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)

Integrated natural resources management in drought-prone and salt-affected agricultural production landscapes in Central Asia and Turkey ((CACILM-2))

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

FAO Tajikistan (FAO Tajikistan) - Tajikistan

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

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:

Drought-resistant fruit seedlings are being produced by vulnerable, women-led households in backyard nurseries. These will be planted out in agroforestry plots within the dry agrolandscapes of Southern Tajikistan.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The availability of high-quality and drought-resistant fruit tree saplings is a major constraint to establishing agroforestry plots in the extremely dry agrolandscapes of Southern Tajikistan. While productive, these trees - Almonds, Apricots and Peaches - planted in agroforestry systems can help fight desertification through stabilizing slopes and reducing soil erosion. The FAO/GEF financed CACILM2 project promotes the establishment of backyard nurseries through farmer groups, formed in the targeted districts. The FAO project has coached women's group members to establish nurseries in their kitchen gardens. Season-long training workshops were held for groups of farmers (dominated by women) starting from the selection of better adapted, more productive, drought-resistant varieties. Training was also given on planting/transplanting, grafting, applying fertilizers and preparation of seedlings for transplantation. Farmer groups members have established nurseries in their kitchen gardens on plots of 200-300 square metres: each square metre can produce 20-30 grafted seedlings.

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
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• reduce risk of disasters
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• mitigate climate change and its impacts

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

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

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

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

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

3.4 Water supply

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

• full irrigation

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• agroforestry
• windbreak/ shelterbelt
• home gardens

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
• reduce land degradation

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 area

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Plowing of the land by hand	April
2.	Preparing the rows for the planting	April
3.	Planting by hand	April
4.	Inter-row cultivation	May
5.	First time application of fertilizers, by hand	May - June
6.	Mannual weeding	June - July
7.	Second time application of fertilizers, by hand	July
8.	Monitoring and providing consultations	March-September
9.	Grafting	June-July
10.	Recording activities in a field book	March-September

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	Plowing of the land by hand, preparing the rows for the planting and planting seeds by hand	man days	2.5	50.0	125.0	100.0
Labour	Inter row cultivation and manual weeding	man days	1.8	30.0	54.0	100.0
Labour	Two times application of fertilizers, by hand	man days	1.0	10.0	10.0	100.0
Labour	Grafting	man days	1.4	50.0	70.0
Equipment	Grafting tools	set	1.0	20.0	20.0
Plant material	Seed of almond, apricot and peach	kg	11.3	10.0	113.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Mineral fertilizers	kg	45.3	0.7	31.71
Other	Monitoring and providing consultations	man days	0.5	50.0	25.0
Other	Recording the activities realization in the field book	man days	1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Other	Arranging of training on backyard nursery	man days	1.0	50.0	50.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					518.71
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					518.71

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

FAO CACILM-2 project

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Inter row cultivation	May
2.	First time application of fertilizers, by hand	May - June
3.	Mannual weeding	June - July
4.	Second time application of fertilizers, by hand	July
5.	Monitoring and providing consultations	March - September
6.	Recording the activities realization in the field book	March - September

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	Inter row cultivation and mannual weeding	man days	1.8	30.0	54.0	100.0
Labour	Two times application of fertilizers, by hand	man days	1.0	10.0	10.0	100.0
Labour	Monitoring and providing consultations	man days	0.5	50.0	25.0	100.0
Labour	Recording the activities realization in the field book	man days	1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Mineral fertilizers	kg	45.3	0.7	31.71	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					140.71
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					140.71

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

High inflation rate

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• convex 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 used by land users applying the Technology

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

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Income and costs

Ecological impacts

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)

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local hailstorm	not well at all
local snowstorm	not well
local windstorm	not well

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
heatwave	moderately
drought	moderately
forest fire	not well at all

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
landslide	not well at all

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%

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
The ToT training workshops for promotors and best female farmers on the topics of establishing backyard nurseries were delivered to enable the active farmers from the different districts to continue the promotion of the techniques.
The production of drought-resistant and fruit seedlings is diversifying income-generating activities in the kitchen garden plots.

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?
Partial provision of the agriculture inputs for free can negatively affect the promotion of the best SLM techniques after the project life span.	To find a co-financing source and/or to increase the co-financing ratio by the farmers.
As the growing period of seedlings is 2-3 years, despite high-level payback it takes a long to receive the first income.	To find another source of income for vulnerable families. To get microcredits to cover the financial shortage.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Regular CACILM2 project's Bullitin "Dialogue"

Available from where? Costs?

It is free publication and available in the FAO web site

7.4 General comments

More detailed information related to SLM and CSA technologies promoted by FAO/GEF CACILM-2 project is available in the annual reports and other promotional materials.