Conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Wall, P. C.; Thierfelder, Christian; Ngwira, A.; Govaerts, Bram; Nyagumbo, Isaiah; Baudron, Frédéric

doi:10.1079/9781780642598.0263

Cited by 38 publications

(63 citation statements)

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“…This has led to CA receiving support in national agriculture and rural development policy and projects (e.g. Arslan et al, 2014;Whitfield et al, 2015), and to become a focus for private and third sector interventions (Godfray et al, 2010;Lipper et al, 2014;Pretty and Brahuchra, 2014;Wall et al, 2014). Despite enthusiasm for CA across levels, uncertainty around performance and trade-offs associated with CA practice and its compatibility with diverse livelihood strategies and varied agro-ecological conditions have caused some to question its universal efficacy (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers

Dougill

Whitfield

Stringer

et al. 2017

Journal of Environmental Management

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers

Dougill

Whitfield

Stringer

et al. 2017

Journal of Environmental Management

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“…It appears that CA promotion has been led by development experts and researchers, particularly in the eastern and southern Africa where the approach was introduced without adapting the practices (e.g. commonly referred to as "top-down" development approach) (Wall et al, 2013).…”

Section: Whose Perspective Is Vocal On Ca?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not only has CA been reported to improve the soil aspect and yields but also profitability and income (Wall et al, 2013;Asfaw et al, 2014;Thierfelder et al, 2015a;Mupangwa et al, 2016;Thierfelder et al, 2016). Comparing CA maize systems with conventional tillage systems, studies conducted across the country reported that the former has less labour costs, has higher gross margins and lowers risk of crop failure (Ngwira et al, 2011;Ngwira et al 2012a;Ngwira et al, 2013;Wall et al, 2013;Ngwira et al, 2014a;Thierfelder et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing CA maize systems with conventional tillage systems, studies conducted across the country reported that the former has less labour costs, has higher gross margins and lowers risk of crop failure (Ngwira et al, 2011;Ngwira et al 2012a;Ngwira et al, 2013;Wall et al, 2013;Ngwira et al, 2014a;Thierfelder et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the quest to better understand barriers and factors contributing to slow adoption and to offer solutions, a wide range of studies have been conducted in the SSA (Giller et al, 2009;Thierfelder & Wall, 2011;Baudron et al, 2013;Kaczan et al, 2013;Wall et al, 2013;Andersson and Souza, 2014;Ngwira et al, 2014a;Thierfelder et al, 2015a). Particularly, Baudron et al (2013) acknowledged that crop residues trade-offs between livestock feeding and soil mulching is a major cause of the low and slow adoption in SSA yet mulching is considered a precursor to CA implementation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Smallholder Farmer Innovation and Contexts in Maize-Based Conservation Agriculture Systems in Central Malawi

Kaluzi¹,

Thierfelder²,

Hopkins³

2017

SAR

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The increased threat of food insecurity and climate change requires more sustainable ways of agriculture intensification in African smallholder farming systems. Ample evidence confirms that maize-based conservation agriculture (CA) systems lead to increased soil health and yield enhancement yet their overall uptake remains low in Africa. An array of studies on challenges and solutions to CA systems conducted in southern Africa principally focussed on the views of scientists, often neglecting the views of CA farmers. Therefore, this study assessed farmer decision making, innovation and contexts during implementation of maize-based CA systems in communities of central Malawi. A survey involving interviews with 226 CA farmers was deployed, triangulated with key informants comprising extension workers and policy makers. The study showed that about 58% of smallholder farmers did not adapt CA practices to their circumstances because they were strictly following change agents" recommendations. The major challenge noted was competition for crop residues due to mice hunters and grazing livestock. Local by-laws initiated by the communities have started to privatise the crop residues and its grazing. However, other innovations were often not documented by extension workers, consequently neglecting more than half of the potential solutions provided by farmers. The establishments of a National Conservation Agriculture Task Force and CA guidelines are positive developments for coordination of stakeholders and harmonisation of CA messages in Malawi. However, for greater adoption, non-linear interaction and learning must be encouraged in practice by fully embracing innovative farmers and the voices of the pool of stakeholders with varying experiences.

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Physico-chemical soil attributes under conservation agriculture and integrated soil fertility management

Mutuku

Vanlauwe

Roobroeck

et al. 2021

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) have been promoted in Sub Saharan Africa as a means to improve soil quality. A four season research (March, 2017 to March, 2019 was conducted to evaluate CA-based treatment, no tillage with residue retention (NTR), ISFM-based treatment, conventional tillage with use of manure (CTM), a combination of CA ? ISFM, no tillage with residue retention and use of manure (NTRM) and a control, (C) on soil quality attributes. In the two locations (sub-humid and semi-arid) the effect of soil fertility gradients (high and low) were considered. Trials were set out using a one farm one replicate randomized design. In either high or low fertility fields, soil chemical and physical properties were significantly different between the control and NTR, CTM and NTRM with no significant differences between NTR, CTM and NTRM. SOC was higher under NTR and NTRM practices, which consequently had higher hydraulic conductivity, air permeability, mean weight diameter and available phosphorus. For all the treatments and in both locations, the low fertility fields had significantly lower agronomic use efficiency (AUE) compared to the high fertility fields. In both soil types, plant available water capacity and relative water capacity values were below the recommended thresholds indicating low soil water uptake, suboptimal microbial activity and consequently low nutrient uptake which explains the observed low AUE.

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Conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Cited by 38 publications

References 0 publications

Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers

Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers

Smallholder Farmer Innovation and Contexts in Maize-Based Conservation Agriculture Systems in Central Malawi

Physico-chemical soil attributes under conservation agriculture and integrated soil fertility management

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