Best Practice

The book contains seven chapters that exhaustively covers the subject matter and make a smart proposition on the plausible pathway to ensure that agricultural technologies delivers a vibrant and economically sustainable agrarian sector.

Dominant weed species in smallholder farming systems are broadleaved annuals and perennials, and grasses. The most common and difficult to control broadleaved weed species on smallholder farms are Commelina benghalensis (Wandering dew), Ricardia scabra (Mexican clover), Cyperus esculentis (Yellow nutsedge), Cyperus rotundus (Purple nutsedge) and Striga asiatica (Witchweed). The common grasses on smallholder farms are Eleusine indica (Rapoko grass) and Cynodon dactylon (Couch grass). These weed species are found in all agro- ecological regions of Zimbabwe and other southern African countries.

Launched in 2006, the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project aims
to mitigate drought and other constraints to maize production in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing maize yields by at least one ton per hectare under moderate drought and with a 20 to 30% increase over farmers’ current yields, bene ting 30-40 million people in 13 African countries.1 The project brings together men and women farmers, research institutions, extension specialists, seed producers, farmer community organizations, and non-government organizations. It is jointly implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in close collaboration with national agricultural research systems in participating nations. Millions of farmers in the region are already bene ting from the outputs of this partnership, which includes support and training for African seed producers and promoting vibrant, competitive seed markets.

Manual seeding of crops into residues is relatively easy and can be done by several methods: with a hoe or pointed stick (top photo), digging of basins or zai pits (center photo), or using equipment such as the jab planter (bottom photos). The simplest of these are the hoe or pointed stick: small holes are made at the required spacing and seed placed in these, preferably with fertilizer or manure placed in another hole a few centimeters away.

A Farm Animal Genetic Resources Project conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other partners to conserve indigenous livestock breeds in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of eleven global projects ‘assisting farmers in developing diversified and resilient agricultural systems to ensure communities and consumers have more predictable supplies of nutritious food.

Agroforestry is a recently coined term derived from agriculture and forestry. It describes practices developed and employed by farmers over many centuries to cultivate trees on farmland in different combinations with crops and livestock. From the pure agricultural perspective, agroforestry is about recognizing and promoting trees on farm; from the strict forestry perspective, it is about recognition and rights for the tree-based systems and livelihoods that farmers/agroforesters have created and can expand with appropriate support. Whilst agroforestry is an amalgam of agriculture and forestry, rather than treating these as separate land uses, institutions, policy domains and fields of science we integrate them in a landscape approach. Most importantly though, apart from bio-geophysical perspectives, agroforestry is often an entry point to progress social, economic, farmer welfare, market, environmental stewardship and political goals.

Lowland rice accounts for 50% of the total rice produced in Nigeria. In recent years, WARDA has introduced several rice varieties, together with efficient natural resource/crop management and pest and disease management technologies to rice farmers in Nigeria and other West and Central African countries. Typical examples are the high yielding rice varieties: FARO 44 (SIPI), FARO 51 (CISADANE), FARO 52 (WITA 4), FARO 57 (TOX 40043-1- 2-1), and the lowland varieties of the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) that are currently being evaluated in several parts of Nigeria prior to full release. The majority of these introduced technologies have been accepted and become widespread in some states of Nigeria. However, these technologies came to the farmers without an accompanying handbook on how to plant/grow the varieties, quantity of seed to plant per hectare, how to apply fertilizers and herbicides, etc.

Striga is a parasitic weed which “bewitches” maize, millet and sorghum; hencesmall sticky seeds which can remain in the soil for over 20can only germinate when they sense the presence of a host crop, from which they suck food.

An explaination of how soil gets compacted and how you can assess this with your farmers.

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