Conservation Farming Unit

Conservation Farming & Conservation Agriculture in Zambia – An Update

With emphasis on Faidherbia albida

The Conservation Agriculture Programme

2nd generation programme to extend adoption of CF/CA in Zambia

• Period 2007 to 2011 • Financing by Norwegian Government • Extension Beneficiaries 140,000 • Technology Delivery ‘Lead Farmer System’ • Goal 240,000 farmers adopt by 2011

Region 111 Rainfall 1000-1200mm Miombo woodland

Region 11a Rainfall 800-850mm Maize Production Belt Zambia’s plateau’s

Region 11b Rainfall 800-900mm

Zambezi floodplains Region 1 Rainfall 700-750mm Low altitude river valleys

Rainfall Monomodal Late Nov to Mid March

CAP Operational Areas

Most of Agro-ecological Region 11a

Zambia’s Maize & Cotton Production Belt

40% of Zambia’s rural population

Western Region

Southern Region

Central Region

Eastern Region

Size of Zambia: 75,261,400 hectares Arable Land With Good to Moderate Potential: 9.0 million hectares (12%) Arable Land Cropped 1.5 million hectares Rural Population 1,140,000 farming families

A Few statistics about Zambia

Zambia’s Agricultural Potential

Zambia enjoys considerable advantages over many of its neighbours:

• No land pressure – only 16% utilised • Political stability • Good soils and in general reliable rainfall

If this is the case -

Why are rural families so often food insecure?

Why does food relief feature so prominently in Zambia?

Why is productivity so low?

Why do marginally adverse season cause widespread crop failure?

Why isn’t Zambia a large exporter of agricultural commodities?

Zambia’s Agricultural Potential

Low Maize Yields Some Inconvenient Facts

Number of Households Growing Crops 1,146,000 Total Maize Production Tons 988,000 Area Planted to Maize Ha 877,000 Area Harvested Ha 504,570 Area Abandoned Ha 372,700 (42%) Yield of Area Committed to Maize Tons/Ha 1.13 Area abandoned over past 8 seasons Ha 1,712,000 (32%) Percentage of farmers not using fertiliser 69% Percentage of Maize growers not selling Maize 73%

CSO/MACO/MSU Crop Forecast Survey Data 2002 - 2008

Conventional Small-Scale Farming in Zambia’s Maize and Cotton Belts

Medium term consequences of Tillage Systems

OX PLOUGHING

September: Residues raked up and burnt. Soil totally exposed to early storms and sheet erosion

September: The atmosphere is full of colloids and Zambia can hardly be seen from the air even at low altitude.

Carbon Emissions

Soil is all turned over and exposed. Seeding depth and emergence are very uneven. If the rains stop ploughing stops until the rains come back. By this

time the first plot needs weeding. What to do next?

November: Farmers lucky enough to own oxen plough after early rains.

November: The results of storm flow

Ploughing and soil erosion

Compact layer at about 12-14cms

Ploughing and Compaction

Continuously ploughed land abandoned to Couch (Cynodon dactylon)

Ploughing and pernicious weeds

CONVENTIONAL HOE TILLAGE

In eastern Zambia and Malawi farmers split ridges in the dry season. Hoe pans form under the ridges. 700 million + tons of soil moved

yearly by hand!

Ridge Splitting

Ridges often aligned down the slope. Furrows concentrate rainfall and wash top soil away.

Severe erosion

In the north of Zambia ridge splitting is done after the rains. These soils are particularly fragile and acidify rapidly when disturbed.

Due to population pressure in Malawi farmers have occupied hillsides. Ridges are breached after heavy storms producing massive soil loss

and gully erosion

Storm flow - ridge culture Malawi

Denuded Hillside – Malawi

This practice is less common but also exposes the soil to erosion and creates compaction. Hard unnecessary work!

Overall Digging

CONVENTIONAL MECHANISED TILLAGE

Dry season ploughing. Destroying Class A1 soils in Chisamba.

Diesel consumption ploughing 35 to 40 litres/ha.

Dry season discing at GART

Diesel consumption 15litres/ha.

CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND THE THREAT OF

CLIMATE CHANGE

Conventional Tillage Systems increase Climatic Risks

In Drier Seasons Panned soils stunt root

development causing severe moisture stress.

Rainfall cannot infiltrate the soil and washes

away

In Wetter Seasons. Compacted soils cause water logging from impeded drainage

Conventional Tillage Systems increase Climatic Risks

Conventional Tillage

Environmental Consequences

Nutrient Depletion

An aerial survey of Southern Province after the 1991/2 drought showed that 95% of land farmed by

smallholders was occupied by Maize.

No mixed cropping, no rotations.

Continuous soil disturbance, erosion, land degradation

Loss of organic matter and soil structure.

Low pH – Acidity.

In 1933 British ecological survey of Southern Province first raised concerns regarding excessive erosion!

