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Conservation farming in Zambia:

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Author Info
Haggblade, Steven
Tembo, Gelson

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Abstract

Since 1996, a growing coalition of stakeholders from the private sector, government and donor communities has promoted a new package of agronomic practices for smallholders in Zambia. The conservation farming (CF) system they advocate involves: dry-season land preparation using minimum tillage methods (either ox-drawn rip lines or hand-hoe basins laid out in a precise grid of 15,850 basins per hectare); no burning but rather retention of crop residue from the prior harvest; planting and input application in fixed planting stations; and nitrogen-fixing crop rotations. The CF system enables farmers to plant with the first rains when seeds will benefit from the initial nitrogen flush in the soil. By breaking pre-existing plow-pan barriers, the CF basins and rip lines improve water infiltration, water retention and plant root development. The precise layout of grids and planting lines enables farmers to locate fertilizer and organic material in close proximity to the plants, where they will provide greatest benefits. Evidence from similar technologies in other parts of Africa suggests that the effectiveness of conservation farming will vary not only across regions but also across crops and over time, due to variations in weather and rainfall. In addition, many of the benefits of CF including improved soil structure, gains from nitrogen-fixing crop rotations and reduced field preparation labor occur gradually and over time. Therefore, it will be important to establish long-term monitoring efforts for conservation farming and control plots across a broad range of geographic settings, crops and seasons. Results and their interpretation are from a survey of 125 farms in Central and Southern provinces during the 2001/2 cropping season.

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Paper provided by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in its series EPTD discussion papers with number 108.

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Date of creation: 2003
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Handle: RePEc:fpr:eptddp:108

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Keywords: Southern Africa; africa south of sahara;

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  1. Steven Haggblade & Gelson Tembo, 2003. "Development, Diffusion and Impact of Conservation Farming in Zambia," International Development Collaborative Working Papers ZM-FSRP-WP-08, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. [Downloadable!]
  2. Wobst, Peter & Thurlow, James, 2005. "The Road to Pro-Poor Growth in Zambia: Past Lessons and Future Challenges," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Kiel 2005 37, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. David Tschirley & Ballard Zulu & James Shaffer, 2004. "Cotton in Zambia: An Assessment of its Organization, Performance, Current Policy Initiatives, and Challenges for the Future," International Development Collaborative Working Papers ZM-FSRP-WP-10, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. [Downloadable!]
  4. Jaffe, Gregory, 2006. "Comparative analysis of the national biosafety regulatory systems in East Africa:," EPTD discussion papers 146, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  5. Gauchan, Devendra & Van Dusen, M. E. & Smale, Melinda, 2005. "On farm conservation of rice biodiversity in Nepal: a simultaneous estimation approach," EPTD discussion papers 144, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Steven Haggblade & Gelson Tembo & Cynthia Donovan, 2004. "Household Level Financial Incentives to Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Technologies in Africa," International Development Collaborative Working Papers ZM-FSRP-WP-09, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. [Downloadable!]
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  15. David Tschirley & Stephen Kabwe, 2007. "Cotton in Zambia: 2007 Assessment of its Organization, Performance, Current Policy Initiatives, and Challenges for the Future," International Development Collaborative Working Papers ZM-FSRP-WP-26, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. [Downloadable!]
  16. Engel, Stefanie & Iskandarani, Maria & Useche, Maria del Pilar, 2005. "Improved water supply in the Ghanaian Volta Basin: who uses it and who participates in community decision-making?," EPTD discussion papers 129, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
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  18. Horna, J. Daniela & Smale, Melinda & von Oppen, Matthias, 2005. "Farmer willingness to pay for seed-related information: rice varieties in Nigeria and Benin," EPTD discussion papers 142, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  19. Nagarajan, Latha & Smale, Melinda & Glewwe, Paul, 2005. "Comparing farm and village-level determinants of millet diversity in marginal environments of India: the context of seed systems," EPTD discussion papers 139, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  20. Barratt, N. & Chitundu, D. & Dover, O. & Elsinga, J. & Eriksson, S. & Guma, L. & Haggblade, M. & Haggblade, S. & Henn, T.O. & Locke, F.R. & O'Donnell, C. & Smith, C. & Stevens, T., 2006. "Cassava as drought insurance: Food security implications of cassava trials in Central Zambia," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 45(1), March. [Downloadable!]
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