GRAIN-SA SMALLHOLDER FARMER INNOVATION PROGRAMME
Optimising the Conservation Agriculture system for non-commercial and semi-
commercial smallholders
2013-2017
February 2017
•Adaptive research into CA processes appropriate for smallholder farmers:
looking at the whole value chain; inputs, appropriate tools and equipment,
different production options, storage options, milling, fodder etc
•Partnership: MDF, KZN DARD, Lima RDF, Siyazisiza Trust,KwaNalu, StratAct,
Ubuhlebezwe and other Municipalities, LandCare …….
•Saving and credit groups and organised farmers, organisations and
cooperatives to work within the whole value chain; inputs- production-
storage- marketing.
•Horizontal scaling model starting with a nodal village in each area and
expanding within and between villages:
•2013: 3 Villages EC and 3 in Bergville (total trial participants: 50)
•2014: 7 villages EC, 9 villages Bergville (Total trial participants: 100)
•2015: 8 villages EC, 10 Bergville, 2 Nkandla (total trial participants: 210)
•2016: 12 Villages EC; 4 Midlands, 17 Bergville
•Farmer volunteers, local facilitators, farmer centres (for each node
surrounded by 3-5 villages close by for input and equipment provision as
well as production advice)
Description of Model and Process
•Awareness raising events and farmers days spread across the
regions and including many different stakeholders; research ,
government and agribusiness included
•Presentations, at conferences, papers, book chapters,
•CA manual
•Farmer experimentation linked to larger learning groups using the
Farmer Field School approach. People work together in teams,
belong to savings groups, do bulk buying and support each other
with food and marketing
Awareness raising and community learning
Farmer level experimentation
•Year 1: Predefined with the research team:
–Choice of planting method; hand hoes, hand planters, animal
drawn planters
•Year 2: Choices and options within the same overall design:
–Different varieties maize (white yellow, OPV, hybrid)
–Different varieties and types of legumes
–Early planting
–Manure and fertilizer combinations
–Targeted fertility regimes and pest control measures
•Year 3 +: Own design of experiments by participants :
–Intercropping vs crop rotation options
–Summer and winter cover crops
–Mulching
–Organic options
–Different herbicide and pesticide spray regimes
–Different planting times
–As well as options for year 2.
Incremental change in yr 1,2,3
•Average Maize
price 2017:
R2 500/ton
•Break even yield:
3,9 t/ha
•Average yield:
1,4 - 4,2t/ha
Costs of inputs
What does this
mean??
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PLOTS, KZN 2016
-2017
0.1= Ha PLOTS
Events
Cost
Costs (0.1ha)
-
2015
Costs 0,1ha
-
2016
INPUTS
ha
lit / kg
( R / kg,l)
Seeds
- maize (PAN
6479)
0,075
25
1
104
R 195,00
R 216,45
Seeds
- drybeans(PAN
148 or
Gadra)
0,05
75
1
42,6
R 159,75
R 177,32
Fertilizer MAP
0,1
250
1
9,2
R 230,00
R 255,30
Fertilizer LAN
0,1
150
1
5
R 75,00
R 83,25
Lime
0,1
1000
1
1
R 100,00
R 111,00
Pesticides (
Decis Forte)
0,1
0,1
3
875
R 26,25
R 29,14
Herbicides: Roundup
0,1
3
2
109
R 65,40
R 72,59
Herbicides: Dual Gold
0,1
1,2
1
250
R 30,00
R 33,30
Summit/surfactant
0,1
0,2
1
296
R 5,92
R 6,57
Input costs per 0.1 ha
R 887,32
R 984,93
Input costs per 1 ha
R 8 873,20
R 9 849,25
We need more
than 4 tons/ha
to make a
profit
•Biggest cost is fertilizer…. Even when micro-dosing
–Need ways to reduce fertilizer needs
•The next cost is seed (Here Hybrid, plus legume)
–Carefully weigh up different seed types against other costs and yields.
•Labour costs for weeding; ~R250/0,1ha (R50pppd x 5days),
ploughing ~R500/0,1ha
–Compare these prices with ploughing and labour for weeding
O,1ha cost summaries
SEED PRICES
25kg
Pesticides, herbicides
R 141,60
OPV
R 400,00
Fertilizers
R 449,55
Hybrid (generic)
R 1 150,00
Seed
R 393,77
GM
R 2 700,00
Cost summaries; How to deal with rising costs
Not ploughing
saves a lot of
money,
Seed costs
need to be
weighed
against yield
increase
Reduce
fertilizer and
chemical use
to a minimum
Ways to
improve soil
health
•Minimal soil
disturbance
•Soil cover
•Diversity
–Right: A 3year old CA
plot with developing
cover
–Far right: A ploughed
plot with no soil cover
–Insert: Mulching…..
Conservation Agriculture: All three principles
•To ensure soil organic matter build up
•Improve soil fertility
•Improved soil structure and soil health
•Reduce prevalence and types of weeds
•Management of pests and disease
incidence and severity
•Summer and winter mixes used in relay and separately
Crop diversification
•Temperature
and moisture
control
•Reduces runoff
•Increased OM
And close spacing
Mrs Simephi Nkosi- Emmaus Jan 2015 Intercrop and GM mono crop
Mr Mtoleni Dlamini- StulwaneJan 2014 Traditional planting and intercrop
•Bangeni Dlamini (49yr old woman): I have learned
that it is possible to plant/ grow crops without
disturbing your soils and get more yields from it.
•Thulani Dlamini (50year old man): It is the best way
of planting. I have learnt that it prevents soil erosion
and rehabilitates the soil.
•Cupile Buthelezi (43 year old woman): I use less
fertilizerand put detail to everything that I do. The
intercropping has retained much more moisture
compared to the single crops.
•Busisiwe Mvelase (32 year old woman):This method
is affordable and provides higher yields. It is also less
work. In the three years that I have been part of CA I
have not bought any maize. I now grow my own.
2015-2016 Planting season Farmers’ Comments- Bergville