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

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

HELVETAS (Swiss Intercooperation)

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

Action Contre La Faim (ACF) - Afghanistan

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Keyhole garden farming offers farmers the opportunity to increase production while decreasing garden area.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The Keyhole garden technology is documented by Sustainable Land Management Project/HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation with financial support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and close support and cooperation of the Action Against Hunger International (ACF).
Keyhole gardens were introduced to the Laal_wa_Sarjangal community members to offer them the opportunity to produce vegetables in a small garden area. Keyhole gardens are raised beds that hold moisture and nutrients due to an active compost pile placed in the center of a round bed.

Purpose of the Technology: Keyhole gardens provide opportunities for poor, landless people to grow vegetables and improve their diets. Keyhole gardens are well-suited to places with limited arable land and to fine-textured, clayey soils which do not dry quickly. Keyhole gardens drain and warm up earlier in the spring, which allows planting of cool season vegetable on recommended planting dates. During heavy rain, water is absorbed without erosion. Thus, this technology helps the farmers access year round vegetable production.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Keyhole gardens are constructed in several steps by layering animal manure and soil, which contributes to soil fertility and drainage. A base layer, that prevents water loss, is made from plastic and carton in the bottom part of the keyhole garden. Then a central watering point is chosen that allows water to disburse into the keyhole garden layers. Leveling the surface of the keyhole garden ensures that all seeds/plants have access to the same amount of water, and helps ensure even germination.
The average size of the keyhole gardens is approximately two square meters. Construction is simple and cheap and can be easily implemented and replicated. The technology is very cost effective as local materials are used. Once they are built, keyhole gardens are easy to prepare for planting and to maintain throughout the growing season. Root crops grow longer and straighter in medium- to coarse-textured soils. Keyhole gardens are well suited to a wide range of intensive gardening techniques such as row covers, trickle irrigation, inter-cropping, successive plantings, compact varieties and mixtures of food and ornamental plantings. Keyhole gardens are usually close to home and are safe from animals, flood, avalanche and etc.

Natural / human environment: Laal_Wa_Sarjangal is one of the central districts of Ghor. It is mountainous and has a very cold dry climate (almost a five-month long winter). Livelihoods in the area are based on a mixture of rain-fed and irrigated agricultural production and animal husbandry. Market access is limited during the winter months when excessive snowfall blocks transportation routes.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

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

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production

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

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Lack of cultivable and fertile land, Scarcity of water, Sloppy and degraded land are the major land use problems.

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Lack and scarcity of cultivable land.

Future (final) land use (after implementation of SLM Technology): Cropland: Ca: Annual cropping

Constraints of wastelands / deserts / glaciers / swamps: Lack of seedlings/seeds

Number of growing seasons per year: 1

Longest growing period from month to month: One season

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• home gardens

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Specification of other vegetative measures: Planatation of vegetables for household consumption

Specification of other structural measures: keyhole garden

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main causes of degradation: over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use, population pressure

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

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology unit

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Construction of the Keyhole garden with local available materials (plastic sheet, rope and water-cane)
2.	Plantation in the keyhole garden under ACF's supervision

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Construction of the Keyhole garden (seeds)	persons/day/unit	1.0	6.0	6.0	30.0
Labour	Plantation in the keyhole garden	unit	1.0	2.0	2.0	20.0
Equipment	Water-cane	pieces	1.0	2.0	2.0	30.0
Construction material	Plastic sheet	meter	2.0	1.25	2.5	30.0
Construction material	Rope	meter	2.0	0.75	1.5	30.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					14.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					14.0

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Plantation in the keyhole garden

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Plantation in the keyhole garden (seeds)	unit	1.0	2.0	2.0	40.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					2.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					2.0

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The technology is low cost and can be accomplished by using local available materials

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

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 is low

Soil drainage / infiltration is poor

Soil water storage capacity is medium

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 disadvantaged land users

Population density: 10-50 persons/km2

Annual population growth: 2% - 3%

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

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

• individual

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Comments:

means subject to community-agreed management rules.

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

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	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

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

Hydrological disasters

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

Comments:

Construction of the technology in the protected and safe areas.

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• single cases/ experimental

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 0-10%

Comments:

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

Comments on spontaneous adoption: Many other land user families have implemented the technology with out any external material support, unfortunately information regarding the exact number of the families is not available.

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: The technology, provided vegetables to the community all year round and even in an extremely cold weather.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Productive, can get high yields from a relatively small surface area, can extend the cultivation time if protected from frost and covered by plastic.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Low cost, easy to replicate, requires little labor at the stage of establishment and can be done by beneficiary and requires little maintenance. How can they be sustained / enhanced? People can use local available materials
Locally adaptable, doesn’t require productive land, the soil for cultivation could be easily prepared and managed, doesn’t require chemical fertilizers. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Technical support and training can be provided for the community members to change the land in to a productive land with out using any chemical fertilizer.
Can be managed by females in the household, less chance for vegetables contamination. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Women should be encouraged and given technical assistance.
Requires little water for irrigation. How can they be sustained / enhanced? The keyhole garden could be irrigated by kitchen waste water.

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?
Unavailability of seed	Can be solved through resourcing good quality seed from seed preservation. Start farming under plastic early in the spring to have enough time for seeds preservation.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information