Integrated Soil Water and Nutrient Management and Dry ... - Icrisat

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Table 1. Manzimahle Farmer Field School results. Treatment Maize Sorghum Ridges Flat Ridges Flat Zero 1.6 0.7 1.7 1.5 Manure 2.0 1.5 1.6 1.3 Manure +AN 2.5 0.7 1.5 1.5 Compound D 2.5 0.6 2.3 1.5 Compound D+AN 3.4 1.9 1.8 1.7 The FFS concept is best for communal farms where many elderly farmers live. The concepts make these farmers feel that what they do is theirs and they do it for themselves for their own benefit. No decisions are imposed on them; they decide almost everything themselves. The other advantage is that whether educated or not, they all gain the same knowledge because learning is by practice and not by paperwork. This makes it easier to understand and remember than if learned by reading or being taught as theory. Many farmers have accepted the concept, as it is more learner-friendly than the MF Training, which is selective, as you need to know how to read and write. The MF Training involves much paperwork with little or no practical learning, which sometimes daunts even better-educated farmers. The farmers are now trained to solve major crop production problems that have been affecting them year after year. They have learned new methods of conserving water in fields, and of diversifying from maize to millets and cash crops such as cowpea, groundnut, and Bambara nut. They have realized that short season crops give good rates of return on investment and significant income benefits. Manzimahle FFS organized a field day, after which most members adopted the new technologies. For example, all members have adopted ridges. Animal manure is being heavily promoted, as inorganic fertilizers are not available. The farmers are more than willing to share with other farmers all that they learnt in the FFS. They appreciate the need for those who have graduated to open more new FFS as a means of scaling up the program, provided the resources are made available to procure seeds and fertilizers. They also suggest that some amount be paid by AREX to farmer facilitators to use in travel expenses and maintenance of their bicycles, which they use for traveling. 11
Farmers’ perspectives: Gwanda: Mnyabetsi Ntswariseng Maluta, Chairperson, Mnyabetsi Farmer Field School, Gwanda The Mnyabetsi FFS started during the 2000/01 cropping season with the help of the local leadership. It comprised a group of 25 members from 10 households headed by females and 15 by males. The farmers began by diagnosing common problems that they all face, such as low moisture retention, low fertility, and high rainfall runoff, and discussing how to overcome these. In the field school plot, they constructed contours about 5 m wide and dug 1 m-deep infiltration pits with the channel. Extension staff assisted with pegging of contours. The field was tilled using donkeys. The members drafted bylaws and decided to impose a fine of Zimbabwe $5.00 on members who arrive late for meetings, and $50.00 for nonattendance. This money is used to hire extra labor during peak periods in order to achieve the operational targets. The group derived several benefits from the FFS. The FFS helped build cohesion in groups and sharing of responsibilities. The FFS also helped increase knowledge and sharing through farmers visiting each other in fields and evaluating whether or not to apply what they learned in FFS plots to their fields. The FFS has been operational for two seasons. The field school plot belongs to the group. During the 2001/2002 cropping season the group harvested 100 kg SV4 sorghum (1 t ha -1 ); 100 kg sunflower ( 1 t ha -1 ); 50 kg groundnuts (0.5 t ha -1 ); and 100 kg cowpeas ( 1 t ha -1 ). The farmers all agree that the water harvesting technology they learned and applied was the major reason for these good yields. This has spurred them to advise and encourage other farmers to start new FFS. Farmers’ perspectives: Gwanda: Fumukwe Irine Ncube, Chairperson, Fumukwe Farmer Field School, Gwanda The Gwanda FFS started during the 2000/2001 season, when extension staff visited and asked farmers to form farming groups. Those who were interested 12
Page 2 and 3: Citation: Citation: Rusike J, Heinr
Page 4 and 5: The opinions expressed in this publ
Page 6 and 7: Synthesis Synthesis of Workshop Out
Page 8 and 9: • Increased crop and variety dive
Page 10 and 11: udgets are now activity- and perfor
Page 12 and 13: Appendix Introduction Background an
Page 14 and 15: The farmers decided on the experime
Page 18 and 19: egistered to become members of the
Page 20 and 21: The farmers appreciated the fact th
Page 22 and 23: The groups discussed problems affec
Page 24 and 25: • Fuel shortage • Low mileage r
Page 26 and 27: • Pre-planting tied ridges are no
Page 28 and 29: completed in all FFS. Installation
Page 30 and 31: wider options available and whether
Page 32 and 33: for the whole country. Provincial t
Page 34 and 35: • Participating farmers liked sha
Page 36 and 37: • There is high staff turnover of
Page 38 and 39: Responses of farmers and extension
Page 40 and 41: years, ranging from 23 to 87. On av
Page 42 and 43: Government extension officers and N
Page 44 and 45: Table 11. Allocation of government
Page 46 and 47: Impact of Master Farmer, Farmer Fie
Page 48 and 49: Compared to the control group, the
Page 50 and 51: Empowerment Farmers were asked whet
Page 52 and 53: farmer-to-farmer visits, a sense of
Page 54 and 55: to the majority of farmers, conduct
Page 56 and 57: This study conducted a comparative
Page 58 and 59: Participants Alibaba, S Provincial
Page 60 and 61: Makumbe, Willie Senior Agricultural
Page 62 and 63: Ndebele, Crispen Crop Research Offi
Page 64 and 65: Tsikisayi, Sylvester Director ZFU P
Page 66:
ICRISAT-Patancheru (Headquarters) P
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