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)

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

Grass strips slow down runoff, increase infiltration and retain sediment, thus increasing crop production.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

Grass strips measuring 0.80 m to 1 m wide are planted 20 to 80 m apart on low-gradient terrain. Local grasses (for example, Andropogon gayanus, Cymbopogon schoenateus and Vetivera nigritiana) are sown or planted (plantlets) at the start of the rainy season. Like stone bunds, grass strips are planted along the natural contour of the land to slow down runoff, increase infiltration and retain sediment. Grass strips get bigger as sediment builds up, which maintains their capacity to retain water, unlike mechanical structures (stone bunds and dikes).
The species of grass are chosen according to what the farmers want to use them for (straw, hay, mat weaving, roofing, construction of straw granaries, brooms, etc.). In cattle and sheep raising areas, the use of fodder plants can increase interest in this technique and ensure wider acceptance. It is recommended that the development of grass strips be combined with assisted natural regeneration (woody species) or the planting of trees.

Designed as an erosion control measure, grass strips slow down runoff in the event of heavy rain. They distribute rainwater more evenly over the land and improve infiltration which is particularly important when there are dry spells in the rainy season. Sediment builds up behind the grass strips, thereby reducing the erosion of fertile soil layers. The roots of the plants bind the soil and hold it in place. Although the vegetation growing in the strips competes with the crops to some extent for water, the overall effect on yields is positive. Crops are also protected from wind erosion. Thanks to the vegetation cover they provide, grass strips contribute to lowering soil temperature.
Like contour stone bunds, grass strips reduce the harmful effects of heavy rain and violent downpours, events that are expected to increase as a result of climate change.
Compared with plots without grass strips, millet yields were 50 kg per hectare per year higher, and straw yields 125 kg higher on plots with grass strips. Yields can be substantially improved by combining grass strips with the application of organic fertiliser, mulch or pen manure. The best results, an average increase of 280 kg of millet grain per hectare (370 kg of straw per hectare), were achieved by combining them with mulching and pen manuring. Grass strips therefore improve yields of cereals and forage for livestock (straw and grass growing on the strips).
Increased crop output increases household food security and improves livestock feeding. The straw cut on the grass strips can also be used for other purposes (fencing and roofing). It is also a source of income, as traditional products made with straw, such as woven mats, can be sold.

Grass growth tends to be patchy, and resowing is required several times to fill in the gaps in the strip. In order to protect the grass strips from grazing animals during the first year, it is recommended that the area be monitored, which requires strict control over the village herds and flocks and those of nomadic livestock keepers.
Some grasses tend to invade crop fields. It is therefore important to control them by cutting them down before they flower and to tend the strips regularly, straightening and cutting back the edges.
Any dead plants in the grass strips must be regularly replaced. Grass strips are more likely to be maintained if they are economically profitable, for example, if they produce hay for livestock or their output can be sold as forage or construction material.

It is a technique designed mainly for cropland, but can also be used on rangeland, provided that the plants are protected when the grass strips are put in place. Grass strips are suitable for areas in the Sahel and the Sudan with rainfall ranging between 400 and 1,000 mm/year and gently sloping terrain (< 2%). Ecological units that benefit from the implementation of this measure include dune land, pediments and plains (highland pediments). Grass strips are particularly appropriate for non-stony land in areas with higher rainfall levels.

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), and PATECORE (project for land development and resource conservation in Plateau Central Burkina Faso)

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

• 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): soil erosion by water and wind, fertility decline

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

• pastoralismo y manejo de tierras de pastoreo
• medida de pendiente transversal

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Type of vegetative measures: aligned: -contour

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:

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

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 contour lines
2.	making 10-15 cm deep furrows in which to plant the seeds or seedlings
3.	sowing or planting 1 to 4 rows per strip.

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	ha	1,0	46,7	46,7	100,0
Material para plantas	seeds	ha	1,0	3,3	3,3	100,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					50,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología en USD					50,0

4.5 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Momento/ frequencia
1.	resowing is required several times. Any dead plants in the grass strips must be regularly replaced.
2.	Cutting down grasses which invade crop fields.
3.	straightening and cutting back the edges

4.7 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Labour: 6 man-days per ha
• marking out the contour lines
• making 10-15 cm deep furrows in which to plant the seeds or seedlings
• sowing or planting 1 to 4 rows per strip. Upkeep: 2.5 man-days per year.
Other costs:
• grass seeds or seedlings
• equipment: water-tube level.

