Precision Agriculture in African drylands : the use of Zai, microdose and Warrantage systems

1. Precision Agriculture in African drylands : the use of Zai, microdose and Warrantage systems Presented by: Emily Rutto

2. 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

3. 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

4. Solutions • Adapting germplasm to • adverse soil conditions • Enhancing soil biological • activity • Optimizing nutrient cycling • to minimize external inputs • Improve farmer's access to fertilisers

5. Farming Techniques • Microdosing • Zai • ‘Warrantage’ system Sorghum; Picture courtesy of ICRISAT Grains kept in a warrantage store.Picture courtesy of ICRISAT

6. 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

7. 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)

8. Microdosing impacts • Integrated use of hill placed soluble fertilizer, phosphate rock (PR) and crop residue gave the highest millet yields

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Acknowledgments • International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT) • Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF-CIAT) • International Maize and Wheat Center (CIMMYT) • Audience

17. THANK YOU! AHSANTE!