe adoption is estimated to be 40,000 farmers It is expected that adoption will increase to 240,000 smallholders by 2012/13. The promotion of CA in Zambia is embedded in national policy as a key component of Pillars 1 and 3 of CAADP. The CFU which is affiliated to Zambia National Farmers Union commenced activities in 1996 and has been supported by the Norwegian Government since the beginning.
The Benefits of CF - Independent Research Increases yields by 25% to 100%+ in year 1 depending on farmers entry point Gradual improves physical and chemical properties of soil in planting zones Reduces overall labour inputs and peak labour requirements Increases returns to on-farm and purchase inputs and profits Enhances resilience of crops to dry spells and temporary droughts
Typical Hoe CF Minimum Tillage Permanent planting basins, residue retention. Only 10% of soil disturbed Timeliness and precision is the key Benefits Cracking of hoe pans, accurate application of basal nutrients, ready to plant immediately with first planting rains, accurate seeding, early rainwater harvesting, rapid and even emergence of crops, less crop stress and better survival during dry periods
Typical Hoe CF MT Land preparation can commence in June, spreading labour inputs. In Zambia rains normally commence in late November
CF + Faidhebia albida = CA
60 years of research shows on each hectare, mature trees supply the equivalent of 300kg of complete fertiliser and 250kg of lime.
Faidherbia trees at GART in Zambia
Typical SSF Air-pruned nursery of 125 seedlings In Zambia: Seedlings sown in mid November. Transplanted in the field after 5 weeks. Air pruning method ex TLC Malawi
Small-scale CA. Re-filling gaps always necessary to get full stand Young Faidherbia trees on smallholder farm
2008/9 Season 40 Trials Management Excellent All plots Zero Fertiliser Outside tree Under tree
Results of 2008/9 trials under and outside 40 trees Zero Fertiliser Maize outside tree 2.6 tons/ha Maize under tree 5.1 tons/ ha Target 240,000 hectares planted by smallholders by 2012/13 Carbon Credits for SSF s?
With Faidherbia in Zambia Small-scale agriculture is linked to reforestation not deforestation Maize farmers liberated from excessive dependency on fertiliser Farming environment and rural landscape improved Sedentary agriculture in perpetuity enabled Carbon sequestration
Typical CF MT Zambia South South Technology Transfer
Typical Mechanised MT CF Kenya
Digging CF basins after mechanised MT down to 5 man days
Scaling Up CA Zambia Key Lessons & Opportunities Through an extension system driven by farmers, the Zambia experience has shown that it is possible to scale up the adoption of CF/CA to significant levels. Farmer managed demonstrations and field days conducted on a broad basis are the best way to advertise new technologies. Take the ideas straight to the farmers and let them try them out. Adaptive research can be combined with the demonstrations. Technologies that have value cost ratios below 3:1 are unlikely to be adopted. Benefits must be clearly visible and if possible accrue in the first season. Technologies that increase demands on labour particularly in peak seasons are unlikely to be adopted irrespective of the benefits. The ideal technology. Do less, pay less get more! Technologies must be simple, practical and reachable by the majority of farmers.
Zambia Key Lessons & Opportunities In many African countries CF/CA remains marginalised and often misunderstood:- the subject of peripheral research and poorly resourced promotion by a small body of enthusiasts. Worldwide it is estimated that over 120 million hectares of crops are established by CF/CA. Africa which needs this technology most only represents 0.5% of the total. Productivity & Value Chain Interventions On-farm productivity from the soil up, must come first. Efficient and sustainable use of agricultural resources generates surpluses that in turn provide opportunities to strengthen and broaden input supply and marketing networks. Farmer Organisations Facilitating the emergence of farmer organisations is meaningless unless farmers have products to sell at a reasonable profit.
Zambia Key Lessons & Opportunities Increased productivity is the foundation on which the success of most other above ground interventions depend CA Farmer Conventional Farmer This Min-Till CF hoe farmer has been producing surpluses for 7 years. He is engaged in the cash economy selling Soya Beans Cotton and Maize 2004/5 was an almost perfect season for rainfall yet this crop has failed. 70% of small farmers in Zambia do not produce a surplus and many suffer transitional food insecurity.
