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

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

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:

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

2.2 Descrição detalhada da tecnologia

Descrição:

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 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:

• durante experiências/ pesquisa

3.1 Principal/principais finalidade(s) da tecnologia

• Melhora a produção

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

Comentários:

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

3.5 Grupo de GST ao qual pertence a tecnologia

• Gestão integrada de fertilidade do solo

3.6 Medidas de GST contendo a tecnologia

3.7 Principais tipos de degradação da terra abordados pela tecnologia

Comentários:

Secondary causes of degradation: soil management

3.8 Redução, prevenção ou recuperação da degradação do solo

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

• Prevenir degradação do solo
• Reduzir a degradação do solo

4.1 Desenho técnico da tecnologia

4.3 Atividades de implantação

	Atividade	Periodicidade (estação do ano)
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 Atividades recorrentes/manutenção

	Atividade	Periodicidade/frequência
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 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	108,0	108,0
Equipamento	hand hoes	ha	1,0	7,0	7,0
Fertilizantes e biocidas	fertilizer	ha	1,0	69,0	69,0
Custos totais para a manutenção da tecnologia					184,0
Custos totais de manutenção da Tecnologia em USD					184,0

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografia

5.3 Solos

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

5.7 Área média de terrenos utilizados pelos usuários de terrenos que aplicam a Tecnologia

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

Propriedade da terra:

• Comunitário/rural

6.1 Impactos no local mostrados pela tecnologia

Impactos socioeconômicos

Produção

Renda e custos

Impactos socioculturais

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo hídrico/escoamento

Solo

Biodiversidade: vegetação, animais

Clima e redução de riscos de desastre

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)

Mudança climática gradual

Mudança climática gradual

	Estação do ano	aumento ou diminuição	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Temperatura anual		aumento	bem

Extremos (desastres) relacionados ao clima

Desastres meteorológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Temporal local	não conhecido

Desastres climatológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Seca	bem

Outras consequências relacionadas ao clima

Outras consequências relacionadas ao clima

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Período de crescimento reduzido	bem

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:

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 Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades da tecnologia

Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada
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 Pontos fracos, desvantagens/riscos da tecnologia e formas de superá-los

Pontos fracos/vantagens/riscos na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada	Como eles podem ser superados?
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/fontes de informação

7.2 Referências às publicações disponíveis

Título, autor, ano, 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

Disponível de onde? Custos?

ICRISAT web site – www.icrisat.org or FAO

Título, autor, ano, 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.

Disponível de onde? Custos?

ICRISAT – www.icrisat.org

Título, autor, ano, 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

Disponível de onde? Custos?

Elsevier – Agricultural Systems

Título, autor, ano, 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

Disponível de onde? Custos?

xxx

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

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

Disponível de onde? Custos?

FAO Emergency Office Zimbabwe Michael.jenrich@fao.org