No abstract

Recent research and development efforts within East and Southern Africa, as a case in point, have clearly shown that constraints to adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) can be overcome but stress the need for local innovation systems that involve farmers exchanging among themselves and use of participatory methods that help to adapt CA principles to local conditions. This chapter explores one such innovation system using a district in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, as a case study. The aims of the chapter are twofold: firstly, to describe the process of construction of the innovation system, and by way of actors' perceptions of the system, to better understand key components central to its formation and functioning; and secondly, to explore farmers' perceptions of CA (including motivation to comply with certain actors in the innovation system) and the effectiveness of the current innovation system in reaching its target beneficiary - the very poor.

RESUMOBesides providing benefits to the environment such as soil protection, release of nutrients, soil moisture maintenance, and weed control, cover crops can increase food production for grain production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production of biomass and grain cover crops (and its respective effects on soil chemical and physical attributes), yield components, and grain yield of rice in Mozambique. The study was conducted in two sites located in the province of Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique. The experimental design was a randomized block in a 2 × 6 factorial, with four repetitions. Treatments were carried out in two locations (Cuaia and Nambaua) with six cover crops: Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.); namarra bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet), velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens L.), oloco beans (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), and fallow. Cover crops provided similar changes in chemical and physical properties of the soil. Lablab purpureus, Vigna unguiculata, and Mucuna pruriens produced the highest dry matter biomass. Vigna unguiculada produced the highest amount of grains. Rice grain yields were similar under all cover crops and higher in Cuaia than Nambaua.