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)

Book project: SLM in Practice - Guidelines and Best Practices for Sub-Saharan Africa (SLM in Practice)

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:

Precision Conservation Agriculture combines aspects of conservation agriculture and precision application of fertilizer.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

Precision Conservation Agriculture (PCA) is a combined technology that encompasses four basic principles: 1) minimum tillage – e.g. using planting basins which enhance the capture of water from the first rains and allow efficient application of limited nutrient resources with limited labor input; 2) the precision application of small doses of nitrogen-based fertilizer to achieve higher nutrient efficiency (from organic and/or inorganic sources); 3) combining improved fertility with improved seed for higher productivity; and 4) use of available residues to create a mulch cover that reduces evaporation losses and weed growth. Crop mixes are adapted to the local conditions and household resource constraints. Cereal/legume rotations are desirable. PCA spreads labor for land preparation over the dry seasons and encourages more timely planting, resulting in a reduction of peak labor loads at planting, higher productivity and incomes. Over four years these simple technologies have consistently increased average yields by 50 to 200% in more than 50,000 farm households. These strategies are promoted by ICRISAT, FAO and NGOs in Southern Africa focusing on low potential zones where most of the most resource-poor and vulnerable farm households exist.

Components of CF Planting Basins Package promoted in Zimbabwe:
1. Winter weeding: The first step in preparing a field using CF methods is to remove all weeds. This should be done soon after harvesting in May/June. Weeding is done using implements such as hand hoes and machetes that disturb the soil as little as possible. The importance of weeding before land preparation is to ensure that the plot is weed-free at basin preparation and also to prevent the dispersal of weed seeds.
2. Digging planting basins: Planting basins are holes dug in a weed-free field into which a crop is planted. The basins are prepared in the dry season from July to October. The recommended dimensions of the basin are 15×15×15 cm, spaced at either 75×60 cm for rainfalls of 650 to 900 mm and either 75x75 cm or 90×60 cm for Natural rainfalls of 400 to 650 mm. The basins enable the farmer to plant the crop after the first effective rains when the basins have captured rainwater and drained naturally. Seeds are placed in each basin at the appropriate seeding rate and covered with clod-free soil. The advantage of using basins is that they enhance the capture of water from the first rains of the wet season and enable precision application of both organic and inorganic fertilizer as it is applied directly into the pit and not broadcast.
3. Application of crop residues: Crop residues are applied on the soil surface in the dry season, soon after harvesting if available. Ideally the residues should provide at least 30% soil cover. The mulch buffers the soil against extreme temperatures (thereby reducing soil evaporation), cushions the soil against traffic, and suppresses weeds through shading and improves soil fertility.
4. Application of manure: Fertility amendments are applied soon after land preparation in the dry season. In CF, the application of both organic and inorganic fertilizers is recommended as they complement each other. Organic fertilizers such as manure and/or composts are applied at a rate of at least a handful per planting basin. More can be used in wetter areas.
5. Application of basal fertilizer: Inorganic basal fertilizer is also applied soon after land preparation before the onset of the rains. One level beer bottle cap is applied per planting basin and covered lightly with clod-free soil. This is equivalent to 80 kg of compound fertilizer per hectare. Application rates can be increased in wetter areas and may depend on crop types.
6. Application of topdressing: Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to cereal crops at the 5 to 6 leaf stage soon after the first weeding at a rate of one level beer bottle cap per basin. This is equivalent to 80 kg of ammonium nitrate fertilizer per hectare. Application is done on moist soils. Precision application ensures that the nutrients are available where they are needed. Application rates can be increased in wetter areas and may depend on crop types.
7. Timely weeding: In conventional tillage systems, farmers plough/cultivate repeatedly in order to suppress weeds. With reduced tillage, weeds can be a problem requiring more effort initially. One strategy is to weed in a timely manner (ie, when the weeds are still small) preventing the weeds from setting seed. Timely weeding in combination with mulch should eventually lead to effective weed control.
8. Crop rotation: Rotating crops is one of the key principles of CF. Cereal/legume rotations are desirable because the cereal benefits from nitrogen produced by the Rhizobium associated with the legume, and the legume benefits from the residues produced by the cereal. The advantages of crop rotation include improvement of soil fertility, controlling weeds, pests and diseases, and producing different types of outputs, which reduce the risk of total crop failure in cases of drought and disease outbreaks.

