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Booklet - Conservation Farming
sunset of the rain. The method
must be followed by soil
conservation methods such as
crop Manual rotation - Fire with legumes
crops, no burning of crop
residues and if needed,
establishment of contour
bunds, in order to get the best
results.
Advantages of
Conservation Farming
The farmer will be able to
plant the crop early and will
at the same time be ready
to start the weeding. This
will increase the yield and
food security, as early
planted and well weeded
crops give the best results
The holes will concentrate
rainfall around the plant,
and this will improve
growth of the crop in case
of little rainfall
The holes should be dug
using a string. This will
secure correct spacing of
the crop
Manure will be applied in
each planting hole - which
will make the manure go a
long way. The accurate
planting will give a good
germination percentage and
will therefore reduce the
amount of seeds needed
Fertiliser is applied into the
planting holes. This makes it
easy to give the correct
amount and make it more
difficult for heavy rain, to
wash away the fertiliser
The soil structure will
improve, if the land is not
ploughed over some years
- especially if other
conservation farming
methods are used in
combination with minimum
tillage.
Booklet - Conservation - Conservation Farming
and leaves from this legume
plant will have improved the
soil fertility. Crops can be
grown profitably without
fertiliser.
Improve crop yield
with Faidherbia albida
Faidherbia albida is also known
as Acacia albida - or Musangu.
This tree can with good result
be left in the fields. The tree
fertilises the soil and it does not
compete with the crops for
light, as it drops the leaves
before the rainy season. Maize
plants under Musangu trees
give a very good yield.
The basic concept of
minimum tillage
When the soil is tilled the good
structure formed naturally is
destroyed. The valuable humus
is buried further down. The soil
structure is spoiled and it is left
without a protective cover. This
results in soil erosion when
heavy rains fall.
With minimum tillage one
works together with nature
and not against nature.
Never plough the soil, nut use
this method of digging holes
each time a crop is planted.
These holes attract water.
The residues from former
crops prevent evaporation of
water from the soil, when they
are left as a protective mulch.
This furthermore prevents high
soil temperatures that destroy
living conditions for many soil
organisms.
Another advantage is that
minimum tillage gives the
possibility to prepare the land
before the rains.
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