Conservation Agriculture in southern Africa:

Tracking its Adoption and Impacts, Holiday Inn Hotel, Bulawayo,

Zimbabwe, 30-31 October 2014

Presentation byMark Lyimo, MAFC, Tanzania

Background

•Area under cultivation is about 13.9 mil ha •Out of which 24% is done by animal traction, •14% by mechanical power and• 62% by hand hoe• This is done using conventional methods•These contribute to high production costs

Background• Use of mechanical tillage for seedbedpreparation and weed control has induced:- Deterioration in the quality of soil- Decline in soil fertility.- Destruction of soil structure• Increased land management costs .- In 1999 tractor ploughing was 25 USD $/ha- 2014 the cost of tractor ploughing has escalated to 75 USD $/ha.

…cont’d

Conventional tillage results intosevere soil degradation

Some of the good things that happened in 2013/14…

•In 2013, Farm Mechanization & Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) 4 years project was launched in Arusha.•The project is looking at exploiting synergies between small-scale-mechanization and CA.•Reduced soil inversion in CA systems reduces power requirements - typically by a factor of two •This makes the use of lower powered tractors such as two-wheel tractors (2WTs) a viable option. •The overall goal of the project is to improve farm power balance, reduce drudgery, and minimize biomass trade-offs in Eastern and Southern Africa, through accelerated delivery and adoption of 2WT-based technologies by smallholders.

CFUConservation Farming Unit is promoting CA in the Southern

highlands and Cotton growing areas around Lake ZoneDemonstrations involving private sector tractor owners

demonstrate tractor drawn rippers compared to conventional ploughing where famers and machinery owners can see the difference in terms of fuel consumption and time used is an operation with similar field size

This is quite fascinating as once farmers see the results, tractor owners get direct contracts from the farmers for their services.

ACTACT is implementing the ABACO projectACT is also having a project for promoting CA with

trees.In this initiative, combining CA with trees (faidherbia

albida) for soil fertility.ACT in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture

Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC) successfully submitted a project to UNDP on Reducing Vulnerabilities and Increase Long-Term Climate Change Resilience at Local Level in the Districts of Longido, Bahi and Iringa Rural.

Training and demonstration of CA

Tanzania Agriculture Climate Resilience Action PlanACRP) is a framework to identify and respond to the

most urgent impacts posed by climate variability and climate change to Tanzanian agriculture.

It responds to the directive of the National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS), adopted by the The plan is intended to provide Tanzania’s agriculture sector and stakeholders with the necessary strategies to meet the challenges of climate change

Government of Tanzania in March 2013

NCATFThe Task Force has just been formulated

this year with members from various actors government, NGOs, farmer groups and the private sector

We intend to invite development partners, large scale farmers and women groups also to participate

Already invitation letters have been sent we are waiting for response

The Roles of The NCATFCoordinate the work of stakeholders with a national

perspective on CA and CSA development.Develop and run national projects related to CA promotionResource mobilization for national CA activitiesCapacity building and training in CA at a national level Identify and facilitate national and farm based research on

the local adaptation of CA principlesAdvocate and support national policy development to

encourage CA adoptionMake linkages with the supply chain at a national levelDevelop and implement guidelines for NCATF members and

others seeking funding through the NCATF for CA activities.

Introduction of Bio-Agtive® technology •The Bio-Agtive is a method of using tractor emissions to stimulate plant growth •It is a growing "carbon farming" practice around the world. •For 10 years research and development of the Bio-Agtive Technology has been conducted and practiced on both dryland and irrigated fields in countries such as Canada and Australia•Production is done without the use of conventional fertilizers•The technique reduces the need for fertilizers and produce a healthier, often bigger yield, by assisting in the soil's biological processes and enhancing root growth and microbial activity.

Fieldmasters (T) LtdField Maters was awarded a grant from AECF (AGRA) to

develop BIOAGTIVE farming where tractor exhaust smoke is used as fertilizer in the soil.

This modern technology allows not to use completely chemical fertilizers and replace it with tractor exhaust smoke.

An exhaust condenser is fitted to the tractor to cool the hot exhaust smoke and then the cooled smoke is blown into the soil with the seeds.

  This exhaust smoke is very beneficial to soil microbial life, humus and fungi. It stimulates them to find nutrients for the plants in exchange for plants sugars.  

…cont’d

This technology saves farmers money in expensive crop inputs like chemical fertilizer, help the soil become more healthy and when used with CA practices leads to sustainable crop production and food security.

The technology has been promoted in Tanzania for 3 years and many farmers are happy with the results. The company want to expand this climate smart technology to more tractors in Tanzania and Africa for the future.

There is a possibility for farmers who are using this technology and following CA practices to become eligible to get paid carbon credits as an additional income to their annual crops.

Field Maters has introduced Bio-Agtive technology to wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, safflower etc in some areas Arusha, Manyara and Dodoma regions of Tanzania

The success of this technology can encourage many people to return to agriculture and in particular the young new emerging farmers.

How does the system works?

Sub soiler set up for strip tillage for Bio- Agtive

The number of farmer practicing CAThere is no reliable information on the current status

of CA in TanzaniaIt s estimated that, CA is now adopted by over

10,000 farmers across the countryAbout 6,000 hectares are currently under CA in

Tanzania (mainly Nortern Zone, Lake zone, Southern Highlands, Southern Zone and Eastern Zone).

The NCATF is in the process of conducting a baseline survey to determine the status of CA in Tanzania

The ultimate goal is Soil cover

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EndThank you for your attention