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This presentation discusses the use of Zai, microdose, and warrantage systems in precision agriculture for improving food production in African drylands. It highlights the challenges faced in these regions, such as poor soil fertility and unsustainable land management, and explores solutions like adapting germplasm, enhancing soil biological activity, and improving farmers' access to fertilizers. The use of microdosing, Zai technique, and warrantage system are explained along with their impacts and success stories. The presentation concludes with the importance of collaborative efforts and credit facilities in fighting hunger in drylands.
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Precision Agriculture in African drylands : the use of Zai, microdose and Warrantage systems Presented by: Emily Rutto
Introduction • Africa Population- 13% of • the world’s population • Population growth rates- 2.2- • 2.8 % • Increase population- • deforestation, reduced land • sizes, conflicts, poverty, • food insecurity etc.. • Result- expanding Arid and • semi-arid areas in Africa • Poor soil fertility, is the • major food-production • constraint across much of the • West African Sahel Changing farming systems due to deforestation
Dry lands • Highly seasonal, unpredictable • rainfall, water scarcity and a hot • climate. • Unsustainable land management • Degradation of critical resources • such as water, vegetation cover and • soil fertility Impacts Dryland village in dry season, Sudan. Credit IUCN/E Barrow • Malnourished plants • -Poor root systems • Few small-scale farmers in these drought-prone regions dont • use fertilizer due to cost limitations and the perceived risks of crop failure
Solutions • Adapting germplasm to • adverse soil conditions • Enhancing soil biological • activity • Optimizing nutrient cycling • to minimize external inputs • Improve farmer's access to fertilisers
Farming Techniques • Microdosing • Zai • ‘Warrantage’ system Sorghum; Picture courtesy of ICRISAT Grains kept in a warrantage store.Picture courtesy of ICRISAT
Microdosing • The application of small • quantities of inorganic • fertilizer in the planting/seed • hole • Practiced by many small scale • farmers in Africa • Benefits • Increase crop yields • Reduce cost of production • Crop mature rapidly • Escape the worst effects of • drought Hill preparation for planting Microdosing top dressing
Microdosing impacts • •18,000 tons of grain • •$7 million less in food • relief • •170,000 households • benefited in 2004/5 • 45% yield increase 25,000 small-scale farmers in West Africa are thriving, using micro-dosing fertilizer technique (ICRISAT communication)
Microdosing impacts • Integrated use of hill placed soluble fertilizer, phosphate rock (PR) and crop residue gave the highest millet yields
Scaling out in Southern Africa • FAO leading technology • sharing thru >300 NGOs • •>10,000 farmers now using P • in the Sahel • •Yields up by 1-3 times even in • drought years • •Could have saved $ 80 million • in food aid in 2005 Niger • drought
Zaï technique • •A traditional technique for conserving water and • rehabilitating degraded land • •Practiced mainly in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger • •Also known as tassa in Niger • A system with a series of man made pits, or holes, • dug on abandoned, or unused land • Basins prepared during dry season Rainwater basins, and resulting healthy crop stand on left
Zaï technique • Holes is to capture runoff • Zaïpits are dug approximately 80 cm apart to a depth of 5 to 15 cm and with a diameter of 15 to 50 cm • Does not require a lot of inputs and money • - Affordable to resource poor farmers Success of zaï technology
Sahelian Ecofarm • The Sahelian Ecofarm • technology in Sadoré • Use of Stone walls and zaï • technology to reduce run-off • loss and further degradation. • These technologies are used in • conjunction with a warrantage • system that ICRISAT Research Station (Sadoré ) near Niamey, Niger
DMP site at Kouré, Niger • Restoration activities are being • carried out on a large scale. • A tractor and ripper are used to • break the soil crust • Local villages sow seed of herbaceous • species and the plant trees. • *plants will serve as fodder
The ‘warrantage’ system and its success • The incomes of farmers using fertilizer “micro-dosing”and inventory credit system or “Warrantage”have been observed to increase by 52 to 134% • •Microdosing resulted in surplus production • •Farmers suffered low produce prices at harvest • •Prices rose up to 3 times 10 months later • •Warrantage encourages farmers to store their produce a little longer to benefit from the improved prices If you want me to smile.. Feed me first
Conclusion • Dry lands can be productive • Simple , precise agriculture methods can save life • There is need to compact deforestation • Promoting technologies among small scale farmers alone is not enough, credit facilities help them implement these technologies • Collaborative efforts to fight hunger in dry lands needs to be embraced
Acknowledgments • International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT) • Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF-CIAT) • International Maize and Wheat Center (CIMMYT) • Audience
THANK YOU! AHSANTE!