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)

CIS-Centre for International Cooperation (CIS-Centre for International Cooperation) - Pays-Bas

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

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

16/08/1997

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:

Stone walls built on sloping fields to create terraces for cultivation and conservation: both ancient and contemporary.

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

In this hilly, mixed farming area, stone terrace walls are a tradition. They are built across the slope when new land is cleared of loose stone and brought into crop cultivation. The dimensions of the terrace walls and the spacing between them depend on various factors, especially the slope and the amount of stone in the field. The walls may be up to 1.25 m high, from 1.0 to 1.5 m in base width, and between 20 and 50 m long. Spacing is from 3 to 10 m apart. Design of stone terrace walls varies. Some walls are very neatly built, others are merely piles of stone across the slope: this depends on the individual land user. The walls are built up each year with further stones: this may just be as more loose stone comes to the surface when ploughing, or also by digging out larger stones to deliberately build up the height of the walls as it silts up behind. Such terracing is generally confined to slopes between 20% and 50%. From 12% to 20% contour grass strips (thambaladza) are normally used, but below 12% land is rarely protected with structures or strips.

Purpose of the Technology: The purpose of terracing, apart from simultaneously clearing the land of stone, is to guard against loss of topsoil. Together with contour ploughing this helps to keep soil fertility in place on sloping cropland in a subhumid area. Rainfall is around 1,000 mm per annum and maize is the most common crop, but various other annuals (beans, pumpkins, sorghum etc) and perennials (peaches, avocadoes, oranges etc) are also grown.

Natural / human environment: This example of land conservation is probably unique in a former South African ‘homeland’. In such areas, where the black population were concentrated at high population densities under the former apartheid regime, land degradation rather than soil conservation was the rule. These terraces continue to be built to this day as new land is opened up, despite the high amounts of labour (300-500 person days per hectare) involved in establishment. A study of the conservation systems used in the area and local attitudes to them, showed that the benefits of conservation were well understood by local farmers (see reference). Those questioned identified retention of soil - and of soil fertility in particular - as being of paramount importance. No mention was made of terraces being built simply to remove surface stone. The only downside mentioned (by a few) was the loss of cultivable land area. The key to the persistence of the terraces in this area is, therefore, that the land users understand and appreciate the place of terraces in maintaining soil fertility, and their considerable contribution to crop production.

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.) :

May have originated with the Shona of Zimbabwe and the tradition brought with them when some moved south to Venda

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

• 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): Agreement with the land-user

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Decline in fertility of soil, erosion on roads/from roads, yield burning leading to runoff.

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: :

• 1

Précisez:

Longest growing period in days: 150; Longest growing period from month to month: Nov - May

3.4 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• mesures en travers de la pente

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:

• 1-10 km2

Commentaires:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 8 km2.

Within the Northern region of South Africa's Northern Province (formerly "Venda") a few areas are apparently covered with ancient stone terraces - but Thononda Ward of Thohoyandou district is the best example and the only one

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main measures: structural measures

Secondary measures: agronomic measures

3.7 Principaux types de dégradation des terres traités par la Technologie

Commentaires:

Main causes of degradation: Heavy / extreme rainfall (intensity/amounts) (slope), other natural causes (avalanches, volcanic eruptions, mud flows, highly susceptible natural resources, extreme topography, etc.) specify (Slope/rainfall)

Secondary causes of degradation: other human induced causes (specify) (Burning of veld/grazing land upslope)

3.8 Prévention, réduction de la dégradation ou réhabilitation des terres dégradées

Spécifiez l'objectif de la Technologie au regard de la dégradation des terres:

• prévenir la dégradation des terres

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.2 Spécification/ explications techniques du dessin technique

Layout of stone wall terraces: the walls are built up over time (right) as soil accumulates behind the barriers.

