Contour bund combined with lemon grass, pineaples. grass mulch and manure in banana beans intercrop production. (Танзания)

Is the excavation of a furrow along the contour line, soil embankment on either side, planting lemon grass alternating with pineapples along the bund combined with application of grass mulch, Farm Yard Manure in banana bean inter-crop production.

Contour band combined with lemon grass, pineapples, Hyperrhamia rufa mulch and manure technology in the banana production is the excavation of a 60cm deep by 60cm wide furrow and formation of soil embankment on upper side (at smaller slope) and lower side (at the greater slope) of the furrow to improve soil water infiltration; then planting on it with lemon grass and pineapples to stabilize soil embankment combined with spreading of a 15cm thickness grass mulch across the slope while 36kg of farm yard manure applied in a furrow measured 30cm deep by 60cm wide facing the grand daughter banana sucker at the distance of 60cm from the stool. Trushline is applied to complement grass mulch while lemon grass and pineapples are harvested routinely for sale.The technology is applied on perennial cropland characterised with sub humid in tropical climatic zone. The main biophysical features are gentle slope, clay loam soil with shallow depth. The technology done manually using hand hoes to cultivate land in a mixed (subsistence and commercial) production mode. To implement the technology, it costs US$ 220.00 for establishment and US$ 2,222.65 for maintenance costs. The technology was introduced in late 2012 by TAMP –Kagera using FFS methodology.

Purpose of the Technology: The major purpose of the technology is prevented land degradation in 50 ha while increased 10% of crop and livestock production to contribute on food security and improve livelihood with sustainable land management. This purpose should be achieved by performing the following main technical functions: control
of dispersed runoff, increase in organic matter, increase in nutrient availability (supply, recycling,…), increase of infiltration and increase / maintain water stored in soil.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The establishment activities includes:-First is identification and demarcation of contour lines done manually using the A-frame simple made tool, the activity normally done in May. Second is construction of contour bund along the identified and demarcated contour done manually using cheasle hand hoes, fork hand hoes, spades and mattock, this is done in early June. Third is Planting lemon grass and pineapples along the contour bund done manually by spacing 30cm plant to plant (grass lemon) while pineapples are planted at 5m alternating with lemon grass; this is done in early September.
The maintenance activities included:- First is farm weeding done manually using a simple made weeding tool (kahosho); this is done twice (January and June to August). Second is Farm yard manures application done manually using baskets, spades and fork hand hoes; this is done in July. Third is grass mulch application done manually by spreading dry Hyperrhamia rufa across the slope with a thickness of 15cm to cover space between the bunds planted with bananas; this is done in late September. Fourth is desukering and detrushing of banana stools done manually using machete, local made tools (kihosho and rwabyo); this is done twice (early March and early October). Then, harvesting bananas, lemon grass and pineapples according to market requirements. Last is furrow cleaning done manually by removing soil sediments and place them on the bund side using spades; this is done twice per year at the end of each rain seasons (May and December).

Natural / human environment: The contour bund embanked with lemon grass and pineapples technology is tolerant to seasonal rainfall decrease and droughts / dry spells. However the technology is sensitive to climatic seasonal rainfall increase, heavy rainfall events (intensities and amount). In case of climatic sensitivity, the technology should be modified with planting of perennial species having strong/ tough root system such as Pinesetum purperim and Vetiva spps to stabilize soil embankment. Furthermore the construction of spillways to drain-out the excess water and reseve them in the ditches to be used in the farms later. This technology is applied by Individual / household categorized as small scale common / average land users, with importance of men and women participating equally. The land is owned individually, not titled. The Water use rights is open access (unorganized). The relative level of wealth falls under three categories; the rich, which represents 4% of the land users; owning 32% of the total area; the average, which represents 64% of the land users owning 64% of the total area and the poor, which represents 32% of the land users owning 4% of the total area. Individuals who applied the technology should value the off-farm income as 10%. The market oriented is mixed (subsistence and commercial).

Местоположение: Bukoba Diatrict council, Kagera region, Танзания

Число исследованных участков, где применяется Технология:

Пространственное распространение Технологии: равномерно-однородное применение на определенной площади (approx. 0,1-1 км2)

На постоянно охраняемой территории?:

Продолжительность применения Технологии: менее 10 лет назад (недавняя)

• как инновация (инициатива) землепользователей
• как часть традиционной системы землепользования (более 50 лет назад)
• в качестве научного/ полевого эксперимента
• через проекты/ внешнее вмешательство