Conservation Farming & Conservation Agriculture in Zambia – an update with emphasis on Faidherbia Albida

1. Conservation Farming Unit
Conservation Farming & Conservation
Agriculture in Zambia – An Update
With emphasis on Faidherbia albida

2. The Conservation Agriculture Programme
2nd generation programme to extend adoption of CF/CA
in Zambia
• Period 2007 to 2011
• Financing by Norwegian Government
• Extension Beneficiaries 140,000
• Technology Delivery ‘Lead Farmer System’
• Goal 240,000 farmers adopt by 2011

3. Region 111
Rainfall 1000-1200mm
Miombo woodland
Region 11a
Rainfall 800-850mm
Maize Production Belt
Zambia’s plateau’s
Region 11b
Rainfall 800-900mm
Zambezi floodplains
Region 1
Rainfall 700-750mm
Low altitude river valleys
Rainfall Monomodal
Late Nov to Mid March

4. CAP Operational Areas
Most of Agro-ecological Region 11a
Zambia’s Maize & Cotton Production Belt
40% of Zambia’s rural population
Western Region
Southern Region
Central Region
Eastern Region

5. Size of Zambia:
75,261,400 hectares
Arable Land With Good to Moderate Potential:
9.0 million hectares (12%)
Arable Land Cropped
1.5 million hectares
Rural Population
1,140,000 farming families
A Few statistics about Zambia

6. Zambia’s Agricultural Potential
Zambia enjoys considerable advantages over many of
its neighbours:
• No land pressure – only 16% utilised
• Political stability
• Good soils and in general reliable rainfall

7. If this is the case -
 Why are rural families so often food insecure?
 Why does food relief feature so prominently in Zambia?
 Why is productivity so low?
 Why do marginally adverse season cause widespread crop failure?
 Why isn’t Zambia a large exporter of agricultural commodities?
Zambia’s Agricultural Potential

8. Low Maize Yields Some Inconvenient Facts
Number of Households Growing Crops 1,146,000
Total Maize Production Tons 988,000
Area Planted to Maize Ha 877,000
Area Harvested Ha 504,570
Area Abandoned Ha 372,700 (42%)
Yield of Area Committed to Maize Tons/Ha 1.13
Area abandoned over past 8 seasons Ha 1,712,000 (32%)
Percentage of farmers not using fertiliser 69%
Percentage of Maize growers not selling Maize 73%
CSO/MACO/MSU Crop Forecast Survey Data 2002 - 2008

9. Conventional Small-Scale Farming in
Zambia’s Maize and Cotton Belts
Medium term consequences of Tillage
Systems
OX PLOUGHING

10. September: Residues raked up and burnt. Soil totally exposed to
early storms and sheet erosion

11. September: The atmosphere is full of colloids and Zambia can hardly be
seen from the air even at low altitude.
Carbon Emissions

12. Soil is all turned over and exposed. Seeding depth and emergence are very
uneven. If the rains stop ploughing stops until the rains come back. By this
time the first plot needs weeding. What to do next?
November: Farmers lucky enough to own oxen plough after early rains.

13. November: The results of storm flow
Ploughing and soil erosion

14. Compact layer at about 12-14cms
Ploughing and Compaction

15. Continuously ploughed land abandoned to Couch
(Cynodon dactylon)
Ploughing and pernicious weeds

16. CONVENTIONAL HOE TILLAGE

17. In eastern Zambia and Malawi farmers split ridges in the dry season.
Hoe pans form under the ridges. 700 million + tons of soil moved
yearly by hand!
Ridge Splitting

18. Ridges often aligned
down the slope.
Furrows concentrate
rainfall and wash top
soil away.
Severe
erosion
In the north of
Zambia ridge
splitting is done
after the rains.
These soils are
particularly fragile
and acidify rapidly
when disturbed.

