What is Conservation Agriculture (CA) and for What in Africa? by Saidi Mkomwa, CARWG Chair, and CEO African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) Email: [email protected]Presented to Conservation Agriculture Regional Working Group (CARWG) Annual Meeting 2015, Pretoria, South Africa, 1-2 December, 2015
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Soil cover and zero till reduce evaporation & runoff; increase infiltration
Larger un-compacted root zone retain soil moisture for dry spells; and drain excess to check flooding
Leguminous cover crops fix much needed nitrogen
Crop rotations break pest cycles. & nutrient recycling (e.g. Musangu). Deliberate allelopathy rotations (e.g. with push-pull) can be induced.
Increased soil moisture enables increased land productivity: e.g. 2.5 crops /year; mixed/relay cropping
CA sequesters carbon; reduction in fuel use and GHG emissions. NB Cost saving is the biggest drive to commercial CA adoption
How does CA work?
What are the Benefits of CA?
Adaptation: • Increases crop yields • Higher cropping intensity (1.5 – 2) • Increases resource use efficiency• Enhances system resilience (coping with erratic rainfall)• Reduces soil erosion, improves soil health
Mitigation:• Intensification reduces clearing of forests for agriculture• Improved soil – sequester of carbon• Minimum till reduces the use of diesel by up to 65% - less CO2
emissions• Crop rotations/associations – nitrogen fixing, reduced fertilizer use
Achievement of national goals• Increases farm incomes and profits• Improves food security• Reduces poverty• Enhances ecosystem services
Does CA Work?
150 million ha globally, expanding at the rate of 10 million ha per year (Kassam 2014). 1.22 million ha in Africa.
Increased productivity (for small, medium and large scale farmers).
Savings in labour (up to 60%). Zero tillage. Labour peaks spread. Attracts youths, creates opportunities for enterprise diversification, expansion of cultivated area (from saved time).
CA helps fight climate change (the 14% GHG emissions from agriculture problem changes to a solution):
The entry point to food security for smallholders & commercialise by selling surplus and diversify
In restoring landscapes and improving livelihoods. See Thomas Loronyo, Arusha Tanzania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0orM79a6oo
In increasing productivity - for the large scale farmers in Africa. See Laurie Session. Laikipia Kenya. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A94xFIxOGs4
The scientific evidence in plenty: CIMMYT; FAO -website: http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/index.html; EU &ACT ABACO project in 6 countries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQbfXvE8Ec