BULAWAYO, Dec 5 2005 (IPS) – Wilfred Mudavanhu’s maize fields are braving a drought on the dusty plains of Zimbabwe’s Shamba region.
With El Niño-induced drought gripping many countries in Southern Africa, Mudavanhu’s maize crops are thriving thanks to innovative farming methods that retain moisture in the soil and promote soil health.
Mudavanhu’s yield, which used to harvest only 1.5 tonnes (30-50 kg bags) of maize each season, has jumped to 2.5 tonnes (50 bags) of corn in the 2023/2024 farming season.
Mudavanhu is one of many farmers in Zimbabwe adopting conservation agriculture, a practice that minimizes soil disturbance and prioritizes crop rotation and soil moisture conservation. This practice is complemented by other methods such as timely weeding, mulching and farming on small plots to achieve high yields.
Researchers say conservation farming practices are proving a lifeline for farmers fighting climate change.
For over 20 years, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Encouraged research into conservation agriculture in southern Africa to help farmers increase crop yields.
According to researchers, smallholder maize yields in conventional agriculture are often less than one tonne per hectare in Zimbabwe. Adopting the CA approach has resulted in up to 90% increase in production. Malawi farmers have seen maize yields increase by up to 400% while crops have been integrated with nitrogen-fixing trees such as Faidherbia albida. In Zambia, maize production under conventional farming methods was 1.9 tonnes per hectare, rising to 4.7 tonnes per hectare where farmers used conservation farming practices.
But beyond high yields, conservation agriculture conserves moisture and improves soil health, giving farmers a long-term solution to the problem of soil degradation, a looming threat in the face of climate change, researchers said.
Christian Thierfelder, Chief Scientist at CIMMYT, said: “As the climate crisis deepens, CA has become essential for farmers in southern Africa. CA provides a resilient, climate-smart approach that can increase productivity and withstand the impacts of climate change, thereby ensuring sustainability. Enhance food security as much as possible,” he told IPS. , explains that CA could be a game-changer for rainfed cropping systems in the region.
Thierfelder said about 3 million farmers in southern Africa practice CA and that “as we have seen with recent droughts, the more climate change occurs, the more farmers will adopt CA because traditional farming methods no longer work.” “He added.
The use of machinery is driving smallholder farmers to adopt conservation agriculture. CIMMYT studied using machines suitable for small-scale CA systems.
The machine has been found to increase the intercropping methods used by farmers while solving the problem of high labor demands associated with conservation agriculture.
Traditionally, farmers spend hours digging planting basins, a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Basin excavators mechanized the land preparation phase, reducing the number of people needed to dig a basin.
Thierfelder said CIMMYT has partnered with registered service providers in Zimbabwe and Zambia who provide mechanization services that improve agricultural efficiency and reduce labor demands. One such innovation is the basin excavator, a cost-effective, low-energy machine that reduces labor by up to 90%.
Cosmas Chari, a farmer and service provider from Shamva, used to spend a day digging a basin for planting, but now it takes an hour using a basin excavator.
Mudavanhu has become a mechanization service provider after integrating CA with mechanization. As a service provider, Mudavanhu hires out two-wheeler tractors, peelers and rippers to other farmers practicing CA.
Similarly, another farmer, Advance Kandimiri, is also a service provider who runs CA.
“I started working as a mechanization service provider in 2022 and introduced CA using mechanization,” said Kandimiri, who purchased a tractor, a Scheller, and a two-row planter.
“Conservation farming is more profitable than the conventional farming we were doing before learning about CA,” Kandimiri said.
CIMMYT’s research data shows that farmers who adopt CA practices can earn an additional income of approximately USD 368 per hectare as a result of higher yields and reduced input costs.
local conservation agriculture
Farmers across southern Africa have achieved success after adopting CA practices, with surprising results.
During a visit to Monze in Zambia’s southern province in 2011, Gertrude Banda observed first-hand the significant benefits of CA. Farmers who have been practicing CA for over 7 years have shown how using animal-drawn rippers to plant crops without tillage reduces the labor of land preparation operations and improves crop yields.
Banda says this experience led him to adopt CA and grow cowpeas, peanuts and soybeans on his 9-hectare farm. She practices crop rotation, alternating between corn and various legumes to increase soil fertility and improve crop yields. She also uses peanut and cowpea residue to feed her livestock. She earned about $5,000 selling her soybean crop.
“Currently, my entire farm follows CA principles,” Banda said. “All crops are planted in rows, and we rotate crops with corn and a variety of legumes to maintain soil health.”
According to CIMMYT, more than 65,000 farmers in Malawi and 50,000 farmers in Zambia have adopted CA. CIMMYT’s research found that farmer education, training and technical guidance are essential for farmer transition.
However, despite the widely recognized advantages of conservation agriculture, widespread adoption remains low. CIMMYT agricultural economist Hambulo Ngoma said smallholder farmers were struggling to access inputs and equipment.
Additionally, farmers lack knowledge of effective weed control and struggle with short-term yield uncertainty, which can hinder consistent practices, Ngoma said.
“Although CA has proven its value, adoption rates across South Africa are still relatively low,” said Ngoma. “Many farmers lack the resources to invest in the tools and training needed for effective implementation,” he added.
Beneficial partnerships to promote conservation agriculture
Blessing Mhlanga, crop systems agronomist at CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agri-Food Systems Programme, said the success of CA goes beyond technology and technology, but depends on education and the inclusion of CA principles in national policies. For example, in Zambia, CIMMYT worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help design a mechanization strategy that paved the way for mechanized CA to be integrated into government-led agricultural programs.
“Techniques such as fortification of Gliricidia, a fast-growing nitrogen-fixing tree, strip cutting and permanently grown flower beds are now part of Zambia’s national agricultural agenda,” Mhlanga explained. Areas dependent on rainfed crop cultivation.
Mhlanga said the future of CA was promising, with more than 250 million hectares of land currently under CA globally and the adoption rate of CA practices increasing by 10 million hectares every year. But much remains to be done to provide small-scale farmers like Mudavanhu with the right tools and knowledge to fully adopt conservation agriculture.
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© Interpress Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Interpress Service
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