1.2 Detalhes do contato das pessoas capacitadas e instituições envolvidas na avaliação e documentação da tecnologia

Nome do projeto que facilitou a documentação/avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

Book project: Making sense of research for sustainable land management (GLUES)

Nome do projeto que facilitou a documentação/avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

The Future of Okavango (TFO / GLUES)

1.3 Condições em relação ao uso da informação documentada através de WOCAT

Quando os dados foram compilados (no campo)?

01/03/2001

O/a compilador/a e a(s) pessoa(s) capacitada(s) aceitam as condições relativas ao uso de dados documentados através da WOCAT:

Sim

1.4 Declaração de sustentabilidade da tecnologia descrita

A tecnologia descrita aqui é problemática em relação a degradação da terra de forma que não pode ser declarada uma tecnologia de gestão sustentável de terra?

Não

2.1 Descrição curta da tecnologia

Definição da tecnologia:

Conservation agriculture using permanent water-harvesting planting basins, or rip-lines and fertilizer/manure application on low fertility dryland soils.

2.2 Descrição detalhada da tecnologia

Descrição:

Farmers in north-eastern Namibia practice shifting/semi-permanent subsistence cropping, concentrating on pearl millet cultivation. Here, conservation agriculture (CA) was promoted to sustain and improve production and to reduce conversion of woodland to crops. CA comprises the three principles of minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and rotation. CA was tested on small plots with volunteers trained by a local NGO. The technology was characterized here by: (i) Early (pre-rains) preparation of the land with two alternative techniques; either: a) basins with a defined spacing opened by a hand hoe, with composted manure added (biochar has also been tested), or b) rip-lines prepared with oxen in lines and with manure application within the rip lines; (ii) Mulching the soil with crop residues, branches or sunnhemp, specially grown for the purpose; (iii) Protection against grazing of crop and mulch by livestock; (iv) Intercropping with vegetables or legumes. (v) Weeding.

CA has been promoted for four seasons, and now trained farmers are transferring their knowledge to others. The technology was promoted to substantially improve the low yields of traditionally practiced agriculture by improving fertility and soil structure as well as better capturing runoff. It was also aimed at avoiding further expansion of croplands into dry woodlands on low fertility arenosols. Eventually it is hoped that the well-being of local subsistence cropping communities will be improved and outmigration reduced.

Knowledge about CA comes from Zambia, where it has been has been practiced successfully for many years by small-scale farmers. A local NGO was engaged by an international project (www.future-okavango.org) which searched for volunteer farmers in the Kavango area. The first CA planting took place in 2011/12. These pioneer farmers were backstopped regularly and the number of farmers trained increased. The NGO monitored crops with contact farmers. 45 more farmers showed interest and were then trained by the contact farmers. Training and backstopping continued until August 2015.

The natural environment is semi-arid. Rainfall is concentrated from November to March. Mean annual precipitation is 570 mm, and mean air temperature is 26.2°C in the hottest month (October) and 16.2°C in the coldest month (July). The landscape forms part of the extended Kalahari basin in central-southern Africa. Deep and extended sands restrict people to living in areas close to surface water. Villages are located along the Okavango on the elevated river terraces – where they produce crops. Here, sedimentation of fine-grained soils, the accumulation of calcium carbonates in the subsoil and the activity of termites have resulted in soils of medium fertility which could potentially ensure yields of 500 kg/ha of millet, if well managed, and assuming good rainfall. Due to the growing population and restricted land availability, cultivation patterns have changed from shifting to semi-permanent and expanded to the adjacent woodlands on the deep Kalahari sands. Here, rapid degradation of soil fertility has caused further expansion and reduced crop yields to very low levels (ca. 150 kg/ha on average). Livestock graze and browse vegetation on the floodplains and in the woodlands. Due to night-time kraaling of livestock, manure is available as fertilizer: thus sustained cropping can be supported. The importance of the woodlands for ecosystem services including timber and firewood, for thatching grass, medicinal plants and biodiversity means they must be conserved and this acts as a reason to support the search for alternative crop production systems such as CA.

