Jonathan Muriuki and the evergreen team

ICRAF, Nairobi and partners

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN EAST AFRICA

Synopsis

The context Some project results

Thoughts on what needs to be done

This is not disputable

Conventional agriculture has failed to reach the world due to :- - Destruction of the biological and ecological integrity of soil - High environmental footprintSmallholder agriculture in Africa though system-based serves subsistence but cant produce surplus for the urban population

2003 Crop Yields (MT/ha) – Africa, and Global

Crop AFRICA GLOBAL

Maize 1.61 4.47

Rice 1.87 3.84

Sorghum 0.88 1.30

Millet 0.70 0.82

Sweet Potatoes 4.32 13.49

Cassava 8.83 10.76

Beans 0.62 0.70

Groundnuts 0.86 1.35

Bananas 6.59 15.25

04/12/2023 4

(Source: Tittonell, 2013)

The challenge of climate change Temperatures have risen by 0.2 – 2.0oC Rainfall variability increases from year to year more intense rainfalls occur more frequently – floods and

extreme weather events are more frequent!! Agricultural production to fall in most developing countries by

upto 30% - food prices to rise

Hence Arid and Semi arid lands

increasing Loss of biodiversity More water scarcity etc Droughts, famines etc

Conservation agriculture Minimum tillage Adequate soil cover Adopting strategic crop

rotations / associations

Benefits Reduce erosion Increase length growing

period• Improve soil conditions leading

to improved yields (30-200%) Sequester carbon Reduce labour costs

Agroforestry Agroforestry incorporating

trees/shrubson farms and rangelands Maintaining vegetative soil cover, Nutrient cycling and NO2 fixation , Weed suppression, Enhancing soil structure and water

infiltration and penetration, Food, fuel, fiber and income from

tree products, carbon storage, and biodiversity

conservation

Conservation agriculture and Agroforestry – Potential remedy

Combining the two has the potential to enhance scaling up of both

1. Minimum soil disturbance. The roots of tree/shrub species and the soil fauna take over the tillage function, soil nutrient mobilization and balancing

2. Adequate soil cover. The trees add biomass, which protects the soil and feeds the soil biota (i.e. biological plough). This also ensures better carbon storage than CA alone

3. Trees in the rotation/ intercrop reduce weeds, insect pests and diseases; Thus increasing savings from inputs such as fertilizer and herbicides

When integrated with CA, trees ensure

Some pilot ICRAF initiatives in E Africa

Baseline analysis of adoption rates, policy and institutional influence on adoption of CAWT in Africa – Ke, Tz, Gh, Za

Pilot testing of initiatives towards wider adoption of evergreen agriculture – Ke, Tz, Rw, Le

Enhancing total farm productivity in smallholder farms in EA – Ke, Et

Trees for food security in eastern Africa – Et, Rw, Ug, Bu Scaling up farmer managed natural regeneration in EA – WV

led – Ke, Ug, Tz, Rw The evergreen agriculture partnership network (global)

Factors affecting adoption of CA in Kenya and Tanzania

Variable  Influence on adoptionKenya Tanzania

Β S.E. Sig. Exp

(B)

Β S.E. Sig. Exp

(B)

Age of household head -0.04 0.01 0.00* 0.96 -0.01 0.02 0.67 0.99

Household size 0.49 0.14 0.00* 1.63 0.07 0.15 0.63 1.08

Access training resources - - - - 3.07 1.27 0.02* 21.45

Access to credit 0.05 0.70 0.95 0.78 0.63 0.83 0.45 1.87

Farm size 0.12 0.10 0.25 1.12 0.05 0.04 0.19 1.05

Mitigate climate change 1.23 0.59 0.04* 0.29 0.94 1.50 0.53 2.55

Use of FFS approaches 1.30 0.37 0.00* 3.68 0.82 1.29 0.53 2.27

Contact farmer approach 0.82 0.34 0.02* 2.28 2.29 1.19 0.06* 9.85

Agro ecological conditions - - - - -2.49 1.26 0.05* 0.08

Factors affecting adoption of AF in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana

Variable  Β S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B)

Kenya            

Livestock keeping -0.07 0.59 0.01 1 0.91 0.94

Access to training resources 0.96 0.32 8.71 1 0.00* 2.60

Farm size -0.16 0.09 3.20 1 0.07* 1.18

Climate change mitigation 0.93 0.47 3.97 1 0.05* 0.40

Tanzania            

Livestock keeping 0.52 0.31 2.77 1 0.10 1.68

Farm size -0.03 0.01 5.30 1 0.02* 0.97

Climate change mitigation 0.71 0.27 6.64 1 0.01* 2.03

Agro ecological conditions -1.71 0.29 33.95 1 0.00* 0.18

GhanaLivestock keeping 2.70 0.91 8.71 1 0.00*** 14.81

Access to training resources 1.57 0.91 2.95 1 0.09* 0.21

Farm size 0.03 0.34 0.01 1 0.92 1.03

Most frequent tree species by agro-ecological zones in Machakos, Bugesera and Mbarali