19. Due to population pressure in Malawi farmers have occupied hillsides.
Ridges are breached after heavy storms producing massive soil loss
and gully erosion
Storm flow - ridge culture Malawi

20. Denuded Hillside – Malawi

21. This practice is less common but also exposes the soil to erosion and
creates compaction. Hard unnecessary work!
Overall Digging

22. CONVENTIONAL MECHANISED
TILLAGE

23. Dry season ploughing. Destroying Class A1 soils in Chisamba.
Diesel consumption ploughing 35 to 40 litres/ha.

24. Dry season discing at GART
Diesel consumption 15litres/ha.

25. CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE
SYSTEMS AND THE THREAT OF
CLIMATE CHANGE

26. Conventional Tillage Systems increase Climatic Risks
In Drier Seasons Panned
soils stunt root
development causing
severe moisture stress.
Rainfall cannot infiltrate
the soil and washes
away

27. In Wetter Seasons. Compacted soils cause water logging from
impeded drainage
Conventional Tillage Systems increase Climatic Risks

28. Conventional Tillage
Environmental Consequences

29. Nutrient Depletion
An aerial survey of Southern Province after the
1991/2 drought showed that 95% of land farmed by
smallholders was occupied by Maize.
 No mixed cropping, no rotations.
 Continuous soil disturbance, erosion, land degradation
 Loss of organic matter and soil structure.
 Low pH – Acidity.
In 1933 British ecological survey of Southern Province first raised
concerns regarding excessive erosion!

30. A 3.5 ton/ha Maize crop extracts the
equivalent of 275kgs/ha of combined basal
and nitrogenous fertiliser, but 69% of
smallholders use no fertiliser at all, on soils
that are already degraded and less
responsive.
Nutrient Depletion

31. Many farmers occupy far more land than they crop. Part of the farm is
degraded. It is abandoned and may be re-occupied after several years
Partial Degradation – Reversion to Scrub

32. Land degradation occurs gradually and we seldom notice the early
symptoms
Here it is too late. 10cms or 1,000 tons of top soil per hectare has been
lost. Even the toughest weeds struggle to grow.

33. In Zambia many thousands of hectares of formerly productive land have
been degraded and permanently abandoned
Terminal Degradation

34. When soils are exhausted farmers migrate and encroach primary or
rejuvenated woodland to exploit accumulated fertility
Deforestation – Zambia 2nd highest per capita in world?
If you can afford fertiliser cut trees and
mine out natural fertility

35. Fertiliser Price Trends US$ Per Ton - Lusaka
Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Urea 315 385 455 520 540 1300
D Compound 315 390 400 510 550 1770
Escalating Fertiliser Prices
Fertiliser prices went crazy in 2008 They will fall back but how much?
Is there a connection between increasing fertiliser prices & deforestation?
Ministry of Agriculture subsidised fertiliser programme very costly and
inefficient . Productive (CF) farmers marginalised.
There must be ‘smarter’ ways to deliver subsidised fertiliser?

36. Farmers compensate for lack of fertiliser by planting larger areas than they can
manage. They hope for the best and then abandon the crop.
Excessive areas planted to Maize

37. OX PLOUGHING AND LATE
PLANTING – A UNIVERSAL
MENACE

38. Late Planting
The negative effects of late planting of Maize and other crops have
been known for at least 80 years
Maize: 1.5% of yield lost for each day of delay from 1st opportunity
to plant
Cotton: 2.0% of yield loss for each day of delay
Yet in Zambia thousands of farmers especially those who rely on
ploughing are always late!

39. Late Planting
Since the mid 80’s cattle herds have been decimated by Corridor
disease and recently CBPP.
This has happened due to the collapse of dipping services and
inadequate control over stock movements.
Over the past 25 years, the number of farmers owing oxen has
shrunk from 180,000 to under 60,000
This means that oxen hire for ploughing has become
very commonplace in Zambia’s Maize belts

40. Our farmers are locked into systems that guarantee failure year after
year – Yield Zero
Mr Mwanja with hired oxen. Ploughing Dec 15th 2007. First
planting rains Nov 19th.

41. Late Ploughing. Another food relief candidate?

42. Maureen hired oxen to plough. The owner was busy, she only managed to plant on
the 28th December. The first opportunity to plant occurred on the 19th
November. Before even starting she has lost 59% of her potential yield!