A 3.5 ton/ha Maize crop extracts the equivalent of 275kgs/ha of combined basal

and nitrogenous fertiliser, but 69% of smallholders use no fertiliser at all, on soils

that are already degraded and less responsive.

Nutrient Depletion

Many farmers occupy far more land than they crop. Part of the farm is degraded. It is abandoned and may be re-occupied after several years

Partial Degradation – Reversion to Scrub

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.

In Zambia many thousands of hectares of formerly productive land have been degraded and permanently abandoned

Terminal Degradation

When soils are exhausted farmers migrate and encroach primary or rejuvenated woodland to exploit accumulated fertility

Deforestation – Zambia 2nd highest per capita in world?

If you can afford fertiliser cut trees and mine out natural fertility

Fertiliser Price Trends US$ Per Ton - Lusaka

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Urea 315 385 455 520 540 1300

D Compound 315 390 400 510 550 1770

Escalating Fertiliser Prices

Fertiliser prices went crazy in 2008 They will fall back but how much?

Is there a connection between increasing fertiliser prices & deforestation?

Ministry of Agriculture subsidised fertiliser programme very costly and

inefficient . Productive (CF) farmers marginalised.

There must be ‘smarter’ ways to deliver subsidised fertiliser?

Farmers compensate for lack of fertiliser by planting larger areas than they can manage. They hope for the best and then abandon the crop.

Excessive areas planted to Maize

OX PLOUGHING AND LATE PLANTING – A UNIVERSAL

MENACE

Late Planting

The negative effects of late planting of Maize and other crops have been known for at least 80 years

Maize: 1.5% of yield lost for each day of delay from 1st opportunity to plant

Cotton: 2.0% of yield loss for each day of delay

Yet in Zambia thousands of farmers especially those who rely on ploughing are always late!

Late Planting

Since the mid 80’s cattle herds have been decimated by Corridor disease and recently CBPP.

This has happened due to the collapse of dipping services and inadequate control over stock movements.

Over the past 25 years, the number of farmers owing oxen has shrunk from 180,000 to under 60,000

This means that oxen hire for ploughing has become very commonplace in Zambia’s Maize belts

Our farmers are locked into systems that guarantee failure year after year – Yield Zero

Mr Mwanja with hired oxen. Ploughing Dec 15th 2007. First planting rains Nov 19th.

Late Ploughing. Another food relief candidate?

Maureen hired oxen to plough. The owner was busy, she only managed to plant on the 28th December. The first opportunity to plant occurred on the 19th November. Before even starting she has lost 59% of her potential yield!

A return visit to Maureen’s field shows an abandoned crop which did not even pay back the cost of hired oxen and labour for weeding.

28th March 2007

NOV MM DEC MM Net Loss

10 0.0 1 0 Final Yield

11 0.0 2 0

12 0.0 3 0

13 0.0 4 0

14 18.3 5 0

15 5.8 6 0

16 0.0 7 0

17 0.0 8 0

18 21.5 9 25.4

19 2.6 10 11.7

20 0.0 11 0 32.0%

21 0.0 12 22.5

22 1.0 13 0 35.0%

23 0.3 14 0 36.5%

24 6.9 15 0 38.0%

25 0.2 16 24.9

26 0.0 17 29.7

27 0.0 18 0.2 42.5%

28 0.0 19 0 44.0%

29 0.0 20 2.1 45.5%

30 0.0 21 16.5

2006-7: EFFECT OF LATE PLANTING ON NATIONAL MAIZE CROP

Rainfall – Magoye TAS 2006/7

GART data shows the same rainfall pattern, so did Choma, Pemba, Mapanza and most of the line of rail and Eastern Province

Average Planting Date Maize: December 18th

National Small-scale Crop: 1,104,000 tons

Potential Planting Date Maize: November 20th

National Small-scale Crop 1,567,680 tons

National Loss Just on Planting Date

Tons 463,000 Value US$56,000,000

Effect of Late Planting – The National Maize Crop 2006/7

Conservation Farming – Principles and Benefits Basic Principles:-

Dry season land preparation

Residue retention to the extent possible

Reduced tillage (Min-till or Zero-till)

Rotations and crop diversification

CF enables farmers to:-

Dry season land prep, flatten labour peak, plant on time, save land prep. costs

Reduce run-off & soil erosion

Harvest early rainfall

Measure and apply nutrients more accurately and efficiently

Achieve more rapid and even crop emergence

Sequence weeding in a more timely manner (flatten labour peaks)

Improve physical and chemical properties of soils in planting zone

Increase yields, reduce costs and increase profit margins

Farm the same land in perpetuity

Hoe Min-Till CF

Permanent Planting Basins. Only 12% of surface area disturbed.

Refer to CFU Hoe Handbook for many more details

Hoe Min-Till CF

Land preparation can commence in June, spreading labour inputs. In Zambia rains normally commence in late November

Some examples of Hoe CF

Some examples of Hoe CF

Some examples of Hoe CF

Some examples of Hoe CF

Dutch Gibson’s Maize 60 ha. Land prep cost $46/ha. Expected yield 8 to 9 tons/ha

Ox Min Till CF

Dry Season Ripping with Magoye Ripper. Ripping Window 6 months. Contracting opportunities . Ploughing window 3 weeks?

