Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

five consecutive years. They also easily adopted cover crops intercropped with maizebecause it was compatible with the traditional system of intercropping maize withpigeon pea, which saw them through the long dry season. The value of the droughttolerantcover crops, which provided both food and cash, influenced many farmers topick up the innovation.Escalating soil infertility, low purchasing power and the ever-increasing price ofinorganic fertilizers prompted farmers to practise rotation of wheat and Dolichoslablab.Farmers adopted selected conservation agriculture implements, such as the ripperand the direct seed planter, because they saved labour and reduced the drudgeryexperienced in many hand-hoe operations. Failure to have time for criticaloperations such as land preparation and planting was another driving force. Withthe current unreliable rainfall farmers were required to make use of any raindrop,so early planting to maximize rainfall flash was counted as another entry point.Small-scale farmers with relatively low income adopted the jab planter because ofits low cost and ease of operation.Promoting conservation agriculture in KaratuDriving forces are issues that compel adoption and sustainability. Success storiesof increased yields and profits under conservation agriculture and availability ofconservation agriculture inputs created an enabling environment.Success stories of conservation agriculture technologies from Brazil, the UnitedStates, Zimbabwe and other areas were another driving force. Large areas of arableland in southern Brazil suffered such severe erosion that the very livelihood ofthe farmers was endangered. Initial efforts to contain the damage by constructingterracing were not effective (FAO 2001). Scientists confirmed that erosion resultedfrom the way land between terrace banks was managed.Mkoga et al. (2001) observed an overall 60% decrease in labour required whenfarmers switched from the mouldboard plough to shallow ripping in the maize–draught-animal power farming system in the southern highlands of Tanzania.Various agricultural scientists and extensionists have been keen to follow up and tryout some of the reported conservation agriculture technologies and practices.In January 2000 two no-tillage experts from Brazil, Fatima Ribeiro and AdemirCalegari, together with two FAO officers, Jose Benites and Josef Kienzle, visitedKaratu District to introduce the Brazil no-tillage system and to interact directly withfarmers, researches and policymakers. They brought along the first Brazilian-madeno-tillage equipment to Tanzania—three jab planters and one no-tillage seeder foranimal traction. This visit created much interest in conservation agriculture amongSARI, other research institutes and the Ministry of Agriculture.Another driving force has been through individuals. Mr Mariki, senior agriculturalresearch officer from SARI who has made many conservation agriculture study visits andattended workshops in Brazil (2001), Spain (2001) and Zimbabwe (1998), has pioneereda lot of conservation agriculture technologies and practices in Karatu. He has been ableKaratu District 81