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 menos de 10 años (recientemente)

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• durante experimentos/ investigación

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

• mejorar la producción

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

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): soil fertility decline and reduced organic matter, soil erosion by water, sealing and crusting

3.5 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• 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:

Secondary causes of degradation: soil management

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:

• prevenir la degradación del suelo
• reducir la degradación del suelo

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.3 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Momento (estación)
1.	1.Layout of contours with the use of an A-frame before land preparation, place wooden pegs along the contours	during dry season

4.5 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Momento/ frequencia
1.	Direct seeding /fertilizer (NPK) banding using no-till drill	Eearly November
2.	Direct seeding /fertilizer (NPK) banding using no-till drill	Eearly November
3.	Leave fields to fallow for 18 months, apply herbicide if needed	afther harvest
4.	Leave fields to fallow for 18 months, apply herbicide if needed	afther harvest

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

	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	ha	1,0	108,0	108,0
Equipo	hand hoes	ha	1,0	7,0	7,0
Fertilizantes y biocidas	fertilizer	ha	1,0	69,0	69,0
Indique los costos totales para mantenecer la Tecnología					184,0
Costos totales para mantener la Tecnología en USD					184,0

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

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

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Population density: 10-50 persons/km2

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

Tenencia de tierra:

• comunitaria/ aldea

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

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 se sabe

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
sequía	bien

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
periodo reducido de crecimiento	bien

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

Comentarios:

50000 land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support
0.3 had under basins in 2008 – so about 15,000 ha across Zimbabwe
There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology
Over the last 4 years a steady trend in increase in area each household as under basins

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
PCA spreads labour for land preparation over the dry season and encourages more timely planting, resulting in a reduction of peak labour loads at planting, higher productivity and incomes
Over four years these simple technologies have consistently increased average yields by 50 to 200%, depending on rainfall regime, soil types and fertility, and market access

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?
Availability of residues to achieve the minimum 30% soil cover	Accept that in agro-pastoral systems where residues are at a premium demonstrate benefits of residues management – but allow households to decide
Access to fertilizer at cost effective prices	Input market development and identification of enabling government policies
Rotations and legumes poorly adopted	Allow households to become familiar with technology and meet subsistence food requirements before promoting rotations. Ensure availability of good quality seeds and markets to meet extra legume production

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Hove L, Twomlow S. 2008. Is conservation agriculture an option for vulnerable households in Southern Africa? Paper presented at the Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Land Management to Improve the Livelihood of People in Dry Areas Workshop, United

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

ICRISAT web site – www.icrisat.org or FAO

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Mazvimavi K, Twomlow S, Belder P, Hove L. 2007. An Assessment of the Sustainable Uptake of CF in Zimbabwe. Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report No 39. ICRISAT, Bulawayo. 69pp.

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

ICRISAT – www.icrisat.org

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Mazvimavi, K., Twomlow, S. Socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing adoption of conservation farming by vulnerable households in Zimbabwe. Agr. Syst. (2009), doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2009.02.002

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

Elsevier – Agricultural Systems

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Twomlow,S., Hove, L., Mupangwa, W., Masikati, P., Mashingaidze,N. 2009. Precision Conservation Agriculture For Vulnerable Farmers In Low-Potential Zones In Humphreys, E. and Bayot, R.S. (Editors). 2009. Increasing the productivity and sustainability of r

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

xxx

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Zimbabwe Conservation Agriculture Task Force, 2009. Farming for the future: A guide to conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe. ISBN 978-07974-3735-7

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

FAO Emergency Office Zimbabwe Michael.jenrich@fao.org