Zone   Machakos Bugesera MbaraliLow altitude

1 Mangifera indica Senna spectabilis Faidherbia albida

2 Senna siamea Eucalyptus spp Mbadaga

3 Grevillea robusta Grewia similis Acacia tortilis4 Terminalia brownii Grevillea robusta Delonix regia

5 Citrus sinensis Persea americana Mangifera indica

Mid altitude

1 Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Grevillea robusta Faidherbia albida

2 Grevillea robusta Senna spectabilis Mangifera Indica

3 Persea americana Persea americana Acacia tortilis

4 Mangifera indica Mangifera indica Senna spectabilis

5 Croton megalocarpus Eucalyptus spp Delonix regia

High altitude

1 Grevillea robusta Grevillea robusta  

2 Mangifera indica Mangifera indica  

3 Persea americana Persea americana  

4 Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Eucalyptus spp  

5 Croton megalocarpus Citrus limon  

Species accumulation curves 90 farms surveyed in Machakos County

There are more indigenous species in the community but far exceed by the exotic species in numbers

Farmers views on various species in their farmsMarket value categories

Botanical name common nichesLeaf mulch/ fertility value

Crop conditions under the canopy

High value/ commonly

sold

Mangifera indica Field (terraces) slow decomposer unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield

Persea americana field (terraces) not known unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

field boundaries harmful to the soil unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield

Medium value

Grevillea robusta field boundaries/ home compound

mulch value (high moisture content)

healthy appearance no reduction in yield

Terminalia brownii field boundaries conflicting opinions reduction in yield - can be improved with pruning

Carica papaya field (terraces) fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield

Citrus limon field (terraces) slow decomposer reduction in yield

Citrus sinensis field (terraces) slow decomposer reduction in yield for maize, legumes have no reduction in yield

Can be sold

Psidium guajava field (terraces) slow decomposer unhealthy appearance and reduction in yield

Syzygium guineense

field boundaries/ home compound

  reduction in yield - can be improved with pruning

Acacia nilotica field boundaries/ grazing field

fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield

Balanites aegyptiaca

field boundaries/ grazing field

fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield

Acacia xanthophloea

field boundaries/ grazing field

fast decomposer healthy appearance no reduction in yield

Policy framework

Land issues Riverbank farming Soil erosion Trees on farm

44%

60%

80%90%

Farmers' awareness of policy activities in Kenya

Good and enabling policies exist but implementation is weak in many countries

Institutional Framework Issues Low Awareness on CA and CAWT among many players

Poor Coordination in Sustainable Land Management Systems

Inadequate extension services – few personnel and little refresher training

Lack of Training on CA and CAWT

Limited Research and Development – still at pilot level

Inadequate Financing in Agricultural Technologies

Lack of Incentive Packages e.g. Subsidies, PES

Trade offs: Soil cover vs Livestock feeds – commodity orientation

In availability of cover crop and tree seeds

Lack of Markets, MIS or access infrastructure – pull factor

Lack of Investment Opportunities and Value Addition

Limited Private Sector Support – especially in research

What can be done?

Tree management spacing, niches,

CA, tree crop interactions, etc

Right species, Seeds, and

seedling systems

Favorable policies, Farmer advisory

services, capacity building at all levels ,

linking markets

Germplasm Practices

Enabling environment

Knowledge to Action with further research

(Rural resource centers)

Characterization of typologies

Support for national scaling up programmes

Learning from indigenous knowledge - Machakos

seasonal hired labour / pesticides

Full time hired labour

KITCHEN GARDEN

Learning from indigenous knowledge - Mbarali

Chemical fertilizers / pesticides / power tiller / hired labour

Integrated farmer learning and service centers

Working together and co-learning

Farmers, scientists, farmer advisors, private sector etc – innovation platforms (we all need to un-learn, learn, re-learn) taking into account system particularities

- Better networking for synergies- Cohost demonstration plots- Use networks and data of

development NGOs (longer and credible programmes)

- Take cognizance of farm heterogeneity in planning (Source: Tittonell, 2013)

Building farmers capacity (competence, confidence and commitment)

Tree species diversity (abundance and evenness) as proxy for more stable system: Farmers engaged through the landcare model had more diversity

AHSANTETwalumba