Cost 40% of ploughing

1ha 4 hrs. Ploughing 14 hrs Improved Magoye Ripper

Early April Season Ripping through Red Sunnhemp Fallow

Ox Min Till CF

Early April Ripping through physiologically mature Soya Beans

OX Min-Till CF

Some examples of Ox CF

Some examples of Ox CF

Ox Zero-Till CF

The Brazilian Fitarelli. Plant into early weeds and spray Roundup before crop emergence

Direct drilled Cowpea showing good weed kill. In-situ Mulch

Ox Zero-Till CF

Ox Zero-Till CF

Mechanised Min-Till CF

Shallow Dry Season Ripping of planting furrows. Diesel consumption 10 to 12 litres/ha.

Shallow ripping to 20-25cms

Mechanised Min-Till CF

Sequence: Rip, plant in rip lines with Fitarelli, apply Maize herbicides

You have some of these in Kenya – We are told by FAO its the best Zero till for medium scale farmers . Tractors 30kw to 50kw

Rainfall Chibombo District 2004/5 Season

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

CF AND CLIMATE CHANGE

February Rainfall: 57% below normal

March Rainfall: 80% below normal

2004/5 WAS DECLARED A DROUGHT YEAR AND FOOD RELIEF WAS DISTRIBUTED IN MANY AREAS BY WFP AND NGO’S

16th March 2005: Conventional Ox Tillage – Hired Animals. Yield Zero

2004/5 SEASON CONVENTIONAL OX FARMING

Chibombo District Conventional Farmer

Prepared for climate change? Not a chance!

2004/5 SEASON CF OX FARMING. DROUGHT?

CF Ox farmer. Distance from Conventional Farmer 1 km

25th January 2005: Yields would have been remarkable in a normal season.

CF + Faidhebia albida = CA

The medium term solution to sustainable SSF in Central Africa

CAP Goal 240,000 hectares planted by smallholders by 2011

Distribution

Faidherbia is widely distributed with high ecological adaptability.

Across the Sahel from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.

Across Namibia and Southern Angola.

From Natal across Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia to Yemen, Israel and Jordan.

Altitude

Faidherbia is found 270m below sea level near the Dead Sea and up to 2,300 m in Jebel Mara in the Sudan.

60 years of research shows on each hectare, mature trees supply the equivalent of 300kg of complete fertiliser and 250kg of lime.

Faidherbia displays reverse phrenology. Leafs up in the dry season and defoliates in the rains

In addition to promoting the planting of Faidherbia by CF adopters, the CFU also established trials under mature trees in 2007/8 These 40 trials will continue for 4 seasons until 2010/11

On-Farm Trial Number 002 – Faidherbia Albida Crop Yields

Detailed Trial Design:

Maize

Cotton

10 rows x 12 CF basins

10 rows x 12 CF basins

Groundnuts

10 rows x 12 CF basins

Soya + Inoculate

10 rows x 12 CF basins

Maize

Cotton

Groundnuts

Soya + Inoculate

10 rows x 12 CF basins

10 rows x 12 CF basins

10 rows x 12 CF basins

10 rows x 12 CF basins

Edge of Canopy

8.1m

16.1m

Maize, Cotton and Groundnuts planted immediately after first planting rains following CF hoe recommendations. Soya planted 10-14 days later.

Fertiliser zero all plots. Inoculate on Soya. Same day

planting.

10.5m

32.9m

Collection and analysis of soil samples, 3 from under canopy 3 from outside canopy

before rains.

Outside Canopy

In the first year we leaned the following: • The farmers only looked after the Maize • Some farmers did a poor job • We only got reliable results from 14 trials The raw data for Maize showed: • 4.11 tons/ha under canopy • 1.29 tons/ha outside canopy

For 2008/9 we decided to pay farmers a bit to manage!

2008/9 Trials - Excellent Management

ICRAF!

Faidherbia at GART 9 Years old

At recommended spacing of 10m x 10m – 100 trees per hectare

Small-scale CA . Re-filling gaps always necessary to get full stand

In Zambia: Seedlings sown in mid November. Transplanted in the field after 5 weeks

Typical SSF Air-pruned nursery of 125 seedlings

Important: Always remember to scrape seed before sowing to get 90% germination

Some observations about Faidherbia in Zambia

• Nutrient recycling substantial • However there is some shading effect • Rains commence say 20th November • Trees start defoliating about beginning of December • Branches maybe give 10 to 15% shading • Trees start leafing up about 20th February • Important to plant Cereals and Groundnuts with first rains • Not sure about effect on Cotton & legume yields yet • For Maize it is a winner • Trees only start making pods after 14 years??

With Faidherbia

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

THANKS TO ALL