1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Scaling-up SLM practices by smallholder farmers (IFAD)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) - Uganda

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

19/10/2017

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

Nee

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Mixed Cropping of coffee (Coffea Canephora) , banana (Musa) and onions (Allium cepa) is a sustainable traditional land management practice that involves the growing of two or more crops (coffee, banana and onions) at the same time on the same field by smallholder farmers for increased production, food security and household income.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Coffee, banana and onions mixed cropping; is a traditional practice promoted by smallholder farmers in Uganda established in Bulambuli district, Kibande Sub-county, Kimameli village. The area experiences two growing seasons per year; April up to July and September up to December with rainfall ranging from 1, 0001 mm-1,500 mm on 3.4 ha of land located on a gentle sloping area. The aim of this technology is increasing food production, household income , soil fertility improvement , maximizing crop production in a context of population pressure and declining arable land size.
Banana (Musa) and coffee (Coffea Canephora) plantations were established in 2016 followed by onions (Allium cepa) later in August 2017 with Coffee (Coffea robusta) planted at a spacing of 10 feet apart from Coffee to avoid competition for soil nutrients. Using hoes, pangas, coffee and onion seedlings, banana suckers were inter cropped at the ratio of 1 banana to 4 coffee trees on a 3.4 ha. Coffee trees were pruned initially to create room for the banana plants during their establishment. When coffee and banana were planted simultaneously in the field, onions were grown in between them for one year to provide some income before the banana and coffee were ready for harvesting. To establish such a technology the farmer accomplished the following activities: 1.preparing the garden (labor time: four days with three people), 2.Manure application where compost manure was mixed with soil (labor time: one day by three people), 3. Planting (three days by three people for all the crops), 4.Pruning where relevant adjustments were done regularly to the system (e.g. mature coffee trees are pruned to create space for onions to grow is done every three days by one person), and 5. Weeding since inter cropping requires weeding which should be done manually and not with a hoe because it may accidentally damage the roots of the coffee plant.
What is liked about this technology is that its very good according to the farmer’s experience. It is applied on a small piece of land and it incorporates many crops which helps to improve soil fertility, increase crop yield which generates more income and food for consumption. There is also good utilization of labor as a farmer will work on all the crops simultaneously. The farmer testified that bananas provide shade, mulch, nutrients and moisture to young coffee trees. These beneficial effects may particularly be relevant to increase the resilience of the coffee production systems when temperature increases and rainfall becomes more erratic due to climate change. On the other hand coffee being a perennial crop, it requires high levels of initial investment (i.e. labor and capital) with a 10 - 15 years time horizon. The extended time period before realization of economic benefits usually discourages land users from adopting coffee inter cropping with other crops. Also, coffee creates shade which does not favor the growth of maize, beans and tomatoes in the same land, hence there’s competition between the crops for nutrients.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2017

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through land users' innovation
• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Land user knew about the technology but he was motivated through projects

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• conserve ecosystem
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 2

Specify:

March to May and September to December

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• integrated soil fertility management
• integrated pest and disease management (incl. organic agriculture)
• home gardens

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

If the Technology is evenly spread over an area, indicate approximate area covered:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comments:

The technology is practiced on 3.5 hectares.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation
• reduce land degradation

Comments:

The technology prevents and reduces land degradation through reduced soil erosion and soil exposure and increase soil cover.

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Banana and coffee plantations were established in 2016 and onions added later in August 2017. This practice is carried out on 3.4 ha.
Coffee is the major crop planted with spacing of 3m x 3m, then banana was intercropped at the ratio of 1 banana to 4 coffee trees.
The coffee trees were pruned initially to create room for the banana plants during their establishment. When coffee and banana were planted simultaneously in the field, onions were grown in between them for one year to provide some income before the banana and coffee were ready for harvesting.

The activities and labor demands include:
Digging holes and preparing the garden (labour time: 4 days by 3 people).
Manure application where compost manure was mixed with soil (labour time: 1 day by 3 people).
Planting (3 days by 3 people for all the crops).
Pruning where relevant adjustments are done regularly to the system (e.g. mature coffee trees are pruned to create space for onions to grow is done every three days by one person).
Labor costs are 5000 Uganda shillings per person a day.
Coffee takes three years for the first harvest to happen, onions take four months to grow - here harvesting is continuous.

