1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación de la Tecnología

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Italia

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

17/04/2000

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT:

Sí

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Silt harvesting on riverbeds to maximise sugarcane growing in semi arid area

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

The technology first involves fencing off part of a riverbed with cut thorn scrub in order to keep livestock away. The enclosed area is then mulched with brushwood and herbaceous materials in places. Sugar cane is planted and harvested piecemeal when mature. Kamuti plants a perennial grass (Cynodon dactylon) between the canes to help bind the sand. This exercise has been done, incrementally, over a series of seasons, enclosing an increasingly large area. When the rains return and the river flows, floodwater passes through and over the sugar cane and silt is deposited as the flow is slowed.

Purpose of the Technology: This initiative is categorized as an agronomic/vegetative measure, for reclamation of land. Its purpose is to increase water stored in the soil and to increase fertility by sediment harvesting, as a way of making land productive, while simultaneously addressing riverbed erosion. Farm income increase from the sale of sugar cane is the main production/ socio-economic benefit, while the ecological benefits include sediment accumulation, soil (ie riverbed and bank) loss reduction, soil cover improvement, increase in soil moisture and increase in soil fertility.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The action involves cutting tree branches, trimming pegs about 1m long, and hammering these pegs into the bed of the sand river, parallel to the bank, enclosing a long narrow strip. This initial strip may be 10 metres wide in a riverbed of 100 meters wide. The tree branches and trimmings are used to form a brushwood-netting barrier, which protects the area from livestock, and simultaneously slows the river flow and traps sediments. To further strengthen the barrier, star grass (Cynodon dactylon) is planted along the line of the fence. Inside the fenced-off area, sugar cane cuttings are buried at a depth of 0.4 m, and the same grass planted between the canes. The area is mulched with brushwood, which rots down to increase organic matter in the soil. These cuttings sprout and an intercrop of grass and sugar cane is the result. Maintenance comprises repairing the fence and cutting grass for mulching. No special tools are required. To be effective, the technology requires mulching every season, as the old mulch is covered by the silt load during the rainy period. The perimeter fence is maintained seasonally and requires considerable material. Occasionally when the rainfall is heavy, the sugar cane is swept away by floods and needs replacing.

Natural / human environment: The farm on which this technology is applied is in the arid far-north of Mwingi District. During the rainy season the farm can be inaccessible. The farmer, who is over 60 years of age, lives with his wives and children in what effectively forms a mini-village. The annual average rainfall in this area is barely 500 mm, and famine years are common. Temperatures are consistently high. The farm borders a dry sand riverbed.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde la Tecnología fue aplicada y que se hallan comprendidos por esta evaluación

2.6 Fecha de la implementación

Si no se conoce el año preciso, indique la fecha aproximada:

• hace más de 50 años atrás (tradicional)

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• como parte de un sistema tradicional (> 50 años)

Comentarios (tipo de proyecto, etc.):

Farmer own intiative

3.1 Propósito(s) principal(es) de la Tecnología MST

• mejorar la producción
• reducir, prevenir, restaurar la degradación del suelo

3.2 Tipo(s) actuales de uso de la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Extensive grazing of animals/unit area, uncontrolled felling and burning of tree in land preparation, low soil fertility due to continous cultivation without conservation

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Low yields hence opening of large areas for cultivation. Difficult soils, hence ploughing during the rains. Infertile soils.

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

Provisión de agua para la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología:

• de secano

Número de temporadas de cultivo por año:

• 2

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 75 Longest growing period from month to month: Mar - May Second longest growing period in days: 60 Second longest growing period from month to month: Nov - Dec

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• perturbación mínima del suelo
• cosecha de agua

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Especifique la difusión de la Tecnología:

• distribuida parejamente sobre un área

Si la tecnología se halla difundida homogéneamente en un área, indique el área aproximada que cubre:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comentarios:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.01 m2.

