CASFESA closure: Results, Lessons, Gaps, Opportunities and Challenges--M. Jaleta et al

CASFESA Project

Results, Lessons, Gaps, Opportunities

and Challenges

Moti Jaleta, Tilaye Teklewold, Alemu Tolemariam,

Simegnew Tamir, Yeshiwas Tilahun and Habtemariam Asefa

23rd Febrauary2015

Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Outline

• Background of the existing cropping

system

• Principles of Conservation Agriculture(CA)

• CASFESA project overview

• Main Achievements/Results/Lessons

• Challenges and Opportunities

• Summary

CA components and current farmer practices

• Zero/minimum tillage

• Crop association (intercropping/rotation)

• Residue retention or permanent soil cover

Current farm practices (from baseline survey)

District N Total maize area(ha)

Maize under

intercropping(ha) %

South Achefer 292 176.71 4.0 2

Jabitehnan 278 142.59 6.25 4

Total 570 319.30 10.25 3

South Achefer district = Main crop intercropped with maize = Rapeseed

Jabitehnan district = Main crop intercropped with maize = Common bean

Total maize area under intercropping(2012/13)

Current farm practices _intercropping

Season South Achefer Jabitehnan

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Area rotated(ha)

% Area rotated(ha)

%

Maize Maize Maize 55.89 31.63 42.88 30.07

Others Others Maize 54.94 31.09 37.65 26.40

Maize Others Maize 48.44 27.41 43.22 30.31

Others Maize Maize 17.44 9.87 18.85 13.22

Total area under maize(ha)

176.71 142.59

South Achefer district: Main crop rotated with maize = Finger millet

Jabitehnan district: Main crop rotated with maize = Pepper

Current farm practices _ Rotation

Minimum Tillage (one-Pass) with no

residue cover and mono-cropping

Conventional tillage

Both practices are not sustainable.

Tillage Practices

South Achefer: 28% of maize plots were

under by minimum tillage

Crop Residue Utilization

• No crop residue retention practices.

• Maize Stover has a multiple purposes- use competition

8

CASFESA Project Goal: To Secure Household Food Security by Improving Crop Productivity through CA Principles

Operational in Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi

Funded by EU through IFAD

Implemented with the collaboration of CIMMYT,ARARI and District agricultural offices.

What CASFESA Project did

• Randomly selected 15 treatment and 15 control villages in both districts

• Set CA demo plots on plots donated by 2-hosting farmers in each of the treatment villages

• Trained farmers and development agents on CA practices (demo-plot management and record keeping)

• Provided seed and fertilizer (with agreement to compensate for any yield loss due to technology failure)

What CASFESA Project did • Organized farmers’ field days where farmers

from treatment villages participate and inquire on benefits and costs of CA

• Invited agro-dealers to field days organized in their vicinity

• Continued similar activities for three years and encouraged farmers to try the technology on their own maize plots

Demo plots Design 1m 10 m 1m 10m 1m

Zero tillage +

intercropping

Conventional

tillage +

intercropping

10m

1m

Sole maize +

zero tillage

Sole maize +

zero tillage

10m

1m

Field Day Participants

District Sex 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Total

South Achefer

M 265 264 48 577

F 7 16 2 25

T 272 280 50 602

Jabitehnan

M 656 522 306 1484

F 49 152 122 323

T 705 674 428 1807

Farmers’ Field Days

Economic Return of CA Technologies

(South Achefer)

Items

Total plots

(N=590)

Min- tillage plots

(N=158)

Conv. tillage plots

(N=432)

Mean Mean Mean

Revenue

Revenue from maize production

(Birr/ha)a 8,833.22 10,739.93*** 8,135.86

Variable costs

Seed cost (Birr/ha) 487.89 648.84** 420.53

Fertilizer cost (Birr/ha) 3,811.11 4,619.12*** 3,515.59

Herbicide cost (Birr/ha) 233.91 898.71*** 0.00

Labor cost (Birr/ha) 1,467.16 1,145.10 1,584.95***

Oxen-days (Birr/ha) 705.84 278.32 860.47***

Total Variable costs

(Birr/ha)b 6,571.94 7,370.25*** 6,275.10

Gross margin (Birr/ha)(a-b) 2,216.73 3,229.74*** 1,846.23

Gross return on investment (Birr/ha)(a/b) 1.34 1.46 1.30

Gross margin analysis in maize production by tillage

Note: Average maize grain price was 4.00Birr/kg; opportunity cost of labor and oxen-power was assumed as 20 Birr/AE/day and 50

Birr/pair of oxen/ha, respectively.

***, **, and * are significantly different from the other group mean at 1%, 5% and 10%, respectively

Identifying Potential Recommendation Domains for CA

(Ethiopia)

• Total Area under cultivation: 17,792,600 ha

• High Biophysical potential and High Socioeconomic potential

821,006 ha (i.e., 4.6%) Targeting is crucial!!

Source: Tesfaye et al. (2015). Environmental Management. 55(2):330-346.

Challenges

18

Free grazing vs. crop residue retention/management

Challenges (2)

Conventional Shilshalo/madager

– Not compatible with CA principles

– Not suitable for intercropping

– Reduce plant density

19

Challenges (3)

Limited availability of improved legume

varieties suitable to West Gojam zone

– Productivity

– Disease resistant

– Planting date of legume crops with

maize is not well identified/known.

Challenges (4) Maize plant/seed is easily exposed to birds when rain stops for

long period after planting.

21

However, it’s best forage source during

the wet season for cut-and-carry feeding

practices.

22

Farmers’ field: South Achefer

Grass weeds are common problems

in Minimum tillage maize fields.

Maize plant_ Minimum Tillage

Improved seed + chemical fertilizer + minimum tillage

+ glyphosate + primagram + hand-weeding

Farmers’ field: South Achefer

Primagram doesn’t allow legume intercropping.

Opportunities

• The on-going soil and water conservation

structures/practices by MoA.

– Community by-laws restricted free grazing on

conserved plots.

• Existence of Cooperative Union/private agro-

dealers for input supply

• Prior introduction of zero tillage practice in

South Achefer

Summary

• CA is economically viable if farmers are given as alternative technology.

• Current practices of minimum tillage has to be revised in such away that it ensures sustainability.

• In order to scale up CA principles, institutional arrangements meant for easing input accessibility and affordability need to be improved .

• Continued research on CA principles specifically on generating suitable legume crops technologies in the area meant for maize intercropping.

26

ThankS!