Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

abreast of information. Information and knowledge deficits have resulted in lessthan adequate support from agricultural extensionists. These deficits have beenfurther exacerbated by the knowledge-intensive nature of conservation agriculture,that is, how to use specialized implements, how to approach farmers to changetheir mindset, how to convince them to switch from conventional farming practices,demonstrating how to manage soil cover, etc. In addition, the number of extensionstaff in the district is low; many must cover an entire ward rather than a village.Extensionists are adversely affected by few incentives, limited working facilities, anda hostile environment.Lack of implements in the districtConservation agriculture implements are not readily available at the districtheadquarters, and some are too expensive for farmers to buy. Local artisans arenot trained in how to make the required conservation agriculture implements. Agood number of people who practise crop rotation of wheat, maize and beans haverealized that they don’t have direct seed implements for wheat; hence they havedecided to plough under, and no longer practise conservation agriculture.Inadequate policy analysis and advocacy of related issuesFew attempts have been made to analyse the policy environment of conservationagriculture or to advocate conservation agriculture technologies in national policyprocesses regarding agriculture and natural resource management. The districtdoes not have an agricultural resource centre dealing with conservation agriculturetechnologies, inputs and implements, and it is difficult to depend on servicesfrom afar. When inorganic fertilizers were being promoted, there was a nationalcampaign with the government subsidizing fertilizers. Concurrently technical,material, facilities and financial support were readily available from FAO/Global2000 to facilitate and build capacity at institutional and grassroots levels.Problems of attaining permanent soil cover and weed controlWeed management, especially in the initial stages of adoption of conservationagriculture, is a major problem. The main reason is that both cover crops andcrop residue have other immediate advantages to the farmers and their families.Availability of rainfall, management of the soil cover and time of planting thecover crop affects biomass production. However, farmers prefer the cover crop andsoil cover options compared with the use of herbicides—mainly as the cover cropsfertilize as well as cover the soil, and herbicides are designed only to kill weeds(Bishop-Sombrook et al. 2004).Competition for livestock feeds and soil coverApproximately 90% of Karatu small-scale farmers practise mixed farming.Traditionally, crop leftovers are kept as dry season feed; it is almost impossible toleave crop residues as soil cover while animals are starving.92 Ringo et al.