Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

study tours, organizing farmer field schools, managing demonstration plots and fielddays, and publishing extension field leaflets and posters. On-farm experimentationand trials have been central to local adaptation of conservation agriculture practices.Combinations of several approaches when well integrated have shown promisingresults in adoption and diffusion of the innovations.Generally adoption and diffusion of conservation agriculture technologiesand practices have taken place after demonstrations showed their efficiencyand effectiveness in combating a wide range of constraints to improved cropproduction—‘seeing is believing’. Their effectiveness in improving rainwaterinfiltration and conserving moisture, leading to stable higher yields even underinadequate rainfall has motivated many farmers to adopt the technologies andconsequently they have become diffused in the community. Demonstrations ofconservation agriculture technologies as labour and energy saving have persuadedmany farmers to try them, aiding adoption and diffusion.Most projects attach government extension officers in all activities, expecting thatthey will continue to disseminate information about the system even after theproject phases out. However, in most cases government extension departments areconstrained by inadequate staff and working facilities—especially transport andlow motivation fostered by low salaries and lack of promotion. Consequently, thediffusion process is often very slow.Farmers have been invited to internal programme reviews, for example at SARI.Farmers have received farmer visitors from other regions and countries keen to seeconservation agriculture activities in Tanzania and to share experiences. Generally,farmers who have achieved outstandingly in adopting and scaling up conservationagriculture innovations have benefited, although sometimes the returns are in kind.10 Benefits and effects of conservationagriculture adoption in KaratuAgronomic and environmental aspects in the fieldSo far farmers have realized high yields per unit area when practising conservationagriculture. Wheat used to yield 3–5 bags per acre; nowadays, reliable harvestscommonly average 10 bags per acre (conservation agriculture adopters, pers.comm.). In maize intercropped with pigeon pea, traditional yields were 1–2 bags ofpigeon pea and 4–6 bags of maize; farmers are now averaging 3–4 bags of pigeonpea and 15 bags of maize. Proper spacing and use of improved seeds have alsocontributed to the increased yields (KDC 2001) (table 3).Farmers have started to reap the benefits of conservation agriculture. MamaCornel’s wheat yields doubled after she rotated with lablab. ‘I use to get about2.5 bags of wheat from my plot. After Alfred shared with me his knowledgeand experience in rotating Dolichos lablab with wheat, I decided to do the same.In the same area where I used to harvest 2.5 bags, I now harvest 8–9 bags.’88 Ringo et al.