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

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Manual of Good Practices in Small Scale Irrigation in the Sahel (GIZ )

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

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) - Alemania

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

Misereor - Alemania

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

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

Sí

1.4 Declaración de la sostenibilidad de la Tecnología descrita

¿La Tecnología aquí descrita resulta problemática en relación a la degradación de la tierra, de tal forma que no puede considerársela una tecnología sostenible para el manejo de la tierra?

No

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Zai planting pits are designed to collect rainwater and to conserve nutrients in order to improve crop production and food security.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

Zai or tassa planting pits are an old farming technique rediscovered after the great drought of 1973/74 and later perfected by development partners working with the farmers. It involves digging planting pits with a diameter of at least 30 to 40 cm and 10 to 15 cm deep. They are spaced 70 to 80 cm apart, resulting in around 10,000 pits per hectare. Staggered rows of holes are dug perpendicularly to the slope. The earth dug out of the hole is piled up to form a small ridge around the rim, which captures water. A couple of handfuls of organic fertiliser or compost are put into each pit. They are normally made in the dry season before the first rains start. However, it is recommended that the pits be made immediately after the rainy season, when the soil is still moist and the weather is not too hot. If the pits are in place early in the dry season, they act as traps during the windy period in February and March, retaining rich dust carried by the harmattan and wind-blown organic matter. At least 3 tonnes of compost per hectare is recommended.

Purpose of the Technology: The arrangement of the pits in staggered rows ensures the most efficient collection of rainwater and slows the flow of water over the surface. The zai technique concentrates and conserves nutrients and water near the roots of the plants grown in them. The application of organic fertiliser directly around the plants is an economical use of a factor of production to which most farmers have limited access. It also reactivates biological activity, increases fertility and loosens the soil.
As zai planting pits restore degraded, uncultivated land, they lessen the pressure to clear other land for farming. They also reduce the vulnerability of plants during dry spells and droughts, ensuring crop production and improving food security.
Plots with zai planting pits (with fertiliser) average yields of 409 kg of millet grain per hectare, compared to 195 kg per hectare registered on control plots. Millet yields can therefore be doubled with this technique.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The zai technique requires high labour input. It is estimated that between 40 and 60 man-days per hectare are required, depending on the density of the pits. There is a mechanised system for making the holes, using a special animal-drawn plough, which considerably reduces the number of man-days required to 7 per hectare.
If the pits are prepared each year or once every two years (using the same pits or making new ones in the spaces between the old ones), soil fertility is restored and the crop cycle can be resumed. The application of organic fertiliser in sufficient quantities enables the plot to be cultivated sustainably. After five years, it can be farmed in the normal way.
Covering extensive areas with zai planting pits requires a high level of community mobilisation and effective organisation and logistics. Apart from this, the technique is very simple to implement and easily mastered by the farmers.

Natural / human environment: Zai planting pits are used on marginal or degraded land that is no longer cultivated, such as low-gradient pediments and land with encrusted soil in areas with rainfall levels of less than 800 mm a year. They are not recommended for sandy soils, as they are not stable when dug in this type of soil, or for valley bottoms, where they risk being flooded. Zai planting pits are particularly useful in areas where land use pressure is high, as they permit the rehabilitation of unproductive land for farming.
From the point of view of climate change adaptation, zai planting pits are particularly useful in areas with erratic or low rainfall, as they prevent the loss of water. As the fertiliser is placed inside the pits, it is not washed away by heavy rain.

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:

• 10-50 años atrás

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• mediante proyectos/ intervenciones externas

Comentarios (tipo de proyecto, etc.):

developed, implemented and disseminated as part of projects and programmes undertaken from the 1980s onwards to combat desertification and improve natural resource management. Implemented by GIZ (German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation), PDRT (Projet de développement rural de Tahoua - Tahoua Rural Development Project), PASP (Projet de protection intégrée des ressources agro-sylvo-pastorales Tillabéri-Nord - Project for the Integrated Protection of Agricultural, Forest and Rangeland Resources in Tillabéri-Nord)

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

• mejorar la producción
• crear impacto económico benéfico

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

Mezcla de tipos de uso de tierras dentro de la misma unidad de tierras: :

Sí

Especifique el uso combinado de tierras (cultivos/ pastoreo/ árboles):

• Agro-silvopastoralismo

Comentarios:

Major cash crop: Ground nut
Major food crop: Millet
Major other crops: Sorghum, cow pea and mangos

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): soil erosion, fertility decline, aridification, loss of limited rainwater by runoff
Type of cropping system and major crops comments: farmers are mainly agropastoralists with some communities specialised on pure pastoralism
Constraints of forested government-owned land or commons
Type of grazing land: Extensive grazing: Nomadism, semi-nomadism/pastoralism. Intensive grazing: Cut-and-carry/zero grazing and improved pasture

Livestock density: 1-10 LU / km2

3.4 Provisión de agua

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

• de secano

3.5 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• perturbación mínima del suelo
• manejo integrado de la fertilidad del suelo