Zambia Key Lessons and Opportunities Adaptation to Climate Change by Farmers Themselves Rainfall Chibombo District 2004/5 Season Declared a drought year requiring food relief Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March Total Rain days 3 5 13 16 6 3 46 Rain mm 15.0 94.0 304.0 245.0 71.0 31.0 760.0 Mean 22.0 79.0 177.0 212.0 163.0 157.0 810.0 Conventional Ox Farmer total failure Min-Till CF Ox Farmer total success Distance between these 2 farmers - 1 kilometre
Adaptation to Climate Change CF also works better in wet years Zambia 2008 In this area,1500mm of rain fell in December and January alone nearly double the average for the whole season. Benefits - early planting into warm soils and more rapid infiltration
CF/CA Min and Zero Till Practices Provide Solutions for Many Challenges Confronting Agriculture in Africa Technical solutions Minimises unnecessary & destructive soil disturbance turning and churning. Dry season land prep enables early planting - critical in mono-modal rainfall situations. Min-Till options harvest early rainfall on fields and within seeding zones. Enables precise measurement and targeting of organic and inorganic nutrients. Reduces top soil and nutrient loss from storm flow. Improves physical and chemical soil properties in planting zones. Breaks compact layers allowing infiltration of rain and deeper root penetration. Exploits crop synergies and crop/agro-forestry synergies. Business solutions Most situations Reduces land prep costs for hoe, ox and mechanised farmers. Most situations - Reduces labour inputs for land prep or reduces critical labour peaks. Increases yields and profits by maximising returns to on-farm and purchased inputs. Enables expansion of cropped areas where feasible.
Hoe Min Till CF Zambia Digging permanent CF basins at recommended spacing reduces soil inversion from 1520 tons/ha to 158 tons/ha and surface disturbance by about 88%.
What is Needed - Hoe CF Min-Till March 2009 Notice overall digging in background Demonstrating Hoe Min-Till to David Karanja. Labour for land prep can be reduced to 15 SPD s/ha or less, and hired labour costs to $15/ha. Conversion to the system would benefit many thousands of smaller Maize/Bean farmers in the Central highlands
Principles of Hoe Min-Till identical to Mechanised, - Basins/Holes are merely discontinuous rip furrows Rainwater harvesting Conventional practice - Beans Intercropped after 1 st weeding 5cms Maize Seed Fertiliser/Manure/Compost 20cms 70cms Basin spacing compared with Zambia reduced to 70cms x 70cms. Seed reduced to 3 per basin aiming to achieve field average of 2/basin or 40,000 plants/ha 23cm 12cm Ideal hoe blade narrow and long
The benefits of Hoe and Mechanised Min-till for Row Crops excluding Wheat Improved survivability of crops in seasons of adverse rainfall, increased yields. Arrest degradation of soils associated with continuous overall tillage. Land prep for hoe farmers reduced from 70 days/ha to 15 days/ha. Mechanised contractors diesel consumption reduced from 45 litres/ha to 15 litres/ha Example saving on 500,000 ha is 15 million litres! Costs for customer reduced by at least 50% Customer can divert savings to purchase additional inputs Cost of tillage equipment maintenance reduced Contractors can expand customer base to smaller farmers who cannot afford ploughing/harrowing services Conversion to Mi-Till could stimulate development of similar options for small-scale wheat contract tillage with mini furrows spaced at 30 to 35cms?
UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF MT RIPPING COMPARED WITH PLOUGHING Ripping cost 40% of ploughing 1ha 4 hrs. Ploughing 14 hrs Ploughing 1 Hectare Time taken to Rip: 4 hours Cost of Ripping: ZMK 150,000 ZMK 175,000 Ripping Window: 5 months Benefits Cheaper, faster and better use of scarce Oxen Early planting, higher yields Less soil disturbance and erosion Potential for service provision as a business Better for service provider, better for client 1 Hectare Time taken to Plough: 14 hours Cost of Ploughing: ZMK 250,000 ZMK 300,000 Ploughing Window: 2 weeks Disadvantages More expensive, minimal use of scarce Oxen Late planting, lower yields Excessive soil disturbance, erosion Minimal potential for service provision Danger of crop failure for clients in dry years
Ready for Climate Change? In Africa the production of sufficient food from the land, most fundamental of all human enterprises, is already in deep trouble. What will happen when climate change really bites? Is the international development industry an extraordinarily convoluted and spendthrift behemoth capable of delivering the services farming communities need on a scale required to have a real impact? Is the future one of ever increasing disaster relief, deepening poverty, knee jerk reactions to accumulating crises and further expansion of the depressing interdependency established between the givers and receivers of food? Are we focussed sufficiently on the causes of the enormous challenges that confront us or are we too distracted by the symptoms to respond to them? From our perspective, these questions are impossible to answer, but one thing is for certain. The future of small-scale agriculture in Africa will depend to a large extent on how 1 farmer husbands his/her soils and by extension how tens of millions do.
CF/CA Do less, pay less, get more and preserve soils THANKYOU