This technology is along a riverbed and it is not adapted by other farmers

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main measures: agronomic measures, vegetative measures, management measures

Type of agronomic measures: mulching, zero tillage / no-till

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wg: gully erosion / gullying

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Reclaiming part of sand river bed with Sugar cane

Kenya

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: moderate

Technical knowledge required for land users: high

Main technical functions: increase / maintain water stored in soil

Secondary technical functions: sediment retention / trapping, sediment harvesting, increase in soil fertility

Mulching
Material/ species: grasses
Quantity/ density: 2
Remarks: grass scattered

Grass species: stargrass

Change of land use type: fencing off portion of river bed

4.3 Información general sobre el cálculo de insumos y costos

otra / moneda nacional (especifique):

Kenya shilling

Indique la tasa de cambio de USD a la moneda local (si fuese relevante): 1 USD =:

70,0

4.4 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento
1.	fencing	Vegetativas	after rains
2.	mulching with bushes	Vegetativas	before rains
3.	planting of sugarcane	Vegetativas	dry season
4.	cuting grass for mulch	Vegetativas	rainy season
5.	fencing riverbed to keep off animals	Manejo	after rain
6.	planting grass	Manejo	after rain

4.5 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

Comentarios:

Duration of establishment phase: 24 month(s)

4.6 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento/ frequencia
1.	fencing	Agronómicas	dry season / when height goes down
2.	mulching with trash	Agronómicas	dry '' / after clearing
3.	grass planting	Agronómicas	dry / before rains
4.	sugarcane planting	Agronómicas	wet / end of rain
5.	collection of mulch	Agronómicas	dry / biannual
6.	fencing	Vegetativas	after rain /biannual
7.	cutting grass for mulch	Vegetativas	rainy /biannual
8.	scatterin thorn bushes	Vegetativas	during rain /biannual
9.	fencing	Manejo	after rain / each cropping season
10.	spreading brushwood	Manejo	after / annual

4.7 Costos e insumos necesarios para actividades de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (por año)

Comentarios:

Machinery/ tools: oxen plough, 2 pangas , 2 hoes

the above cost were calculated in terms of purchase of tools,material and manday used.

4.8 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

labour affects cost as it is required in large quantities

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

Si se halla disponible, adjunte una descripción completa de los suelos o especifique la información disponible, por ej., tipo de suelo, pH/ acidez de suelo, capacidad de intercambio catiónico, nitrógeno, salinidad, etc. :

Topsoil organic matter: Becomes medium after the technology

Soil drainage / infiltration is medium - good

Soil water storage capacity is very low - medium

5.6 Las características de los usuarios de la tierra que aplican la Tecnología

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Population density: < 10 persons/km2

Annual population growth: 3% - 4%

5% of the land users are very rich and own 33% of the land.
10% of the land users are rich and own 25% of the land.
30% of the land users are average wealthy and own 12% of the land.
40% of the land users are poor and own 8% of the land.
15% of the land users are poor and own 21% of the land.

Off-farm income specification: most of harvest are low and hence dependent on off farm income.

Level of mechanization: Animal traction is used for assembling the thorny bushes and for marking farrows

5.8 Tenencia de tierra, uso de tierra y derechos de uso de agua

Tenencia de tierra:

• comunitaria/ aldea
• individual, sin título

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• acceso abierto (no organizado)
• comunitarios (organizado)

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Ingreso y costos

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

6.4 Análisis costo-beneficio

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de establecimiento (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

• 1-10%

Si tiene la información disponible, cuantifique (número de hogares y/o área cubierta):

30 households (1% of the area stated)

De todos quienes adoptaron la Tecnología, ¿cuántos lo hicieron espontáneamente, es decir, sin recibir incentivos/ pagos materiales?

• 90-100%

Comentarios:

30 land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support

Comments on spontaneous adoption: estimates

There is a moderate trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: after farmer tour organised by the PFI most are attempting. At least five farmers had adopted the innovation by the beginning of 1999 (exact figures not available). This is a particularly site-specific system, and thus wide replication is simply not possible. It is only relevant to those who have farms bordering sand rivers with wide beds.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
This innovation demonstrates how productive use can be made of sub-surface moisture in sand rivers in arid areas while simultaneously protecting the riverbed and bank from erosion
Farm income increase through land reclamation

6.8 Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos de la Tecnología y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Planting within a riverbed is, strictly speaking, against regulations.	Such technologies should not be attempted without consulting the local agricultural office.
The fence is constructed with thorn bush cuttings which have to be constantly replenished	A live fence is recommended as an alternative to constantly having to replenish the fence with cut thorn bush. The fence is required to avoid grazing of the cane by domestic livestock.

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Farm management Guidelines. 1989.

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

MOA, Nairobi

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Kithinji M., Critchley W. 2001. Farmers' initiatives in land husbandry: Promising technologies for the drier areas of East Africa. RELMA Technical Report series no. 27