2.3 Fotos da tecnologia

2.5 País/região/locais onde a tecnologia foi aplicada e que estão cobertos nesta avaliação

2.6 Data da implementação

Caso o ano exato seja desconhecido, indique a data aproximada:

• menos de 10 anos atrás (recentemente)

2.7 Introdução da tecnologia

Especifique como a tecnologia foi introduzida:

• através de projetos/intervenções externas

Comentários (tipos de projeto, etc.):

Introduction in the area by Community Economic Development Programme (CEDP) TFO-project in 2011

3.1 Principal/principais finalidade(s) da tecnologia

• Melhora a produção
• Reduz, previne, recupera a degradação do solo
• Preserva ecossistema

3.2 Tipo(s) atualizado(s) de uso da terra onde a tecnologia foi aplicada

Comentários:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Low and very variable yields per ha; ongoing expansion of fields to less fertile woodlands due to nutrient depletion of originally fertile plots; years with dry spells
Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Crop wilting and poor yields, opening new areas in search of better fields, cutting down trees, slushing and burning residues
Type of cropping system and major crops comments: Under CA, sunhemp for residue and nitrogen fixing has been grown as green manure and fodder for livestock.

3.3 Mais informações sobre o uso da terra

Abastecimento de água para a terra na qual a tecnologia é aplicada:

• Precipitação natural

Número de estações de cultivo por ano:

• 1

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 135, Longest growing period from month to month: Nov to March

Densidade animal (se relevante):

1-10 LU /km2

3.4 Grupo de GST ao qual pertence a tecnologia

• Gestão integrada de fertilidade do solo
• Medidas de curva de nível
• Coleta de água

3.5 Difusão da tecnologia

Especifique a difusão da tecnologia:

• Uniformemente difundida numa área

Caso a tecnologia seja uniformemente difundida numa área, indique a área coberta aproximada:

• < 0,1 km2 (10 ha)

Comentários:

SLM technology was applied by trained smallholders on small plots

3.6 Medidas de GST contendo a tecnologia

Comentários:

Type of agronomic measures: early planting, mixed cropping / intercropping, mulching, green manure, legume inter-planting, manure / compost / residues, rotations / fallows, minimum tillage, pits

3.7 Principais tipos de degradação da terra abordados pela tecnologia

Comentários:

Main causes of degradation: soil management (Missing nutrient returns)
Secondary causes of degradation: over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use (Grazing and burning of crop residues), population pressure (Expansion of croplands to less fertile soils)

3.8 Redução, prevenção ou recuperação da degradação do solo

Especifique o objetivo da tecnologia em relação a degradação da terra:

• Recuperar/reabilitar solo severamente degradado

4.1 Desenho técnico da tecnologia

4.2 Especificações técnicas/ explicações do desenho técnico

Scheme of CA field with basins
Within the fenced area, basins are dug per hand-hoe in lines with about 15 cm width, 35 cm length and 15 cm depth and in 70 cm distance. To keep the line and position, a rope with knots every 70 cm is used. Each basin is refilled with 2 cans of manure mixed with part of the soil material. Maize or pearl millet - two stages shown on the graph
Location: Mashare. Kavano East/Namibia

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: moderate
Technical knowledge required for land users: low
Main technical functions: increase in nutrient availability (supply, recycling,…)
Secondary technical functions: increase / maintain water stored in soil, increase of biomass (quantity)

Early planting
Remarks: Planting basins prepared in dry season, planting can occur by first rainfalls (earlier than plough-d

Mixed cropping / intercropping
Material/ species: Maize / Millet /Cowpea
Remarks: Cultivated in parallel lines

Mulching
Material/ species: Grasses & crop residues & sunhemp
Remarks: sunhemp cultivated on the CA field and cut to produce mulch

Green manure
Material/ species: branches of fertilizer tree

Manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: Composted manure from cattle post

