1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Knowledge Management for Integrated Watershed Management and Disaster Risk Reduction (SDC / IWSM)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

CDE Centre for Development and Environment (CDE Centre for Development and Environment) - Switzerland

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

06/09/2012

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Current wheat crop in yearly rotation with chickpea cultivation

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The rainfed crop of the farmer sizes around a hectare. He owns the crop since seven years and switches between chickpea and wheat every year. When he started to cultivate, soil properties were good, he did not use fertilizer. Because of the years of ploughing, the soil lost nutrients and moisture. The more rill building and slope instability is severe currently. The plot is over one hectare because it includes a narrow vegetation strip between his and the neighbours crop. The plot, as all the other crops are grazed by livestock, after harvest.

Purpose of the Technology: Chickpea cropping generates a satisfactory yield, whereas wheat production is rather variable and low. Nevertheless the farmer would not change the crop type because the main purpose is to get straw for feeding his cows. The farmer has over three hectares in total. Even though he claims the benefit to be low comparing to the input, he is content as long he can feed his family.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Ploughing, sowing and then harvesting were part of the establishment phase. The same activities count for maintenance. But as soil is gradually washed away, fertilizing became crucial. The farmer does not control and protect the crop from wild animals and grazing herds.

Natural / human environment: The crop lies on a foot slope not far from the riverbed. Neighbouring cultivations are of the same crop type, chickpea, wheat and food grain. It is less than one kilometre away from the farmers home in Doshmand village. Access to services is rather low, especially in winter, because of the bad condition of the road. Doctor, middle and higher school grades and market are in the village below.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Sealed and compacted topsoil, which hinders infiltration. Hardpan is propable due to plowing. Erosive processes with rill building are relatively widespread on the crop. A lot of plowing rills aggrandize by runoff. A lot of licorish plant grow on the crop, which is a indicator for degraded soil. Soil shows a low level of organic matter, nutrients and moisture.

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Increasing soil wash out with simultaneos augmentation of fertilizer input over years. Rills destroy crop growth, reason why yield quantity and quality is decreasing.

Type of cropping system and major crops comments: Farmer doesn't try hard to get a better yield. As long as he can feed his family he doesn't see the real need to do that.

Livestock is grazing on crop residues

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

Specify:

Longest growing period in days: 180 Longest growing period from month to month: March to September

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• rotational systems (crop rotation, fallows, shifting cultivation)

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

If the Technology is evenly spread over an area, indicate approximate area covered:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comments:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.01 km2.

Crop counts around 1 ha. Total plot is over 1 ha, because of a narrow vegative strip underneath the crop.

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion, Wg: gully erosion / gullying, Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Pk: sealing and crusting, Hs: change in quantity of surface water

Main causes of degradation: soil management, crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub), land tenure (For private cropping and communal grazing)

Secondary causes of degradation: overgrazing, disturbance of water cycle (infiltration / runoff), Heavy / extreme rainfall (intensity/amounts)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Contour lined plot, with a vegetation strip of < 1m width, between this and the underneath plot. A lot of rills visible.

Location: Doshmand, Chukurak Watershed. Muminabad, Khatlon, Tajikistan

Main technical functions: control of concentrated runoff: drain / divert, improvement of surface structure (crusting, sealing), stabilisation of soil (eg by tree roots against land slides), increase in organic matter, increase of infiltration

Secondary technical functions: control of concentrated runoff: impede / retard, improvement of ground cover, increase of surface roughness, improvement of topsoil structure (compaction), improvement of subsoil structure (hardpan), increase in nutrient availability (supply, recycling,…), increase / maintain water stored in soil

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

other/ national currency (specify):

Somoni

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

4.83

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Sowing	Person days	0.25	12.4	3.1	100.0
Labour	Applying fertilizer	Person days	0.25	12.4	3.1	100.0
Labour	Cutting wheat	Person days	18.0	12.422	223.6	100.0
Labour	Plowing	Person days	0.4375	12.4	5.42	100.0
Equipment	Machine use	Hours	3.5	5.914	20.7	100.0
Equipment	Petrol	Liters	40.0	1.1375	45.5	100.0
Plant material	Seeds		150.0	0.414	62.1
Fertilizers and biocides	Fertilizer	Bucks	2.0	31.05	62.1	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					425.62

Comments:

Duration of establishment phase: 0.125 month(s)

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Plowing, 3.5 hours, 1 person	Agronomic	every year, spring
2.	Sowing wheat, 1 hour, 2 persons	Agronomic	every year, spring
3.	Applying fertilizer (not in the first year), 1 hour, 2 persons	Agronomic	only once a year in spring, more year by year
4.	Cutting wheat, 6 days (à 8 hours), 3 persons	Agronomic	once a year, around semptember

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Establishment and maintenance cost are similar. Agricultural inputs as seeds and fertilizer are the highest expenditures. As soil nutrients are washed out, the fertilizer input rises gradually.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Comments and further specifications on topography:

Altitudinal zone: 1501-2000 m a.s.l. (1600 m asl)

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil fertility: Low
Soil drainage/infiltration: Poor (sealing and probably hard pan)
Soil water storage capacity: Low

5.4 Water availability and quality

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Population density: 100-200 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 1% - 2%
Off-farm income specification: The farmer has in total over 3 ha of crop. The output of straw of this one hectare makes 40% of his total income.
Level of mechanization: Manual labour (harvesting wheat) and mechanised (plowing)

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• leased

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Comments:

Land ownership is based on the Land user's certificate

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	not well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	not well
local windstorm	not known

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	not well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	not well

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
reduced growing period	not known

Comments:

The crop would be less sensitive to heavy (seasonal) rainfalls or droughts if vegetation cover or mulching would be improved.

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

Comments:

Farmer knows that there is no real benefit when looking at the input. Over the years it got slightly negative because more fertilizer is needed and yield is decreasing.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Vegetation strip underneath the crop is an idea to develop as it reduces the negative offsite effects. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Knowledge transfer about how to reduce offsite effects. Soil cover could rise in that strip, thanks do what soil erosion woul be stopped. Enhance communication between above and below vegetation strip cultivating farmers.
Maintain and develop crop rotation. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Knowledge transfer and field studies on other plots with crop rotation (e.g. perennial crops).
Plowing horizontally.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Too much soil erosion causes rills.	Another crop type according to the steepness of the plot. Change plowing deepness or do human-powered tillage.
Development of soil crust, sealing and hardpan.	Enhance crop rotation and "soft" and horizontal tillage practices.
Observed trampling and grazing of the plot.	Guarding or fencing of the plot. Guarding could be organized by several farmers in rotation.
Poor pecentage of organic matter.	Introduce mulching.