Conservation agriculture in Africa : climate smart agricultural development

Tillage agriculture has led to wide-spread soil and ecosystem degradation globally, and more particularly in the developing regions. This is especially so in Africa where traditional agricultural practices have become unsustainable due to severe exploitation of natural resources with negative impacts on the environment. In addition, agriculture in Africa today faces major challenges including increased costs, climate change effects and a need for more sustainable production intensification methods. Conservation (no-tillage) agriculture has emerged as a major alternative sustainable agriculture practice in Africa and has spread to many African countries in the past decade as more development and research has enabled its extension and uptake. This landmark volume is based on the material presented at the Second Africa Congress on Conservation Agriculture which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 9-12 October 2018. The main theme of the Congress was "Making Climate Smart Agriculture Real in Africa with Conservation Agriculture: Supporting the Malabo Declaration and Agenda 2063." The Congress was aligned to mobilize stakeholders in all agriculture sectors to provide development support, impetus and direction to the vision and agenda for transforming African agriculture as set out by the Malabo Declaration and Agenda 2063. This book is aimed at all agricultural stakeholders in the public, private and civil sectors in Africa engaged in supporting the transformation of conventional tillage agriculture to Conservation Agriculture. This includes: researchers, academics, students, development stakeholders and policy makers as well as institutional libraries across the world. Contents 6 Contributors 10 Foreword 14 Preface 16 Acknowledgements 18 Acronyms and Abbreviations 20 Keywords 24 PART 1: MAKING CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE REAL IN AFRICA 26 1. The Malabo Declaration and Agenda 2063: Making Climate Smart Agriculture Real with Conservation Agriculture in Africa • Saidi Mkomwa, Amir Kassam, Martin Bwalya and Reynolds K. Shula 26 2. Development of Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa • Rachid Mrabet and Rachid Moussadek 42 3. Climate Smart Agriculture for Africa: The Potential Role of Conservation Agriculture in Climate Smart Agriculture • Emilio J. González Sánchez, Manuel Moreno-Garcia, Amir Kassam, Saidi Mkomwa, Julio Roman-Vazquez, Oscar Veroz-Gonzalez, Rafaela Ordoñez-Fernandez, Jesus A. Gil-Ribes, Elizabeth Moreno-Blanco, Francisco Marquez-Garcia and Rosa M. Carbonell-Bojollo 91 PART 2: MAINSTREAMING OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE 110 4. Mainstreaming of the Conservation Agriculture Paradigm in Africa • Amir Kassam and Saidi Mkomwa 110 5. Challenges and Approaches to Accelerating the Uptake of Conservation Agriculture in Africa and Europe • Gottlieb Basch and Emilio J. González-Sánchez 126 6. Conservation Agriculture in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania: Learnings from Two Decades of Research for Development • Richard Shetto, Saidi Mkomwa, Ndabhemeye Mlengera and Remmy Mwakimbwala 147 7. Historical Review and Future Opportunities for Wider Scaling of Conservation Agriculture in Tunisia • Hatem Cheikh M’hamed, Haithem Bahri, Mohamed Annabi, Aymen Frija and Zied Idoudi 162 8. Assessing the Application and Practice of Conservation Agriculture in Malawi • W. Trent Bunderson, Christian L. Thierfelder, Zwide D. Jere and R.G.K. Museka 176 PART 3: RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT 201 9. Research and Technology Development Needs for Scaling Up Conservation Agriculture Systems, Practices and Innovations in Africa • Joseph Mureithi, Saidi Mkomwa, Amir Kassam and Ngari Macharia 201 10. Moving Paradigms – Conservation Agriculture with Alternative Agronomics to Minimize Inputs • Tom Goddard, Amir Kassam and Saidi Mkomwa 214 11. Economic and Yield Comparisons of Different Crop and Crop–Pasture Production Systems • Johann A. Strauss 231 12. Livestock Integration in Conservation Agriculture • Sjoerd W. Duiker and Nouhoun Zampaligre 240 13. Enhancing Climate Resilience Using Stress-tolerant Maize in Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa • Peter Setimela, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Walter Mupangwa and Munyaradzi Mutenje 255 14. Tillage Effect on Agronomic Efficiency of Nitrogen Under Rainfed Conditions of Tanzania • Leonard Rusinamhodzi, James Njeru, John Sariah, Rama Ngatoluwa and Phlorentin Lagwen 271 15. Effect of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Properties and Maize Grain Yield in the Semi-arid Laikipia County, Kenya • Peter Kuria, Josiah Gitari, Saidi Mkomwa and Peter Waweru 281 16. Increasing Adaptation to Climate Stress by Applying Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa • Christian Thierfelder and Peter Steward 295 17. What Drives Small-scale Farmers to Adopt Conservation Agriculture Practices in Tanzania? • John Sariah and Frank Mmbando 309 18. Impact of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Health: Lessons from the University of Fort Hare Trial • Lindah Muzangwa, Isaac Gura, Sixolise Mcinga, Pearson Nyari Mnkeni and Cornelius Chiduza 318 PART 4: EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE 330 19. Formal Education and Training for Conservation Agriculture in Africa • Saidi Mkomwa, Henry Mloza-Banda and Weldone Mutai 330 20. Strengthening Conservation Agriculture Education in Africa • Cary Clark, Amir Kassam, Saidi Mkomwa, Peter Kuria and Weldone Mutai 356 21. Conservation Agriculture Innovation Systems Build Climate Resilience for Smallholder Farmers in South Africa • Erna Kruger, Hendrik Smith, Phumzile Ngcobo, Mazwi Dlamini and Temakholo Mathebula 370 22. Lessons Learnt from Concern Worldwide’s Conservation Agriculture Interventions in Malawi and Zambia, 2010–2018 • Carl Wahl 386 23. Development of Adaptive Training Materials for Conservation Agriculture Promotion in Africa • Neil Miller, Putso Nyathi and Jean Twilingiyumukiza 396 PART 5: INVESTING FOR AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION 407 24. Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization and Commercialization for Widespread Adoption of Conservation Agriculture Systems in Africa • Josef Kienzle, Brian Sims and Weldone Mutai 407 25. Centres of Excellence in Conservation Agriculture: Developing African Institutions for Sustainable Agricultural Development • Saidi Mkomwa, Simon Lugandu, Ngari Macharia, Alexandra Bot and Weldone Mutai 427 26. On-farm Experimentation for Scaling-out Conservation Agriculture Using an Innovation Systems Approach in the North West Province, South Africa • Hendrik J. Smith, Gerhardus Trytsman and Andre A. Nel 441 27. Conservation Agriculture for Climate Smart Agriculture in Smallholder Farming Systems in Kenya • Alfred Micheni, Patrick Gicheru and Onesmus Kitonyo 456 28. Conservation Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers in Rainfed and Irrigated Systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain: Lessons Learned • Md Enamul Haque, Richard W. Bell and Mohammad Jahiruddin 468 29. Evaluation of the Technical Capacity of Artisans to Fabricate the Animal-powered Direct Seeder Super-Eco in Sénégal • Demba Diakhaté, Ibrahima Sarr, Dimas Soares Júnior, Michel Havard, Ricardo Ralisch and Alioune Fall 483 PART 6: THE FUTURE 494 30. The Future: Towards Agenda 2063 • Martin Bwalya, Saidi Mkomwa, Reynolds Shula, Simon Lugandu and Amir Kassam 494 Index 500 "Conservation Agriculture (the use of no tillage systems) to preserve soil structure and integrity has become an increasingly important step towards sustainable farming. This book brings together conservation agriculture and climate smart decision making processes for the first time, focusing on Africa"-- Provided by publisher