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• US Dollars

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

3600.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Digging/ Garden preparation	Agronomic	1 week before the rains
2.	Fertilizer Application	Agronomic	2 days
3.	Planting	Agronomic	Before onset of rains
4.	Spraying	Agronomic	Every after two weeks
5.	Prunning	Agronomic	monthly
6.	Harvesting	Agronomic	Seasonal

Comments:

Harvesting onions is done every after three months.

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Digging/Garden preparations	man days	4.0	1.39	5.56	100.0
Labour	Planting	man days	4.0	1.39	5.56	100.0
Labour	Spraying	man days	1.0	1.39	1.39	100.0
Labour	Pruning	man days	1.0	1.39	1.39	100.0
Equipment	Hoes	Piece	4.0	2.78	11.12	100.0
Equipment	Pangas	Piece	2.0	2.78	5.56	100.0
Equipment	Wheelbarrow	Piece	1.0	33.4	33.4	100.0
Equipment	Sprayer pump	Piece	1.0	13.9	13.9	100.0
Plant material	Onions Seeds	kilograms	2.0	1.94	3.88	100.0
Plant material	Coffee seedlings	pieces	2000.0	0.83	1660.0	100.0
Plant material	Banana suckers	pieces	2000.0	0.83	1660.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Animal Manure	Trip	1.0	22.3	22.3	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	NPK Mineral fertiliser	Kilograms	5.0	0.84	4.2	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Herbicides	litres	2.0	3.34	6.68	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Pesticides	litres	2.0	4.17	8.34	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					3443.28

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

The land user incurred all the costs

Comments:

The farmer got a loan from the village saving loan group to establish the technology

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Weeding	Management	weekly
2.	Spraying	Management	weekly
3.	Pruning	Management	monthly

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Weeding	Man Days	2.0	2.8	5.6	100.0
Labour	Spraying	Man Days	1.0	2.8	2.8	100.0
Equipment	Spray Pump	piece	1.0	1.39	1.39	100.0
Equipment	Hoes	pieces	2.0	2.78	5.56	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	NPK Fertiliser	Kilograms	8.0	1.39	11.12	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Dudu cyper (pesticide)	litres	2.0	1.39	2.78	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Dythene (herbicide)	kilograms	2.0	6.95	13.9	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					43.15

Comments:

The land user incurs all the costs.

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Fertilizers are very expensive to be applied monthly

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

Nee

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Nee

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

The farmer's main source of income is agriculture.

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• open access (unorganized)

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual rainfall		decrease	moderately
seasonal rainfall	wet/ rainy season	decrease	moderately

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	moderately

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

If available, quantify (no. of households and/ or area covered):

Three farmers in the area.

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 90-100%

Comments:

All the farmers who adopted the technology used their personal investments.

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

Ja

If yes, indicate to which changing conditions it was adapted:

• changing markets

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
The technology suppresses weed growth
The technology reduces soil erosion.
Yield and income advantage as the farmer gains from more than one crop from the same plot. Income recived is invested in buying tree seedlings
Reduced crop failure as there is no total crop failure

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The technology helps the farmer to grow many crops on a small piece of land.
Technology can be promoted by other farmers with same pieces of land or more.
It increases crop yield which generates more income and food for consumption.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
The technology has too much shade, so other crops cannot grow for example maize and beans.	The farmer should continue to grow onions instead of maize and beans
The technology is expensive to establish because high investments need to be made.	The land user should find financial assistance like savings co-operatives.
The technology is a long term investment since it involves coffee and banana.	The farmer should buy or rent some other land to be in position to grow other crops.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Competition between the crops for nutrients and sunlight.	Proper selection of crops to inter-crop for example inter-crop deep rooted with shallow rooted crops.
The soil is highly depleted of its nutrients as more than one crop is planted.	Inter cropping with some nutrient fixing crops and addition of manure.
There is also more work required at the start of the cultivation and harvesting.	Proper selection of crops to inter-crop and the right spacing.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Annual Weather in Bulambuli District

URL:

https://weatherspark.com/y/98128/Average-Weather-in-Bulambuli-Uganda-Year-Round