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main causes of degradation: soil management (Unadapted landuse methods, reduced or abandoned fallow periods), crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub) (Neglect of fallow periods and crop rotation), droughts (due to heat waves), population pressure (rapidly growing population increasing pressure on land), land tenure (insecure access to land and collectively managed communal land), poverty / wealth (very poor population)

Secondary causes of degradation: deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires) (deforestation through overgrazing and fire wood collection), over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use (firewood collection), overgrazing (cattle, sheep and goats), change in temperature (Climate change: heat waves), change of seasonal rainfall (more variable onset of rain), Heavy / extreme rainfall (intensity/amounts) (more variable and intensive rains), wind storms / dust storms (frequent storms), floods (due to intensive rain storms), labour availability (some migration of men to nearby cities), education, access to knowledge and support services (high level of illiteracy)

3.8 Prevención, reducción o restauración de la degradación del suelo

Especifique la meta de la Tecnología con relación a la degradación de la tierra:

• restaurar/ rehabilitar tierra severamente degradada

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Información general sobre el cálculo de insumos y costos

otra / moneda nacional (especifique):

CFA Franc

4.3 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Momento (estación)
1.	marking out the rows perpendicular to the slope
2.	digging pits in staggered rows
3.	forming a ridge on the downhill side
4.	A couple of handfuls of organic fertiliser or compost are put into each pit

4.4 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Mano de obra	labour		1,0	16,3	16,3
Mano de obra	transport and planting trees		1,0	12,3	12,3
Equipo	machine use		1,0	23,6	23,6
Material para plantas	seedlings
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					52,2
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología en USD					52,2

4.5 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Momento/ frequencia
1.	the pits are prepared each year or once every two years (using the same pits or making new ones in the spaces between the old ones
2.	applying organic fertiliser every two years (1 to 2 hand-fuls per pit, amounting to around 3 tonnes per hectare).

4.7 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Labour: 40 to 60 man-days per hectare
• marking out the rows perpendicular to the slope
• digging pits in staggered rows
• forming a ridge on the downhill side
• applying organic fertiliser every two years (1 to 2 handfuls per pit, amounting to around 3 tonnes per hectare).
Other costs: transportation of 30 cartloads of manure.

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. :

Soil texture: Fine to medium (sandy to clayey loams)
Soil fertility: Very low to medium
Soil drainage/infiltration: Poor and medium (ranked 2)
Soil water storage capacity: Low and medium (ranked 2)

5.4 Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

5.5 Biodiversidad

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: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 3% - 4% (mostly poor households below poverty line).
Off-farm income specification: men migrate temporarily or permanently to cities for off-farm income, women and men seasonally carry out paid farm work
Market orientation of production system: subsistence (self-supply, Most households crop for subsistence, mainly for small agropastoralists ), mixed (subsistence/commercial, crop surplus is sold on market, medium agropastoralists) and commercial market (Some vegetable growing, pastoralists)
Level of mechanization: Menual work (ranked 1) and animal traction (ranked 2, ox, donkey)

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra usada por usuarios de tierra que aplican la Tecnología

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

Comentarios:

traditional land use rights prevail. On fields individual land use rights, communal rights on pasture and forest land (collection of wood and other products (fruits, medicinal plants))

5.9 Acceso a servicios e infraestructura

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Ingreso y costos

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

Biodiversidad: vegetación, animales

Reducción de riesgos de desastres y riesgos climáticos

Otros impactos ecológicos

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.3 Exposición y sensibilidad de la Tecnología al cambio climático gradual y a extremos relacionados al clima/ desastres (desde la percepción de los usuarios de tierras)

Cambio climático gradual

Cambio climático gradual

	Estación	Incremento o reducción	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
temperatura anual		incrementó	bien

Extremos (desastres) relacionados al clima

Desastres climatológicos:

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
tormenta de lluvia local	no muy bien
tormenta de viento	bien

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
sequía	bien

Desastres hidrológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
inundación general (río)	no muy bien

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
periodo reducido de crecimiento	no se sabe

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)?

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
The arrangement of the pits in staggered rows ensures the most efficient collection of rainwater and slows the flow of water over the surface. The zai technique concentrates and conserves nutrients and water near the roots of the plants grown in them.
Zai planting pits are particularly useful in areas where land use pressure is high, as they permit the rehabilitation of unproductive land for farming. Therefore they lessen the pressure to clear other land for farming.
They also reduce the vulnerability of plants during dry spells and droughts, ensuring crop production and im- proving food security.
It permits a rational use of fertiliser. When fertiliser is spread on the surface of a plot without zai planting pits, it can be washed away by runoff.
very simple to implement and easily mastered by the farmers

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?
The zai technique requires high labour input.
Zai planting pits are not recommended for light soils, as they fill in too quickly

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.3 Vínculos a la información relevante disponible en línea

Título/ descripción:

Good Practices in Soil and Water Conservation. A contribution to adaptation and farmers´ resilience towards climate change in the Sahel. Published by GIZ in 2012.

URL:

http://agriwaterpedia.info/wiki/Main_Page