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)

Good Practices in Soil and Water Conservation - A contribution to adaptation and farmers ́ resilience towards climate change in the Sahel (GIZ)

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

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (GIZ) - Germany

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

United Nations Development Program (United Nations Development Program) - Tajikistan

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Yes

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?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Organic fertiliser enhances the productivity of the soil, as well as its capacity for infiltration and water retention.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Smallholding farmland lends itself to market gardening and rice and maize growing. Applying five tonnes of organic fertiliser per hectare for cereal growing and 20 tonnes per hectare for vegetable growing significantly improves soil fertility in small-scale irrigation schemes. The most commonly used organic fertilisers are: compost; straw pen manure with litter or household waste.

Purpose of the Technology: The objective of using organic fertiliser is to enhance productivity by improving the structure and fertility of the soil, as well as its capacity for infiltration and water retention. It stimulates biological activity in the soil and increases yields and production. Increasing the level of organic matter in the soil (humus) enhances its capacity to store nutrients (cation-exchange capacity) and water.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Farming advisors provide producers with training on techniques for preparing and applying the different types of organic fertiliser.
Composting: The actions required are: digging the composting pit; filling the pit; looking after the pit; applying the compost to the land.
The composting pit: the collection and stockpiling of straw pen manure; the application of the manure to the land.
Household waste: The collection and stockpiling of household waste; the application of the household waste to the land.
Farming advisors monitor how growers produce and apply organic fertiliser. Growers dig the composting and slurry pits, transport organic matter to fill the pits, and manage the upkeep and oversight of the pits.
The frequency of organic fertiliser application varies from once a year to every three years and depends on its quality and quantity.
This activity requires basic equipment (cart, wheelbarrow) to transport the organic matter.

Natural / human environment: This practice is being popularised throughout the areas in and around irrigation schemes throughout Mali.

2.3 Photos 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

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Ongoing for around 10 years

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• access to fertilizer

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

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Yes

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agro-pastoralism (incl. integrated crop-livestock)

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): soil fertility decline, low capacity for infiltration and water retention
Livestock density: 1-10 LU /km2

3.4 Water supply

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

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• integrated soil fertility management

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Type of agronomic measures: manure / compost / residues

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main causes of degradation: crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub), droughts, population pressure

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

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

• reduce land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	looking after the pit
2.	The collection and stockpiling of straw pen manure or household waste
3.	applying the compost/household waste to the land

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

Comments:

Machinery/ tools: basic equipment (cart, wheelbarrow) to transport the organic matter

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Production costs are low given that the local materials involved are available freely or at very low cost. This activity requires basic equipment (cart, wheelbarrow) to transport the organic
matter.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil fertility is medium
Soil drainage / infiltration is poor - medium
Soil water storage capacity is medium

5.4 Water availability and quality

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Availability of surface water: medium, poor/ none

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Population density: < 10 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 2% - 3%
10% of the land users are rich.
50% of the land users are average wealthy.
30% of the land users are poor.
10% of the land users are poor.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

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

Comments:

The irrigated land is allocated by the chief

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

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

Other ecological impacts

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	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	not well
local windstorm	not well

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	not well

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
reduced growing period	well

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)?

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Maintains soil fertility and improves its structure
Stimulates biological activity in the soil and increases yields and production
Increasing the level of organic matter in the soil (humus) enhances its capacity to store nutrients (cation-exchange capacity) and water
Organic fertiliser is less expensive than chemical fertilizer. Production costs are low given that the local materials involved are available freely or at very low cost.

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

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Lack of equipment for collecting organic matter and water shortages in the dry season
Particularly in semi-arid areas, not enough biomass is available to systematically provide the quantities required to cover all the land being farmed. Compost is therefore often reserved for cash crops.
This activity requires basic equipment (cart, wheelbarrow) to transport the organic matter.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Manual of Good Practices in Small Scale Irrigation in the Sahel. Experiences from Mali. Published by GIZ in 2014.

Available from where? Costs?

http://star-www.giz.de/starweb/giz/pub/servlet.starweb

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Technical fact sheets on organic fertiliser (DNA)