1.2 Coordonnées des personnes-ressources et des institutions impliquées dans l'évaluation et la documentation de la Technologie

Nom du ou des institutions qui ont facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

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

1.3 Conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées

Quand les données ont-elles été compilées (sur le terrain)?

17/04/2000

Le compilateur et la(les) personne(s) ressource(s) acceptent les conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées:

Oui

2.1 Courte description de la Technologie

Définition de la Technologie:

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

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

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 Photos de la Technologie

2.5 Pays/ région/ lieux où la Technologie a été appliquée et qui sont couverts par cette évaluation

2.6 Date de mise en œuvre de la Technologie

Si l'année précise est inconnue, indiquez la date approximative: :

• il y a plus de 50 ans (technologie traditionnelle)

2.7 Introduction de la Technologie

Spécifiez comment la Technologie a été introduite: :

• dans le cadre d'un système traditionnel (> 50 ans)

Commentaires (type de projet, etc.) :

Farmer own intiative

3.1 Principal(aux) objectif(s) de la Technologie

• améliorer la production
• réduire, prévenir, restaurer les terres dégradées

3.2 Type(s) actuel(s) d'utilisation des terres, là où la Technologie est appliquée

Commentaires:

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 Informations complémentaires sur l'utilisation des terres

Approvisionnement en eau des terres sur lesquelles est appliquée la Technologie:

• pluvial

Nombre de période de croissance par an: :

• 2

Précisez:

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 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• perturbation minimale du sol
• récupération/ collecte de l'eau

3.5 Diffusion de la Technologie

Spécifiez la diffusion de la Technologie:

• répartie uniformément sur une zone

Si la Technologie est uniformément répartie sur une zone, indiquez la superficie couverte approximative:

• < 0,1 km2 (10 ha)

Commentaires:

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 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main measures: agronomic measures, vegetative measures, management measures

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

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

Commentaires:

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

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

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.2 Spécification/ explications techniques du dessin technique

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 Informations générales sur le calcul des intrants et des coûts

autre/ monnaie nationale (précisez):

Kenya shilling

Indiquer le taux de change du dollars en monnaie locale (si pertinent): 1 USD= :

70,0

4.4 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier
1.	fencing	Végétale	after rains
2.	mulching with bushes	Végétale	before rains
3.	planting of sugarcane	Végétale	dry season
4.	cuting grass for mulch	Végétale	rainy season
5.	fencing riverbed to keep off animals	Modes de gestion	after rain
6.	planting grass	Modes de gestion	after rain

4.5 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

Commentaires:

Duration of establishment phase: 24 month(s)

4.6 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	fencing	Agronomique	dry season / when height goes down
2.	mulching with trash	Agronomique	dry '' / after clearing
3.	grass planting	Agronomique	dry / before rains
4.	sugarcane planting	Agronomique	wet / end of rain
5.	collection of mulch	Agronomique	dry / biannual
6.	fencing	Végétale	after rain /biannual
7.	cutting grass for mulch	Végétale	rainy /biannual
8.	scatterin thorn bushes	Végétale	during rain /biannual
9.	fencing	Modes de gestion	after rain / each cropping season
10.	spreading brushwood	Modes de gestion	after / annual

4.7 Coûts et intrants nécessaires aux activités d'entretien/ récurrentes (par an)

Commentaires:

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 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

labour affects cost as it is required in large quantities

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

5.3 Sols

Si disponible, joignez une description complète du sol ou précisez les informations disponibles, par ex., type de sol, pH/ acidité du sol, capacité d'échange cationique, azote, salinité, 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 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

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 Propriété foncière, droits d’utilisation des terres et de l'eau

Propriété foncière:

• communauté/ village
• individu, sans titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• accès libre (non organisé)
• communautaire (organisé)

6.1 Impacts sur site que la Technologie a montrés

Impacts socio-économiques

Production

Revenus et coûts

Impacts écologiques

Cycle de l'eau/ ruissellement

Sols

6.4 Analyse coûts-bénéfices

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts de mise en place (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts d'entretien récurrents (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

6.5 Adoption de la Technologie

• 1-10%

Si disponible, quantifiez (nombre de ménages et/ou superficie couverte):

30 households (1% of the area stated)

Parmi tous ceux qui ont adopté la Technologie, combien d'entre eux l'ont fait spontanément, à savoir sans recevoir aucune incitation matérielle ou aucun paiement?

• 90-100%

Commentaires:

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 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
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 Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques de la Technologie et moyens de les surmonter

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
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 Références des publications disponibles

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Farm management Guidelines. 1989.

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

MOA, Nairobi

Titre, auteur, année, 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