Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

used to attend to AIDS sufferers and funerals. Any labour-saving technology inagricultural production would ease the current situation caused by the pandemic.Labour, cropping calendar and farming systemsCropping calendarTraditionally, most land preparation activities, that is slashing, burning of trash,ridging and ploughing, are carried out in December and January; sowing is donein February (table 2). The highest demand for labour is for weeding and occurs inMarch. Maize, sorghum and wheat are harvested in July and August. Pigeon pea isharvested in October. Beans sown in August are normally harvested in Novemberwhile those sown in January and February are harvested in April and May. However,with the introduction of conservation agriculture and with the current climaticchanges (inadequate or poor distribution of rainfall), the normal cropping calendarhas change for individual farmers or localities.Table 2. Cropping calendarActivities J F M A M J J A S O N DSlashing, trash burning, ridging, ploughing X XSowing B X,B B BWeedingXHarvesting B B X X XX – maize, sorghum and wheat; B – beansIntercroppingIntercropping is a common farming practice where maize is intercropped withbeans or pigeon pea. Farmers have been doing this to improve soil fertility, intensifycrop production and reduce risk by diversifying. Some farmers intercrop maize withpumpkin as a form of crop diversification and intensification (Bishop-Sambrooket al. 2004). Large-scale farmers do not intercrop, rather they rely more on croprotation. About 60% of the small-scale farmers in Karatu practise intercropping,mainly maize and pigeon pea, where both crops are planted at the same time.Contour cultivationLine-level boards and A-frames have been used to demarcate contours while handhoes have been used to excavate contour trenches and bunds. Napier grass andagroforestry trees have been planted along the contour bunds to stabilize them.However, under heavy storms, contours have failed to stop soil and water erosioneffectively as indicators of soil erosion such as splash, rills and inter-rills can beobserved between contours.AgroforestryAgroforestry has been promoted in the district by several agencies: TAF, MBK,KDC, and others. Agroforestry techniques applied include windbreaks and hedge68 Ringo et al.