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

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

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:

• estado
• individual, sin título

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• acceso abierto (no organizado)

Derechos de uso de agua:

• acceso abierto (no organizado)

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

Otros impactos socioeconómicos

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

Reducción de riesgos de desastres y riesgos climáticos

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	bien
tormenta de viento	bien

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
sequía	no muy bien

Desastres hidrológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
inundación general (río)	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)?

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

In the Tillabéri area, in northern Niger, the adoption of grass strips varies greatly from one place to another. After three seasons of promoting this technique, grass strips had been established on a total area of 4,674 hectares (sometimes in combination with other measures). Over half of the improved land is located in the Filingué area (2,587 hectares), followed by Ouallam with 1,042 hectares.
However, only small areas were improved with grass strips in Tillabéri and Tera (228 hectares and 817 hectares respectively), where acceptance of this technique was low.
In spite of good results in terms of increased production and soil improvement, grass strips have only been widely accepted in southern Niger (Maradi and Zinder). Farmers are of the view that grass strips could be confused with plot boundaries.
The availability of land in southern Niger may be another factor that facilitates acceptance of the measure is this area. Part of the plot is taken up by the grass strips, reducing the area left for growing crops. This hinders acceptance in areas where land is limited. The reduced crop-growing area is offset by better per-hectare grain, straw and hay yields. Certain grasses (such as Andropogon gayanus) have a harmful effect on nearby crops. The systematic exploitation of the grass strips as a source of straw or hay improves acceptance of the technique. In the Tillabéri area, in Niger, the adoption of grass strips varies greatly from one place to another. After three seasons of promoting this technique, grass strips had been established on a total area of 4,674 hectares (sometimes in combination with other measures). Over half of the improved land is located in the Filingué area (2,587 hectares), followed by Ouallam with 1,042 hectares. However, only small areas were improved with grass strips in Tillabéri and Tera (228 hectares and 817 hectares respectively), where acceptance of this technique was low. In spite of good results in terms of increased production and soil improvement, grass strips have only been widely accepted in southern Niger (Maradi and Zinder). Farmers are of the view that grass strips could be confused with plot boundaries. The availability of land in southern Niger may be another factor that facilitates acceptance of the measure is this area. Part of the plot is taken up by the grass strips, reducing the area left for growing crops. This hinders acceptance in areas where land is limited. The reduced crop-growing area is offset by better per-hectare grain, straw and hay yields. Certain grasses (such as Andropogon gayanus) have a harmful effect on nearby crops. The systematic exploitation of the grass strips as a source of straw or hay improves acceptance of the technique. At first, people living in the areas covered by the PDRT project were reluctant to establish grass strips. They considered them to be weeds with no place on their farmland. With time and exchange visits within the country, they began to accept the technique.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
reduce the harmful effects of heavy rain and violent downpours, events that are expected to increase as a result of climate change
improve rainwater harvesting and water retention in the soil
contribute to creating vegetation cover, which provides a habitat for biodiversity
contribute to lowering soil temperature and are also effective in reducing wind erosion. As the vegetation provides shelter from the wind, fine particles of soil accumulate behind the strips.
Increased crop output increases household food security and improves livestock feeding. The straw cut on the grass strips can also be used for other purposes (fencing and roofing). It is also a source of income, as traditional products made with straw, such as woven mats, can be sold.

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?
Grass growth tends to be patchy, and resowing is required several times to fill in the gaps in the strip. Strips with bare patches are not effective in retaining water, and rilling can be caused by water gushing through the gaps.	The clumps must therefore be arranged in staggered rows and the strips made wide enough to prevent this problem.
With the use of certain types of grasses that grow in clumps, such as Andropogon grass, gaps are left between the tufts, and water spurting through these gaps can cause rilling.
In spite of good results in terms of increased production and soil improvement, grass strips have only been widely accepted in southern Niger (Maradi and Zinder). Farmers are of the view that grass strips could be confused with plot boundaries.
Certain grasses (such as Andropogon gayanus) have a harmful effect on nearby crops.
Part of the plot is taken up by the grass strips, reducing the area left for growing crops. This hinders acceptance in areas where land is limited.

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

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.

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

http://agriwaterpedia.info/wiki/Main_Page