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)

Scaling-up SLM practices by smallholder farmers (IFAD)

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

Uganda Landcare Network (ULN) - Uganda

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

11/05/2017

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:

Baby melon (cucumis melo) is used as a cover-crop to prevent soil degradation

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Baby melon, as a cover crop, protects soil from erosion and compaction due to rain drops. The cover crop also conserves soil moisture during drought periods. Besides soil conservation, baby melon is used as source of food and income to the land user. It is a vegetable crop which looks like pumpkin with wide leave and scroll on the surface of the land and has the ability to prevent soil erosion from run-off. The crop is also commonly grown along streams where it protects the banks from erosion, provides manure through leaf-fall, and reduces the risk of flooding by increasing the evopo-transpiration from its wide leaves.

To establish this cover crop, farmers use seeds, which is locally conserved from previous fruiting or bought from agro-input shop. Seeds are sown directly into a pre-cultivated garden. Usually planting is at a spacing of two meters. Planting is usually done at the start of the rainy season. Weeding, as well as pest and disease management is done the way pumpkins are usually managed. Fruits are harvested at a relatively early stage (~2 months after planting). A more juvenile fruit is preferred to the more grown one for its nutritional value.

The benefit of the technology is first for food, income and also for protection of the soil from the effect of running water and rain drops. The farmer obtains nutritious food from the fruits of this plant. The plants also prevent soil erosion and take a very short time to mature. When the plant covers an area, it reduces weed growth, thus reducing the cost of weeding. One disadvantage of this technology is that the pumpkins do not have a popular market and have a very short shelf life. Fruits therefore, have to be sold immediately after harvesting. The market value of the crop is generally low.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos 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

Comments (type of project, etc.):

The annual crop used as a vegetable

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• conserve ecosystem

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

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:

• 2

Specify:

March to May and September to November

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• improved ground/ vegetation cover

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)

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

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

• prevent land degradation

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Spacing between baby melon plants is 2m by 2m. This spacing enables vigorous growth and quick soil surface cover.

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

Uganda Shillings

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

3498.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Clearing	Management	Start of season
2.	Planting	Agronomic	Start of seson
3.	Weeding	Agronomic	One month after planting
4.	Pest and disease control	Agronomic	Throughout the season
5.	Harvesting	Agronomic	At end of season

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	labor	1	5.0	5000.0	25000.0	100.0
Plant material	Seed	kg	1.0	200000.0	200000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Manure	Bags	5.0	20000.0	100000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Fungicides	Litters	2.0	30000.0	60000.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					385000.0

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Spraying	Agronomic	Throughout the season

4.7 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	labor	1	3.0	5000.0	15000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Fungicides	Litters	2.0	30000.0	60000.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					75000.0

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Purchase of fungicides

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• concave situations

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

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, not titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Ecological impacts

Soil

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 rainfall		decrease	well
seasonal rainfall	wet/ rainy season	decrease	very well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
tropical storm	well

Biological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
insect/ worm infestation	not well

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

• 1-10%

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

• 0-10%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
A source of food and income to the farmer in a very short time (2months)
Income diversification as an adaptation strategy

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
No major technical expertise required since the crop is similar in many ways ot other traditional ones like water melon, pumpkisns, among others
The crop can be produced for several seasons with minimum watering since it has a short rotation (2 months)

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

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Access to seed is not easy since the crop is not widely cultivated	Establish contacts with seed dealers and linking them to farmers or farmers groups

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
The crop is highly susceptible to fungal diseases yet the pesticides are relatively expensive for low-income farmers.	Farmers can form groups for collective bargaining to reduce the cost of pesticides or receive subsidies from government

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

N/a

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

N/a