http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the regional conference on the Eastern and Southern Africa Soil Partnership which took place in Nairobi, Kenya 25-27 March 2013. This presentation was made by John Mussa and it presents Status and management of land resources in Malawi. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF
LAND RESOURCES IN MALAWILAND RESOURCES IN MALAWI
Presented at the Global Soil
Partnership for Eastern and Southern
Africa
By
John Mussa
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2. IntroductionIntroduction
• Area:
– 118,480 sq. km
– 94,080 sq. Km land area
– 24,400 sq. Km water
( )• Population (2008)
– 13.1 million
– 49% men
51%– 51% women
– 2.8% growth rate
• Districts
S h 13– South: 13
– Center: 10
– North
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3. Major soil typesMajor soil types
• Eutric leptisols (lithisols)Eutric leptisols (lithisols)
– Shallow and stony
Associated with step slopes– Associated with step slopes
• Chromic luvisols
– Red‐yellowish
– Deep soil
– Well drained
• Haplic lixisols
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4. Other soil typesOther soil types
• Acrisols
– Strongly leached soils
– Associated with low pH
• Cambisols:• Cambisols:
– High organic matter content
– Dark brown in colour
• Gleysols:
– High clay content
– Prone to water loggingProne to water logging
• Vertisols:
– Cracking clays
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5. Significance of soil in MalawiSignificance of soil in Malawi
• Agricultural production:Agricultural production:
– 85 % of Pop. are subsistence farmers
90% of export generated– 90% of export generated
– 38% of GDP
C t ti i d t• Construction industry
• Rain water storage and purification
• Pottery industry
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6. Land resources evaluation project
( )(1991)
• United Nations Devepment Programe (UNDP)U ted at o s e ep e t og a e (U )
– Mw Govt. (MoA, LRCD)
– UNFAO
• Objective:
– Appraise the land resources in the country
• Aims:
– Provide an up‐to‐date and inventory of land
resources;
– Determine current land use
– Determine the agricultural potentialDetermine the agricultural potential
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7. LREP: MethodologyLREP: Methodology
• Preliminary desk work:y
– Existing reports of soils and vegetation; Aerial
photograph analysis; Topographic and geological maps
• Fieldwork:• Fieldwork:
– Surveys described physiography, soils, and land use;
and collected soil samples
• Laboratory analyses:
– soil texture; pH; soil organic carbon; minerals (N, P,
Cu Zn); CEC; electronic conductivityCu, Zn); CEC; electronic conductivity.
• Based on Agricultural Development Division
(ADD)
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8. LREP: ProductsLREP: Products
• Inventory of soils and physiographyInventory of soils and physiography
• Land units and land resource data base
l d d i• Present land use and vegetation
• Land suitability for various crops
• Maps (1:250,000) for each ADD
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9. LREP : Land unitsLREP : Land units
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10. LREP : shortfallsLREP : shortfalls
• Data not regularly up‐datedg y p
– land‐use
– Vegetation
S il t il H il d th– Soil parameters e.g soil pH, soil depth
• Unsustainable capacity building on use of the
datadata
• Mapping scale (1:250,000) not ideal for planning
at farm level (0.5 – 2.5 ha/ff)
• URGENT NEED TO REVISE THE LAND RESOURCES
APPRAISAL DATA
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11. Threats to soil resourcesThreats to soil resources
• Soil erosion : Land / EnvironmentalSoil erosion : Land / Environmental
degradation
• Causes:• Causes:
– Poor farming practices
C l i i f i l/f il– Cultivation of marginal/fragile areas
– Deforestation
– Overgrazing
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12. DeforestationDeforestation
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13. Stream bank & river bed cultivationStream bank & river bed cultivation
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14. Gully ErosionGully Erosion
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15. Land clearing and burning of crop
dresidues
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16. Hoe pan ( Tobacco plant with bending
)tap root)
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17. Soil loss estimates studiesSoil loss estimates studies
STUDY ESTIMATED SOIL LOSS (TONS/HA)
Kasambara & Machira (1984 0 ‐ 50
Khonje & Machira (1987) 50
Bvumbwe Soil Erosion Project (1982) 0 15 – 16 4Bvumbwe Soil Erosion Project (1982) 0.15 16.4
World Bank (1992) * * 20
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18. Soil and Water Conservation farming
practices
• Physical structures
– Contour ridging
– Check dams
– Swales
B id i– Box ridging
– Vegetative hedgerows (vertiver grass)
• Agro‐forestry
Improved farrows– Improved farrows
– F. albida interplanting
• Manure
– Animal– Animal
– Compost
– Tree biomass
• Conservation agricultureConservation agriculture
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19. SALWM PracticesSALWM Practices
Contour ridging Intercropping (Mz & Cowpea)Contour ridging Intercropping (Mz & Cowpea)
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20. SYSTEMATIC TREE INTERPLANTING
[ dh b lb d h[Faidherbia albida, Winter Thorn,
Msangu]g ]

21. Maize / T. vogelli undersowingMaize / T. vogelli undersowing

22. Compost manureCompost manure
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23. Conservation agricultureConservation agriculture
• PrinciplesPrinciples
– Soil cover
– Minimum tillage
– Intercropping/ crop
rotation
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24. Coordination on promotion of SWCCoordination on promotion of SWC
• MoA&FS
– LRCD
– DARS
• ASWAp
– SALWM TWG
• NCATF
• NCE
h i l– EIA Technical expert
– Environmental Mgmt. Plans
• Agro‐forestry Steering Committee
NRM t i i• NRM training
– MSc & BSc degrees at Bunda College
– Diploma at Natural Resources College
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