SLM Database

A Rice Field with Poor Drainage (RMME) is a cultivated rice field enclosed by embankments, relying on an irregular water supply, and facing potential water scarcity risks at the onset, during, or towards the conclusion of the cropping cycle. Specific rice varieties are particularly well-suited to this type of rice …

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:27 p.m.

Contour farming involves cultivating the soil perpendicular to the slope, that is ploughing along the contour. This minimizes runoff-induced erosion.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:31 p.m.

Liquid compost is produced by chopping and mixing animal dung and fresh plant matter, including plants with insect-repellent properties, in an aqueous medium. This liquid compost can be used as a substitute for mineral fertilizers and for pest control in crops. It can be used on all types of crops, …

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:35 p.m.

Grass strips are spaced at regular intervals along contour lines. These strips are not ploughed during soil preparation, and Brachiaria grass is used to form barriers to reduce water-induced erosion. Over time, the plots evolve naturally into terraces.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:19 p.m.

Intercropping maize with legumes improves soil fertility and provides a rapid source of income for smallholders. Red cowpea, known locally as “lojy zazamena”, is the most widely used legume, but there are also other varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) that adapt well to the region's environmental conditions.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:26 p.m.

Grass strips enriched with Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea) are established at regular distances along a slope, ideally following the contour lines. They primarily function as anti-erosion barriers, but also produce food and fodder resources while contributing to soil fertility.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:32 p.m.

Cajanus cajan, commonly known as pigeon pea, is a perennial shrub legume that thrives in nutrient-deficient soils and exhibits resilience to water scarcity. Cultivating pigeon pea contributes to the rejuvenation of impoverished soils through fixing atmospheric nitrogen and its leaf litter, while concurrently yielding food, fodder, and fuelwood.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:33 p.m.

Basket composting enhances the yield of tubers such as cassava by producing concentrated organic matter that adds fertility to the soil. This technique proves to be highly advantageous for small-scale farmers with limited land, allowing them to maximize production within a confined space.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:26 p.m.

Crop exclusion means establishing sanctuaries where landowners and the surrounding population agree to no longer cultivate, opting instead for natural environmental regeneration (passive exclusion) or for land enrichment, mainly by planting forest species (active exclusion).

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:24 p.m.

Fascines are check dams made of vegetative material installed in gullies to reduce erosion.

• Compiler: Harifidy RAKOTO RATSIMBA
• 10/24/2022 3:30 p.m.