Enhancing the adoption of animal traction conservation agriculture in

Zimbabwe

Walter Mupangwa, Christian Thierfelder, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Stephanie Cheesman

28 March 2011

Projects focus

Fitarelli jab-planter

AT Direct seeder Magoye ripper

Basin planting

Promotion of CA equipment

• Capacity building - NGOs and NARES in the use of animal traction CA systems

• Development and dissemination of CA equipment

• Provision of a credit facility to farmers to purchase CA equipment and herbicides

Pre-season training of implementing partners

Projects design

Work with partners – innovation network

SmallholderFarmers

Input Suppliers

CSFS

Grownet/HASTT

CIMMYT

NGOs/AREX

• Targeted communities – adapted research on farmers’ fields

• CIMMYT provides technical support to partners – training, extension materials

• CIMMYT conducts biophysical and socio-economic research on the animal traction CA options

What has worked well

• Training implementing partners

• 190 on-farm demonstrations established for 2010/11

• Development of 2 seeder prototypes

… What has worked well

… What has worked well

• Farmers accessing CA equipment and herbicides through a revolving fund

• 38 farmers bought CA equipmentand glyphosate

Challenges

• Late start of the project

• Late delivery of inputs and CA equipment to farmers

Delayed planting on CA demonstration plots

… Challenges

Poor weed control Incessant rains in January 2011 - waterlogging

… Challenges

• Locally assembled direct seeder had multiple operational problems

• Lack of mulching materials

• Poor relations between implementing partners

Long dry spell – February 2011

Lessons learnt• Community based research – understand where technology works and does not work

• First year is full of challenges - > 1 season to promote technologies

• Working with private sector – way of promoting CA technology

• Partner selection critical for success – same agenda

• Avail credit facilities to smallholder farmers

Way forward

• More training to partners – CA equipment & herbicides

• Continue with revolving fund

• Further testing & perfecting CA equipment prototypes

• Bring in more partners especially CA equipment manufacturers to push prices down

• More research on socio-economic and biophysical impact of CA systems

• Provide extension materials

Thank you