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Zambia
The document outlines the management of soils in Zambia, highlighting the challenges of soil erosion, degradation, and soil acidity, which affects agricultural productivity. It emphasizes the importance of agriculture as a major employment source and provides recommended priorities for sustainable soil management practices. Key priorities include enhancing soil fertility, developing site-specific fertilizer recommendations, and promoting irrigation and diversified agricultural production among small-scale farmers.
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Zambia
- 1. Priorities for theManagement of Soils in Zambia Stalin Sichinga Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Zambia
- 2. Country Profile • Zambiais a land-locked country in Southern Africa • covers a surface area of 752,972 km2 • The population of Zambia is about 14.54 million as of 2013 Climate • Zambia has a sub-tropical climate. • The rainfall pattern is unimodal and it’s from November to March. • Rainfall varies from 750 mm in the south to 1200 mm in the north Economy • The Zambian economy has historically been based on the Copper Mining industry. • However Agriculture plays a very important part in Zambia's economy providing many more jobs than the mining industry
- 3. Mpika Solwezi Sesheke Kaoma Serenje Kalabo Chama Mkushi Mumbwa Kasempa Lukulu Chinsali Mwinilunga Kalomo Senanga MufumbweZambezi Lundazi Kaputa Kazungula Isoka Kabompo Mansa Mongu Mbala Nyimba Itezhi-Tezhi Shangombo Samfya Kasama Chibombo Chongwe Mungwi Kapiri Mposhi Luwingu Mporokoso Petauke Kafue Choma Lufwanyama Mpongwe Mpulungu Chipata Mwense Kawambwa Milenge Monze Mazabuka Mambwe Chilubi Namwala Katete Chavuma Masaiti Chiengi Nakonde Gwembe Luangwa Siavonga Sinazongwe Nchelenge Chadiza Kabwe Livingstone LusakaUrban Chililabombwe MufuliraChingola KalulushiKitwe Luanshya Ndola 200 0 200 400 Kilometers N EW S Agro-Ecological Regions District boundary KEY Source: Soil Survey, Mt. Makulu Chilanga December 2002 Scale 1: 2,500,000 Regions I IIa IIb III LEGEND Region I < 750mm Region II 750 – 1000 mm Region III 1000 -1200mm
- 4. Agriculture •Farming in Zambiais predominantly rain-fed, only about 2 percent to 3 percent of the land area cultivated annually is irrigated. •Agriculture provides employment for 67 percent of the labor force and remains by far the major opportunity for employment of rural women. •It contributes about 23% to the country’s GDP
- 5. Soils Types Acrisols Alisols Arenosols Cambisols Ferralsols Fluvisols Gleysols Histosols Leptosols Lixisols Luvisols Nitisols Phaeozems Planosols Podzols Regosols Solonchaks Solonetz Vertisols Associations LEGEND % % % % % % % % % Mwansa Ndola Lusaka Kasama Solwezi Livingstone Mongu Kabwe Chipata N EW S Soils ofZambia Provincial Capital% Lakes KEY Soil SurveyUnit, Mt. Makulu April 2003
- 6. Main Constraint tosustainable soil management is Soil erosion and soil degradation •Soil erosion and soil degradation are also closely linked to deforestation which is a major cause of soil erosion and soil degradation, and clearing new land for agriculture when old fields lose their fertility is a major source of deforestation. Other causes of soil degradation and soil erosion are bush fires and overgrazing by livestock
- 7. Bush fires leavethe soil bare over much of the country each year, exposing it to the effects of wind and water erosion. Fires in Zambia (2001)
- 8. Other causes ofsoil degradation are Non-sustainable cultivation practices Cultivation or rows which run parallel to a slope automatically concentrate water flow to produce rill erosion. Small plot studies indicate erosion losses of 8 to 12 tons of soil per hectare per year compared with soil formation rates of 1 to 2 tons per hectare per year.
- 9. Traditional cultivation systemslike Shifting Cultivation (Slash and burn) After the yield declines, a new area is cleared for Shifting Cultivation, and the initial site is left to lie fallow
- 10. Soil acidity isalso an important problem, particularly in the heavily leached soils of the higher rainfall zones of northern Zambia. Phosphate becomes insoluble and unavailable to the plants even when present in the soil under conditions of high acidity.
- 11. What are someof our Priorities 1. Promotion of Soil Fertility Management practices e.g. Cultural practices - Crop rotation, Agroforestry, Green Manure Gliricidia biomass bank
- 12. 2. Development ofsite specific fertilizer recommendations as opposed to blanket application- working with AGRA 3. Capacity building of Agricultural stuff at all levels, there is also need to encourage farmer to farmer extension by way of Training Farmer Trainers. This will enhances farmer participation.
- 13. 4. Development ofsoil data Management i.e. -there is need to update the current soil and crop suitability maps 5. Integration of Geographical Information System in soil fertility research
- 14. 6. Support forthe development of crushed lime production for agricultural application to overcome the problem of soil acidity in the Northern part of Zambia 7. Decentralization of soil laboratories
- 15. 8. Promotion ofIrrigation among small scale farmers using simple water lifting devises and drip irrigation to off set the impact of erratic rain fall
- 16. 9. Promotion ofDiversified Agricultural Production among small scale farmers e.g. practicing small-scale livestock production, fish farming, fruit tree production, etc.
- 17. 10. Work withcommunity to control bush fires and livestock in the dry season. Involvement of local leadership is necessary
- 18.