Farmers' initiatives in land husbandry: promising ... - Prolinnova

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Technical Report No. 27 ASSESSMENT Costs and benefits Farm income increase from the sale of sugar cane is the main production/ socio-economic benefit, while the ecological benefits include sediment accumulation, soil (ie riverbed and bank) loss reduction, soil cover improvement, increase in soil moisture and increase in soil fertility. The production value is estimated to have increased by about a half in the last three years (mainly due to an expanded area enclosed). In the long term the farmer considers the benefits to be very positive compared with the high initial labour demand - particularly in cutting and transporting grass for mulching. Adoption At least five farmers had adopted the innovation by the beginning of 1999 (exact figures not available). This is a particularly site-specific system, and thus wide replication is simply not possible. It is only relevant to those who have farms bordering sand rivers with wide beds. Research need/ possible improvements A live fence is recommended as an alternative to constantly having to replenish the fence with cut thorn bush. The fence is required to avoid grazing of the cane by domestic livestock. One specific role of research in this situation would be to look into how far it is possible to reduce the width of the riverbed without causing flooding and associated problems. Concluding comments Here is a system that defies the theory that planting in, or near to, a riverbed is automatically bad for the environment. While it is common to see agropastoralists planting sorghum in sand riverbeds to make use of residual moisture (eg the Turkana in northern Kenya), that is quite different to this example of combined reclamation and production. Warning: As has been already mentioned, planting within a riverbed is, strictly speaking, against regulations. Such technologies should not be attempted without consulting the local agricultural office. WOCAT data collection: Mbuvi Ngati; Linus Mwendwa, MOARD Extra Information: Kenya PFI team; Dr Bancy Mati WOCAT Reference: KEN 23 26
Farmers’ Initiatives in Land Husbandry 4.2.3 Case study No. 3: Gully rehabilitation Ms KALEKYE MUTUA Kyuso Location, Mwingi District INTRODUCTION Background Kalekye Mutua is a single household head in her mid thirties. Although she has no partner to help support her three children, she manages quite well through farming her 6 hectares of land - where she grows various crops and keeps a few local cattle. She had a small trading venture but has recently abandoned this. Kalekye is not amongst the poorest in Mwingi, but represents a number of female-headed households who prosper through hard work and enterprise. In fact she even employs labourers part-time to help with the farming activities. Kalekye started innovating in the early 1980s. She decided to tackle a gully that was threatening her land. This gully was growing too big to cross, and was a source of frustration. There is no loose stone available locally, and thus Kalekye was obliged to work out a system of controlling the gully with earth check dams. The essence of her system is to excavate pits just to the side of the gully to provide the material for check dams across the gully bed. The check dams allow overflow around their tips. This flow continues through the pits and back into the gully bed. According to her, she had seen a ‘similar’ gully control method put into action by a friend of hers who lives quite a distance away. Nevertheless the specific design is Kalekye’s own, and has been developed through trial and error. Kalekye and PFI PFI has strategically used Kalekye to demonstrate that women can find answers themselves. Her farm has been a favourite for organized visits by women’s groups. As a result of visiting another farmer innovator, Kalekye has recently adapted her pits to act as planting locations for bananas. Importance of the initiative This initiative of Kalekye’s is one of several similar examples of gully harnessing uncovered by PFI. It is important therefore as a representative of these systems, all of which contrive to turn an ‘enemy’ into a productive ‘friend’. There are specific technical points of note also, but most of all it demonstrates how one female-headed household has managed to be creative, and how useful this example is to influence other women. Kalekye Mutua 27
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