Date: Northern Province

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate

Main technical functions: control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard

Secondary technical functions: reduction of slope angle, reduction of slope length

Structural measure: Bunds/banks: contour
Vertical interval between structures (m): varied
Spacing between structures (m): 3 -10
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): > 0.75
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): > 1.5
Length of bunds/banks/others (m): 20 -50

Construction material (stone): From within fields only

Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 30%

If the original slope has changed as a result of the Technology, the slope today is: 15%

4.3 Informations générales sur le calcul des intrants et des coûts

Spécifiez la manière dont les coûts et les intrants ont été calculés:

• par entité de la Technologie

Indiquez la monnaie utilisée pour le calcul des coûts:

• dollars US

4.4 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier
1.	Initial construction of terrace walls (Layout is by eye: no instruments used)	Structurel	Dry season
2.	Construction of new stone walls begins with a shallow trench into which large foundation stones are laid (or rolled downhill with a ‘crowbar’ – a long steel lever - if very big).	Structurel
3.	Terrace walls are then built up with successively smaller stones: design depends on the individual.	Structurel
4.	Stiles (low points) are generally left in the walls to allow human passage, but these are ‘staggered’ (ie not all in a straight line up-and-down slope) to avoid gullies forming.	Structurel

4.5 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Construction of stone walls and terraces	persons/day/ha	357,0	3,5	1249,5	100,0
Equipements	Tools	ha	1,0	20,0	20,0	100,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie					1269,5

Commentaires:

Duration of establishment phase: 12 month(s)

4.6 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	The walls are increased in height each year as it silts up behind.	Structurel	Dry season (winter)/Annual

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

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Increase hight	persons/day/ha	46,0	3,5	161,0	100,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie					161,0

Commentaires:

A 100 m x 100 m field with a slope of about 20 degrees (35%) with bund of 0,75 sqm cross section initially at 10 m horizontal intervals assuming 2 sqm moved per- person-day

4.8 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

Slope and amount of loose stones available (the more loose stones the more has to been moved to make cultivation possible)

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la topographie:

Altitudinal zone: 800 - 1200

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.

Soil texture: Mainly loans in cultivated areas

Soil fertility is medium

Soil drainage / infiltration is good

Soil water storage capacity is medium - high

5.6 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

Level of mechanization: Also mechnanized.

5.7 Superficie moyenne des terres détenues ou louées par les exploitants appliquant la Technologie

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

Propriété foncière:

• individu, sans titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• accès libre (non organisé)
• individuel

6.1 Impacts sur site que la Technologie a montrés

Impacts socio-économiques

Production

Revenus et coûts

Impacts socioculturels

Impacts écologiques

Sols

6.2 Impacts hors site que la Technologie a montrés

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

• cas isolés/ expérimentaux

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

1 household

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:

1% of land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

1 land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

Comments on acceptance with external material support: survey results

100% of 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: As land becomes more limited for cultivation, people are forced to cultivate steeper and stonier land. This is a "living" tradition!

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
Maintains soil and soil fertility
Stops crops being washed away
Reduces spread of weed species
Maintains ploughability

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
This is an important example of a thriving traditional technology in a country where most such ancient practices were ended by apartheid How can they be sustained / enhanced? It has the potential to persist, if the Department of Agriculture acknowledges the importance of the system, encourages and gives training and organises exchange visits between farmers. Exchange of knowledge from farmer to farmer is facilitated by ‘Landcare’ and supported by the government.
It makes use of abundant existing materials in the field (stone) and therefore input costs apart from labour are low: this is a win-win situation, clearing and building.
Maintenance is simple – merely building up the walls gradually – and is effectively absorbed in everyday farming activities.

6.8 Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques de la Technologie et moyens de les surmonter

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue de l’exploitant des terres	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
Labour cost
Land lost (but equally gained by removal of surface stone)

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
High labour investment for establishment	Hand tools, for example pickaxes and crowbars, could be supplied to the poorest families.

7.2 Références des publications disponibles

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Case study of Vhavenda, perception of erosion.... June 97.

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

Paper submitted to "Development South Africa"