Jonathan cawt in eastern africa 1st africa ca conference ega side event lusaka 20 march 2014
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Transcript of Jonathan cawt in eastern africa 1st africa ca conference ega side event lusaka 20 march 2014
Jonathan Muriuki and the evergreen team
ICRAF, Nairobi and partners
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN EAST AFRICA
Synopsis
The context Some project results
Thoughts on what needs to be done
This is not disputable
Conventional agriculture has failed to reach the world due to :- - Destruction of the biological and ecological integrity of soil - High environmental footprintSmallholder agriculture in Africa though system-based serves subsistence but cant produce surplus for the urban population
2003 Crop Yields (MT/ha) – Africa, and Global
Crop AFRICA GLOBAL
Maize 1.61 4.47
Rice 1.87 3.84
Sorghum 0.88 1.30
Millet 0.70 0.82
Sweet Potatoes 4.32 13.49
Cassava 8.83 10.76
Beans 0.62 0.70
Groundnuts 0.86 1.35
Bananas 6.59 15.25
04/12/2023 4
(Source: Tittonell, 2013)
The challenge of climate change Temperatures have risen by 0.2 – 2.0oC Rainfall variability increases from year to year more intense rainfalls occur more frequently – floods and
extreme weather events are more frequent!! Agricultural production to fall in most developing countries by
upto 30% - food prices to rise
Hence Arid and Semi arid lands
increasing Loss of biodiversity More water scarcity etc Droughts, famines etc
Conservation agriculture Minimum tillage Adequate soil cover Adopting strategic crop
rotations / associations
Benefits Reduce erosion Increase length growing
period• Improve soil conditions leading
to improved yields (30-200%) Sequester carbon Reduce labour costs
Agroforestry Agroforestry incorporating
trees/shrubson farms and rangelands Maintaining vegetative soil cover, Nutrient cycling and NO2 fixation , Weed suppression, Enhancing soil structure and water
infiltration and penetration, Food, fuel, fiber and income from
tree products, carbon storage, and biodiversity
conservation
Conservation agriculture and Agroforestry – Potential remedy
Combining the two has the potential to enhance scaling up of both
1. Minimum soil disturbance. The roots of tree/shrub species and the soil fauna take over the tillage function, soil nutrient mobilization and balancing
2. Adequate soil cover. The trees add biomass, which protects the soil and feeds the soil biota (i.e. biological plough). This also ensures better carbon storage than CA alone
3. Trees in the rotation/ intercrop reduce weeds, insect pests and diseases; Thus increasing savings from inputs such as fertilizer and herbicides
When integrated with CA, trees ensure
Some pilot ICRAF initiatives in E Africa
Baseline analysis of adoption rates, policy and institutional influence on adoption of CAWT in Africa – Ke, Tz, Gh, Za
Pilot testing of initiatives towards wider adoption of evergreen agriculture – Ke, Tz, Rw, Le
Enhancing total farm productivity in smallholder farms in EA – Ke, Et
Trees for food security in eastern Africa – Et, Rw, Ug, Bu Scaling up farmer managed natural regeneration in EA – WV
led – Ke, Ug, Tz, Rw The evergreen agriculture partnership network (global)
Factors affecting adoption of CA in Kenya and Tanzania
Variable Influence on adoptionKenya Tanzania
Β S.E. Sig. Exp
(B)
Β S.E. Sig. Exp
(B)
Age of household head -0.04 0.01 0.00* 0.96 -0.01 0.02 0.67 0.99
Household size 0.49 0.14 0.00* 1.63 0.07 0.15 0.63 1.08
Access training resources - - - - 3.07 1.27 0.02* 21.45
Access to credit 0.05 0.70 0.95 0.78 0.63 0.83 0.45 1.87
Farm size 0.12 0.10 0.25 1.12 0.05 0.04 0.19 1.05
Mitigate climate change 1.23 0.59 0.04* 0.29 0.94 1.50 0.53 2.55
Use of FFS approaches 1.30 0.37 0.00* 3.68 0.82 1.29 0.53 2.27
Contact farmer approach 0.82 0.34 0.02* 2.28 2.29 1.19 0.06* 9.85
Agro ecological conditions - - - - -2.49 1.26 0.05* 0.08
Factors affecting adoption of AF in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana
Variable Β S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B)
Kenya
Livestock keeping -0.07 0.59 0.01 1 0.91 0.94
Access to training resources 0.96 0.32 8.71 1 0.00* 2.60
Farm size -0.16 0.09 3.20 1 0.07* 1.18
Climate change mitigation 0.93 0.47 3.97 1 0.05* 0.40
Tanzania
Livestock keeping 0.52 0.31 2.77 1 0.10 1.68
Farm size -0.03 0.01 5.30 1 0.02* 0.97
Climate change mitigation 0.71 0.27 6.64 1 0.01* 2.03
Agro ecological conditions -1.71 0.29 33.95 1 0.00* 0.18
GhanaLivestock keeping 2.70 0.91 8.71 1 0.00*** 14.81
Access to training resources 1.57 0.91 2.95 1 0.09* 0.21
Farm size 0.03 0.34 0.01 1 0.92 1.03
Most frequent tree species by agro-ecological zones in Machakos, Bugesera and Mbarali
Zone Machakos Bugesera MbaraliLow altitude
