Conservation agriculture techniques in animal traction systems

Realizing sustainable agricultural mechanisation
African Conservation Tillage Network
By: Eng. Saidi Mkomwa
1 December 2017
Conservation Agriculture
Techniques in Animal Traction Systems
“THE TRUTH IS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER ADVANCED A SCIENTIFIC REASON FOR
PLOWING” –EDWARD FALKNER

Contents
1.Introduction to mechanized Conservation Agriculture Systems
2.CA mechanization tools, equipment and machinery
3.Operations for land and field operations
• Hand-tool technology (HTT)
• Draught animal technology (DAT)
• Engine-power technology (EPT)
4.Options for seeding ad planting
• Hand-tool technology (HTT)
• Draught animal technology (DAT)
• Engine-power technology (EPT)
5.Options for weed control, residue and cover crop management
6.Post production and harvesting equipment

Food Security more urgent in Africa in
coming years
1.Global pop. to increase by 33% to 9 billion by 2050
2.Africa’s to increase by 115%; by 21% in Asia
3.60% more food worldwide; 100% in Africa
4.Worldwide hunger decreased by 132 million in last 20 years; it
increased by 64 million in Africa.
5.Threatening climate change challenges
6.Farming related land resource degradation

Remember
The 3 CA Principles
1. Minimum mechanical soil disturbance
2. Permanent organic soil cover
3. Crop rotations or associations
No till seeder design requirements
1. Soil surface covered by residues after seeding
2. Minimal volume of soil mobilization
3. Ability to meter different seed types

Remember:
why minimum mechanical soil disturbance?
 Tillage or ploughing – is the most time and power consuming
operation. When avoided, saves costs and time
 Undisturbed weed seeds remain in the soil without germinating
– reducing weed pressure and seed bank
 Ploughing disturbs the soil – making it susceptible to erosion;
causes plough pans
 Ploughing releases GHG contributing to climate change

Minimum soil disturbance
The “Deceiving” effects of ploughing
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
• Weeds are controlled
• Seedbed is prepared
• Water infiltration improves
• Soil aeration improves
• Nutrients are released,
availed
• Incorporation of manure,
fertilizers & organic matter
• Loose soil eroded and
nutrients are leached
LONG TERM EFFECTS
• Depleted soil organic matter
• Damaged soil structure and
macro pores
• Soil flora and fauna disappear
• Hard/plough pan formation
• Acute soil water availability
and restricted aeration
• Distortion of pH levels
• Decline in nutrient
availability

Will mechanization of Agriculture
in Africa Displace Labour?
Ever growing population and
rapid urbanization Who will produce food ?
• Average age of farmers in
Africa is 60 years
• Youth migrating to urban
centres
• Youths associate farming with
poverty. But they do not hate
farming, they only hate the
poverty.
• The sustainable intensification
to be promoted should enable
the youths to see a different
future in agriculture: not as a
struggle to survive; but as a
business that thrives.
https://goo.gl/5C8mur

The Africa we want
Modern agriculture for increased production, productivity and value addition
contributes to farmer and national prosperity and Africa’s collective food security;
Africa’s agriculture will be modern and productive, using science, technology,
innovation and indigenous knowledge. The hand hoe will be banished by 2025 and
the sector will be modern, profitable and attractive to the continent’s youths and
women (AU, 2015)

Before starting CA
Dealing with various types of soil problems
• Compacted soils
• Crusting due to heavy rainfall on ploughed soil
• Animal hooves
• Tractor wheels
• Hardpans amelioration
• Using a ripper
• Using a subsoiler
• Using planting basins
• Sowing a strong-rooted cover crop.
• Ridges and furrows.
• Permanent broad beds. Land levelling (automatic laser
levellers)
• Abnormal pH
• Liming.

Which mechanized CA options?
• The CA options used in any circumstance need to ensure the three principles are
observed.
• How to achieve this essentially depends on
• - Available farm power sources
• - Crops to be grown by the farmer
• - Socio-economic status of the farmer
• - Availability of equipment selected
• - Economic viability
• - Technical suitability of the techniques chosen

Options for land preparation
• HAND TOOLS
1. Hand hoes
2. Chaka hoes
3. Hand rippers
• ANIMAL DRAWN
TOOLS
1. Animal drawn
furrow openers
2. Animal drawn sub-
soilers
TRACTOR DRAWN
TOOLS
1. Tractor drawn rippers
2. Tractor drawn sub-
soilers

Ripping
1. Ripping opens a narrow (about 5-10 cm) slot or furrow in the soil
surface. Depth could vary from 15-20 cm.
2. Used to break up a surface crust or a shallow hardpan. Also used to open
a furrow for sowing seeds – either by hand or planter attached to the
ripper itself.
3. Using the ripper allows sowing the crop earlier and faster than
ploughing the soil and then plant.
4. Ripped lines spaced 50-90 cm apart, depending on crop row spacing. The
ground in between the rows is left undisturbed.
5. Rainwater concentrates in the planting lines and sinks into the soil where
the crop roots are growing.

Needed equipment; how to do
ripping/planting
• Needed
o Ripper
o Draught
animals
o Planting
tool
• How to do ripping and planting?
1. When? Before or on
commencement of the rains?
2. How to deal with mulch/residues?
3. On slopy land?
4. Row spacing for different crops?
5. Manure?
6. How do you sow seeds on the
ripper rows?

Ripper
Ripper planter
Ripper attachment

ADP Ripped Lines

Semoir attelé - Madagascar

Tractor – Zero till CF

Mechanical Min till CA

Zero Till 3 row direct seeder – for larger
farmers

Roberto Peiretti 2005Roberto Peiretti 2005

Options for weed control, residues and cover crop
management
• Mechanical weed control options
o Hand operated tools
• Weed scrapper
• Slasher/matchette
o Animal drawn weed management equipment
o Tractor powered weed management equipment

What factors enhance uptake of
mechanized CA?
1. High demand for planting equipment (opportunity for direct seeding
equipment).
2. CA technologies that address weed management issues so Introduction of
animal powered ground driven sprayers
3. Increased profitability from cash crops eg cotton, soyabeans.
4. Availability of equipment on the market (reliable sources)

Challenges of access to CA equipment
1. Little progress made in availing CA equipment on the
market (chicken and egg story)
2. True CA concepts still at their infancy
3. Various CA equipment developed through research.
4. Poor linkages between research-farmer-private
sectorextension researched equipment still unavailable
to the farmer
5. Equipment access generally increases from
subsistence to cash crop producers

Our Contacts
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Website: www.act-africa.org
Email: info@act-africa.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ACTillage

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