The intenon was to design a system for implementaon of Conservaon and Regenerave
Agriculture principles in mixed smallholder farming systems that is more appropriate for them than
the convenonal high external input and highly mechanized farming system pracced commercially.
And also, to provide for substanal soil ferlity, soil health, water management and environmental
benets, alongside improved producvity and value chain development. The adapve research
process has been embedded in community level learning groups and provides for full parcipaon of
farmers in analysis, planning, implementaon and review in an annual cycle, to rmly scaold
learnings and allow for the required paradigm shi required for CA implementaon.
The smallholder farmer innovaon development process (SFIP) has been supported by the Maize
Trust through GrainSA and lately Asset Research with the following programmitc elements.
The inial model was designed with a strong component of awareness raising and expansion of CA
implementaon, with exploraon of appropriate approaches, followed in the last 4 years by a more
quantave and technical exploraon of specic elements within the CA system.
•Maximum yields obtained by individual smallholders have, however, increased from 6,7 t/ha
to 14,6 t/ha between 2014 and 2022, indicang that for high performing smallholder farmers
a yield gain of around 1 t/ha per annum is possible under CA cropping systems despite
dicult climac condions.
•Yield dierences between CMTs and FMTs are not stascally signicant.
•On average there are signicant yield gains aer the rst 2-3 years of CA implementaon,
aer which the yields stabilize, despite dicult growing condions brought on through
climate change (late onset of rains, heat waves, mid season drought, hail storms, oods and
drought).
•Intercropping with legumes (beans and cowpeas) as well as pumpkins provides stascally
signicant yield gains for maize in the CA system.
•Crop rotaons that include legumes and cover crops (mulple species) provide for signicant
increases in maize yields following on these rotaons.
•Intercropping and crop rotaon reduce the impact of soil borne fungal diseases on maize
producon as well as the presence of mycotoxins in post harvest maize, as shown through
collaboraon in the MT supported mycotoxin study.
•On average the CA block trial plots produce 2t/ha more maize than the control plots (CA and
convenonal) and the CA strip trial plots produce 3t/ha more. With the control maize
between CA and convenonal llage providing similarly low yields between 1,8and 2,5t/ha
•Maximum maize yields for CA trial plots (mul cropping and rotaon) have increased from
6,7t/ha in 2014 to 14,6t/ha in 2023
•Maximum maize yields for CA control (maize only) plots have increased from 2,5t/ha in 2014
to 3,9t/ha in 2023.
•The above two points clearly show the potenal yield increases possible through using mulit
cropping and crop rotaon compared to maize only under CA
•CA mixed>CA mono crop>CA control>Convenonal control.
•Runo: Average runo on CA trial plots over 4years is 5,4% of rainfall. For the CA control
plots the percentage runo is 7,8%. Run-o averages across all CA trial plots are 31% lower
than runo in the control plots (CA control maize or ploughed- mono cropped ). Between
2%-5% (ave 2,4%) of total rainfall is saved through reduced runo in the CA trial plots.
•Water producvity: WP for maize grown in a mul-cropping rotaon CA system is much
higher (x2) than CA mono-cropped maize or convenonally lled maize. In the last 4 seasons
annual increased in water producvity for the CA system has been between 30%-50%.
•Volumetric water benet for intercropped and rotated CA plots is ~7 million litres/ha more
than convenonal llage and for mono-cropped CA plots is ~0,3 million litres/ha more.
In summary there is strong evidence through research of much improved yield, producvity and
water resource management for the mul-cropping, rotaon CA system for dryland cropping
designed for smallholder farmers.