43. A return visit to Maureen’s field shows an abandoned crop which did not even pay
back the cost of hired oxen and labour for weeding.
28th March 2007

44. NOV MM DEC MM Net Loss
10 0.0 1 0 Final Yield
11 0.0 2 0
12 0.0 3 0
13 0.0 4 0
14 18.3 5 0
15 5.8 6 0
16 0.0 7 0
17 0.0 8 0
18 21.5 9 25.4
19 2.6 10 11.7
20 0.0 11 0 32.0%
21 0.0 12 22.5
22 1.0 13 0 35.0%
23 0.3 14 0 36.5%
24 6.9 15 0 38.0%
25 0.2 16 24.9
26 0.0 17 29.7
27 0.0 18 0.2 42.5%
28 0.0 19 0 44.0%
29 0.0 20 2.1 45.5%
30 0.0 21 16.5
2006-7: EFFECT OF LATE PLANTING ON NATIONAL MAIZE CROP
Rainfall – Magoye TAS 2006/7
GART data shows the same rainfall pattern, so did Choma, Pemba, Mapanza and most
of the line of rail and Eastern Province

45. Average Planting Date Maize: December 18th
National Small-scale Crop: 1,104,000 tons
Potential Planting Date Maize: November 20th
National Small-scale Crop 1,567,680 tons
National Loss Just on Planting Date
Tons 463,000 Value US$56,000,000
Effect of Late Planting – The National Maize Crop 2006/7

46. Conservation Farming – Principles and Benefits
Basic Principles:-
 Dry season land preparation
 Residue retention to the extent possible
 Reduced tillage (Min-till or Zero-till)
 Rotations and crop diversification
CF enables farmers to:-
 Dry season land prep, flatten labour peak, plant on time, save land prep. costs
 Reduce run-off & soil erosion
 Harvest early rainfall
 Measure and apply nutrients more accurately and efficiently
 Achieve more rapid and even crop emergence
 Sequence weeding in a more timely manner (flatten labour peaks)
 Improve physical and chemical properties of soils in planting zone
 Increase yields, reduce costs and increase profit margins
 Farm the same land in perpetuity

47. Hoe Min-Till CF
Permanent Planting Basins. Only 12% of surface area disturbed.
Refer to CFU Hoe
Handbook for many
more details

48. Hoe Min-Till CF
Land preparation can commence in June, spreading labour inputs. In Zambia
rains normally commence in late November

49. Some examples of Hoe CF

50. Some examples of Hoe CF

51. Some examples of Hoe CF

52. Some examples of Hoe CF
Dutch Gibson’s Maize 60 ha. Land prep cost $46/ha.
Expected yield 8 to 9 tons/ha

53. Ox Min Till CF
Dry Season Ripping with Magoye Ripper. Ripping Window 6
months. Contracting opportunities . Ploughing window 3 weeks?
Cost 40% of ploughing
1ha 4 hrs. Ploughing 14
hrsImproved Magoye Ripper

54. Early April Season Ripping through Red Sunnhemp Fallow
Ox Min Till CF

55. Early April Ripping through physiologically mature Soya Beans
OX Min-Till CF

56. Some examples of Ox CF

57. Some examples of Ox CF

58. Ox Zero-Till CF
The Brazilian Fitarelli. Plant into early weeds and spray Roundup
before crop emergence

59. Direct drilled Cowpea showing good weed kill. In-situ Mulch
Ox Zero-Till CF

60. Ox Zero-Till CF

61. Mechanised Min-Till CF
Shallow Dry Season Ripping of planting furrows. Diesel
consumption 10 to 12 litres/ha.
Shallow ripping to 20-25cms

62. Mechanised Min-Till CF
Sequence: Rip, plant in rip lines with Fitarelli, apply Maize
herbicides

63. You have some of these in Kenya – We are told by FAO its the best Zero
till for medium scale farmers . Tractors 30kw to 50kw

64. Rainfall Chibombo District 2004/5 Season
Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March Total
Rain days 3 5 13 16 6 3 46
Rain mm 15.0 94.0 304.0 245.0 71.0 31.0 760.0
Mean 22.0 79.0 177.0 212.0 163.0 157.0 810.0
CF AND CLIMATE CHANGE
February Rainfall: 57% below normal
March Rainfall: 80% below normal
2004/5 WAS DECLARED A DROUGHT YEAR AND FOOD RELIEF WAS
DISTRIBUTED IN MANY AREAS BY WFP AND NGO’S

65. 16th March 2005: Conventional Ox Tillage – Hired Animals. Yield Zero
2004/5 SEASON CONVENTIONAL OX FARMING
Chibombo District Conventional Farmer
Prepared for climate
change? Not a chance!