1 Mangifera indica Senna spectabilis Faidherbia albida
2 Senna siamea Eucalyptus spp Mbadaga
3 Grevillea robusta Grewia similis Acacia tortilis4 Terminalia brownii Grevillea robusta Delonix regia
5 Citrus sinensis Persea americana Mangifera indica
Mid altitude
1 Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Grevillea robusta Faidherbia albida
2 Grevillea robusta Senna spectabilis Mangifera Indica
3 Persea americana Persea americana Acacia tortilis
4 Mangifera indica Mangifera indica Senna spectabilis
5 Croton megalocarpus Eucalyptus spp Delonix regia
High altitude
1 Grevillea robusta Grevillea robusta
2 Mangifera indica Mangifera indica
3 Persea americana Persea americana
4 Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Eucalyptus spp
5 Croton megalocarpus Citrus limon
Species accumulation curves 90 farms surveyed in Machakos County
There are more indigenous species in the community but far exceed by the exotic species in numbers
Farmers views on various species in their farmsMarket value categories
Botanical name common nichesLeaf mulch/ fertility value
Crop conditions under the canopy
High value/ commonly
sold
Mangifera indica Field (terraces) slow decomposer unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield
Persea americana field (terraces) not known unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
field boundaries harmful to the soil unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield
Medium value
Grevillea robusta field boundaries/ home compound
mulch value (high moisture content)
healthy appearance no reduction in yield
Terminalia brownii field boundaries conflicting opinions reduction in yield - can be improved with pruning
Carica papaya field (terraces) fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield
Citrus limon field (terraces) slow decomposer reduction in yield
Citrus sinensis field (terraces) slow decomposer reduction in yield for maize, legumes have no reduction in yield
Can be sold
Psidium guajava field (terraces) slow decomposer unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield
Syzygium guineense
field boundaries/ home compound
reduction in yield - can be improved with pruning
Acacia nilotica field boundaries/ grazing field
fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield
Balanites aegyptiaca
field boundaries/ grazing field
fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield
Acacia xanthophloea
field boundaries/ grazing field
fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield
Policy framework
Land issues Riverbank farming Soil erosion Trees on farm
44%
60%
80%90%
Farmers' awareness of policy activities in Kenya
Good and enabling policies exist but implementation is weak in many countries
Institutional Framework Issues Low Awareness on CA and CAWT among many players
Poor Coordination in Sustainable Land Management Systems
Inadequate extension services – few personnel and little refresher training
Lack of Training on CA and CAWT
Limited Research and Development – still at pilot level
Inadequate Financing in Agricultural Technologies
Lack of Incentive Packages e.g. Subsidies, PES
Trade offs: Soil cover vs Livestock feeds – commodity orientation
In availability of cover crop and tree seeds
Lack of Markets, MIS or access infrastructure – pull factor
Lack of Investment Opportunities and Value Addition
Limited Private Sector Support – especially in research
What can be done?
Tree management spacing, niches,
CA, tree crop interactions, etc
Right species, Seeds, and
seedling systems
Favorable policies, Farmer advisory
services, capacity building at all levels ,
linking markets
Germplasm Practices
Enabling environment
Knowledge to Action with further research
(Rural resource centers)
Characterization of typologies
Support for national scaling up programmes
Learning from indigenous knowledge - Machakos
seasonal hired labour / pesticides
Full time hired labour
KITCHEN GARDEN
Learning from indigenous knowledge - Mbarali
Chemical fertilizers / pesticides / power tiller / hired labour
Integrated farmer learning and service centers
Working together and co-learning
Farmers, scientists, farmer advisors, private sector etc – innovation platforms (we all need to un-learn, learn, re-learn) taking into account system particularities
- Better networking for synergies- Cohost demonstration plots- Use networks and data of
development NGOs (longer and credible programmes)
- Take cognizance of farm heterogeneity in planning (Source: Tittonell, 2013)
Building farmers capacity (competence, confidence and commitment)
Tree species diversity (abundance and evenness) as proxy for more stable system: Farmers engaged through the landcare model had more diversity
AHSANTETwalumba