Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

The former Mbeya Oxenization Project brought a prototype conservationagriculture ripper and ripper planter to ARI Uyole from Palabana AgriculturalTraining Institute, Zambia, in 1993. However, farm trials of ripping by ARI Uyolecommenced in 1999. Additional rippers were produced by a Mbeya manufacturer—SEAZ Agricultural Equipment Ltd. Importing small batches of implements wascumbersome.ARI Uyole set zone research and development priorities and chose representativeagroecological zones. Wanging’ombe, with the main agroecological zone, AEZ 3,and Mshewe Ward, AEZ 4f, were included in the priorities.7 Conservation agriculture technologyConservation agriculture aims to sustain and enhance arable soils. It has threeprinciples: minimal soil disturbance, maintaining permanent vegetative soil cover,and mixing and rotating cash and cover crops.Conservation agriculture pathwayRidging, tied ridging and ripping were first introduced at Wanging’ombe village tosustain or increase yields, reduce soil erosion and labour during the frequent yearsof reduced rainfall.Introduced conservation agriculture mainly used animal power because it was familiarand the basic equipment, harnesses and carts for manure, were available. Approachesfrom 1998–2003 used farmer research groups of 10–18 farming households to conductthe trials and promotions. Each farmer was required to have a test plot in his or herown field. Farmers contributed land, oxen and labour, while researchers supplied aset of implements for each group, improved seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and technicalsupport. The village extension officer provided constant supervision and facilitatedgroup organization. Farmer research group members were guided to evaluate and rankthe various farm tools. They were encouraged to select techniques for scaling up. Fielddays for other villagers and outsiders were conducted before harvest.Project interventions during 2004–2006 chose to use the farmer field schools.These use a common plot and farmers try to analyse conservation agriculturetechnology, such as planting, weed management, pest control, harvesting andstorage. Individual farmers also try to adapt the techniques in their own fields. Avillage committee of village government officials, farmers and extension officerschose farmers to participate in both the research groups and farmer field schoolsusing criteria developed and endorsed by a village meeting.Implements usedIn both Wanging’ombe and Mshewe, conservation agriculture using animalpoweredand hand implements was introduced, since 85% of farmers use oxen and65% farm by hand. The animal-drawn implements were the ripper, ripper planterand direct seeder; the hand planting tools were the hand hoe and jab planter. The122 Mkomwa et al.