Rotations / fallows
Material/ species: Maize / Millet /Cowpea
Remarks: Planted in lines and shifted annually

Minimum tillage
Material/ species: Riplines by oxen

Pits
Material/ species: planting basins by hand hoe

Retention/infiltration ditch/pit, sediment/sand trap
Spacing between structures (m): 0.7
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.15
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.15
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.35

Structural measure: ripline
Spacing between structures (m): 0.7
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.25
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.1

For water harvesting: the ratio between the area where the harvested water is applied and the total area from which water is collected is: 1:8,3
Change of land use practices / intensity level: More specific soil management; crop protection by fencing; earlier seeding
Major change in timing of activities: To a large part, land preparation can be carried out throughout dry season, independent of rainfall level

4.3 Informação geral em relação ao cálculo de entradas e custos

Outro/moeda nacional (especifique):

Nam $

Indique a taxa cambial do dólar norte americano para a moeda local (se relevante): 1 USD =:

15,5

4.4 Atividades de implantação

	Atividade	Tipo de medida	Periodicidade
1.		Gestão	dry season

4.5 Custos e entradas necessárias para a implantação

	Especifique a entrada	Unidade	Quantidade	Custos por unidade	Custos totais por entrada	% dos custos arcados pelos usuários da terra
Mão-de-obra	labour	ha	1,0	1104,0	1104,0	100,0
Material de construção	Wire for fencing	ha	1,0	224,0	224,0	100,0
Material de construção	sticks & poles	ha	1,0	1114,0	1114,0	100,0
Custos totais para a implantação da tecnologia					2442,0

Comentários:

Duration of establishment phase: 3 month(s)

4.6 Atividades recorrentes/manutenção

	Atividade	Tipo de medida	Periodicidade/frequência
1.	Repairing fences and de-bushing of the fields	Agronômico	(May - July)
2.	Gatering and spreading of mulch cover	Agronômico	July - Dec
3.	Cutting sunhemp and applying as additional mulch	Agronômico	Feb-Mar
4.	Re-digging the planting basins	Agronômico	August
5.	Manure collection, Planting & fertilizer application	Agronômico	September - December
6.	Sowing of main crops and sunnhemp and fertilizer application	Agronômico	November - December
7.	Intercropping with legumes like groundnuts and cowpeas normally two weeks after germination of cereals.	Agronômico
8.	Weeding	Agronômico
9.	Harvesting	Agronômico	April - May

4.7 Custos e entradas necessárias pata a manutenção/atividades recorrentes (por ano)

	Especifique a entrada	Unidade	Quantidade	Custos por unidade	Custos totais por entrada	% dos custos arcados pelos usuários da terra
Mão-de-obra	labour	ha	1,0	848,0	848,0	100,0
Material vegetal	seeds	ha	1,0	22,0	22,0	100,0
Fertilizantes e biocidas	fertilizer	ha	1,0	159,0	159,0	100,0
Fertilizantes e biocidas	compost/manure	ha	1,0	276,0	276,0	100,0
Material de construção	Wire for fencing	ha	1,0	220,0	220,0	100,0
Custos totais para a manutenção da tecnologia					1525,0

Comentários:

Machinery/ tools: Values above are for manual CA using a hoe; an external worker earns 4 N-$ per working hour; above, family labour was multiplied by 4 to estimate the “value” of the family labour invested
The costs are based on labour needs of one year and 500 kg/ha of fertilizer

4.8 Fatores mais importantes que afetam os custos

Descreva os fatores mais determinantes que afetam os custos:

CA was designed to require minimal financial investments; theoretically, everything apart from wire for the fences and inorganic fertilizer can be created or gather by the household. This turns CA into a very labour intensive farming practice. The high Dollar values above result from multiplying the (free) family labour invested in farming with the typical hourly wage rate of an external worker

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografia

5.3 Solos

5.4 Disponibilidade e qualidade de água

5.5 Biodiversidade

5.6 Características dos usuários da terra que utilizam a tecnologia

Indique outras características relevantes dos usuários da terra:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Population density: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 1% - 2% (One farmer to our knowledge could be considered wealthy). (Few average farmers). (Mostly CA farmers are poor).