66. 2004/5 SEASON CF OX FARMING. DROUGHT?
CF Ox farmer. Distance from Conventional Farmer 1 km
25th January 2005: Yields would have been remarkable in a normal season.

67. CF + Faidhebia albida = CA
The medium term solution to
sustainable SSF in Central Africa
CAP Goal 240,000 hectares planted by
smallholders by 2011

68. Distribution
Faidherbia is widely distributed with high
ecological adaptability.
 Across the Sahel from the Atlantic to
the Red Sea.
 Across Namibia and Southern Angola.
 From Natal across Lesotho, Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and
Somalia to Yemen, Israel and Jordan.
Altitude
 Faidherbia is found 270m below sea
level near the Dead Sea and up to
2,300 m in Jebel Mara in the Sudan.

69. 60 years of research shows on each hectare, mature trees supply the
equivalent of 300kg of complete fertiliser and 250kg of lime.

70. Faidherbia displays reverse phrenology. Leafs up in
the dry season and defoliates in the rains

71. In addition to promoting the planting
of Faidherbia by CF adopters, the CFU
also established trials under mature
trees in 2007/8
These 40 trials will continue for 4
seasons until 2010/11

72. On-Farm Trial Number 002 – Faidherbia Albida Crop Yields
Detailed Trial Design:
Maize
Cotton
10 rows x 12 CF basins
10 rows x 12 CF basins
Groundnuts
10 rows x 12 CF basins
Soya + Inoculate
10 rows x 12 CF basins
Maize
Cotton
Groundnuts
Soya + Inoculate
10 rows x 12 CF basins
10 rows x 12 CF basins
10 rows x 12 CF basins
10 rows x 12 CF basins
Edge of Canopy
8.1m
16.1m
Maize, Cotton and Groundnuts planted immediately
after first planting rains following CF hoe
recommendations. Soya planted 10-14 days later.
Fertiliser zero all plots. Inoculate on Soya. Same day
planting.
10.5m
32.9m
Collection and analysis of soil samples, 3
from under canopy 3 from outside canopy
before rains.
Outside Canopy

73. In the first year we leaned the following:
• The farmers only looked after the Maize
• Some farmers did a poor job
• We only got reliable results from 14 trials
The raw data for Maize showed:
• 4.11 tons/ha under canopy
• 1.29 tons/ha outside canopy
For 2008/9 we decided to pay farmers a bit to manage!

74. 2008/9 Trials - Excellent Management

76. ICRAF!

77. Faidherbia at GART 9 Years old
At recommended spacing of 10m x 10m – 100 trees per hectare

78. Small-scale CA . Re-filling gaps always necessary to get full stand

79. In Zambia: Seedlings sown in mid November. Transplanted in
the field after 5 weeks
Typical SSF Air-pruned nursery of 125 seedlings

80. Important: Always remember to scrape seed before sowing to get
90% germination

81. Some observations about Faidherbia in Zambia
• Nutrient recycling substantial
• However there is some shading effect
• Rains commence say 20th November
• Trees start defoliating about beginning of December
• Branches maybe give 10 to 15% shading
• Trees start leafing up about 20th February
• Important to plant Cereals and Groundnuts with first rains
• Not sure about effect on Cotton & legume yields yet
• For Maize it is a winner
• Trees only start making pods after 14 years??

82. With Faidherbia
Small-scale agriculture is linked to reforestation not
deforestation
Maize farmers liberated from excessive dependency on
fertiliser
Farming environment and rural landscape improved
Sedentary agriculture in perpetuity enabled
Carbon sequestration
THANKS TO ALL