5.7 Média da área de terra própria ou arrendada por usuários da terra que utilizam a tecnologia

5.8 Propriedade de terra, direitos de uso da terra e de uso da água

Propriedade da terra:

• Estado
• Comunitário/rural

Direitos do uso da terra:

• Comunitário (organizado)

Direitos do uso da água:

• Comunitário (organizado)

Comentários:

parallel existence of state and communal laws

5.9 Acesso a serviços e infraestrutura

6.1 Impactos no local mostrados pela tecnologia

Impactos socioeconômicos

Produção

Renda e custos

Impactos socioculturais

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo hídrico/escoamento

Solo

6.3 Exposição e sensibilidade da tecnologia às mudanças climáticas graduais e extremos/desastres relacionados ao clima (conforme o ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)

Extremos (desastres) relacionados ao clima

Desastres climatológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Seca	bem

Comentários:

Dig basins at 20cm (0.20m) deep; and extra water harvesting basins at 0.45m in-between the rows. For the ox-ripped lines, use ripper wings to open a wider farrow for water harvesting

6.4 Análise do custo-benefício

Como os benefícios se comparam aos custos de implantação (do ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)?

Como os benefícios se comparam aos custos recorrentes/de manutenção(do ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)?

6.5 Adoção da tecnologia

Comentários:

SLM Technology has been applied by own interest of smallholders
100% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support
There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

6.7 Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades da tecnologia

Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades na visão do usuário da terra
Saves labour over time
Can use less land compared to conventional system for the same harvest/yield

Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada
A strength of the system is the timely land preparation
The advantage of permanent planting stations results from the higher availability of nutrients to crop roots.
The moisture retention within the rooting space is improved by the surface structure and the increase in soil organic matter
The rotations of crop rotations is encouraged
All inputs can be used precicely, there is less wastage of inputs

6.8 Pontos fracos, desvantagens/riscos da tecnologia e formas de superá-los

Pontos fracos/desvantagens/riscos na visão do usuário da terra	Como eles podem ser superados?
The weed management is labour intensive and the impact of pests might be a future challange.	The application of more mulch and the weeding regularly in the first part of the season is supposed to reduce weeds.

Pontos fracos/vantagens/riscos na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada	Como eles podem ser superados?
To start with this technology is labour intensive at the beginning. In this moment, the hard pan caused by years of ploughing has to be loosened.	Because the basins/riplines are permanently maintained in CA, the preceding land preparations become easier. Also since land preparation starts before on-set of rains, one can spread labour by starting just after harvesting crop
There is a general problem of constructing fences around fields in communal lands, as state authorities declare this land as being owned by the state.	By agreeing with the local leadership to allow those doing CA to fence off their fields for proper keeping of residues and basins/riplines that might be prone to free livestock grazing after crop harvests.

7.1 Métodos/fontes de informação

7.2 Referências às publicações disponíveis

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

Groengroeft, A., et al. (2013) A method for yield assessment on rainfeld dryland agricultural fields.

Disponível de onde? Custos?

Biodiversity & Ecology 5:279 - 286

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

Kowalski, B. et al. (2013) Mashare - The People.

Disponível de onde? Custos?

Biodiversity & Ecology 5:121-128

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

Pröpper, M. et al. (2010) Causes and perspectives of land-cover change through expanding cultivation in Kavango.

Disponível de onde? Custos?

Biodiversity in southern Africa. Volume 3: Implications for landuse and management, eds. M. T. Hoffman, U. Schmiedel and N. Jürgens. Göttingen & Windhoek: Klaus Hess Publishers.

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

Pröpper, M. et al. (2015) The Future Okavango – Findings, Scenarios and Recommendations for Action.

Disponível de onde? Custos?

Research Project Final Synthesis Report 2010-2015, 190. Windhoek: University of Hamburg