WRC2017-2020 project: Collaborativeknowledgecreationand mediation strategies
for the dissemination of Water and Soil Conservation practices and Climate Smart
Agriculture in smallholder farming systems.
Catherine Van den Hoof and Erna Kruger
2nd Climate Smart Agroecology Network (CSAN) Meeting
November 22nd 2018, University of Mpumalanga
Decision Support System (DSS) for
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
for Smallholder Farmers
Change in Farm Productivity
What is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)?
•Minimize external inputs
•Maximise internal diversity
•Focus on soil health and natural soil building
techniques
•Take care of the environment
•Use available water as efficiently as possible.
•Work together, learn together and plan together
•Local solutions and economies
•Farmer driven development
•Getting our hands dirty
What is a Decision Support System (DSS)?
DSS aredesigned to help users make more effective decisions by leading them through clear decision stages and
presenting thelikelihood of various outcomesresulting fromdifferent options. These can be software tools, whose
recommendations vary according to user's inputs,and theymay suggestoptimal decision path.
What is a Decision Support System (DSS)?
The objective of ourDSS is to assist individual farmers or farming collectives in selecting appropriateoptions of
managements practices to sustain and increasefarmproductivitygiven current climate, soil, topography,farming
system and socio-economicconditions, and to strength their farming practices in light of climatechange. The DSS
considers individual circumstances, needs and aspirations.
DSS for CSA - Best Management Practices
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR
BASED PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
DSS PROCESS FLOW
How Does the DSS Work in Practice?
Example for 3 Smallholder Farmers
Input for DSS: e.g. Farmer in Sekororo
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR
BASED PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR
BASED PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Harvesting
retention
use efficiency
conservation
improvement
Water
Heat
nutrient
disease
Water
Heat
nutrient
disease
crop/tree resistance
and efficiency
Livestock resistance
and efficiency
Resources and management strategies
Water
(quantity)
soil
(fertility)
Output of DSS: Suggested Practices
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR
BASED PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Prioritizationby Farmer & Facilitator
For each suggested practice, scores
(1-3) are provided per theme by
facilitatorconcerning impact on:
•water
•soil
•crop
•Livestock
•Tree and natural resources
farmer concerning need for/benefit
to:
•labour
•investment
•skills
•crop productivity
•water saving
This helps to identify the practices that have
a higher probability of being adopted or not
Divergence in Suggested Practices
Focus on soil improvement however with less optionsin Mxumbu due to
aridity, and less optionsstill in Sekororo due to typology of farmer (A) and
restricted farming practices.
???
Clay soils, sub-humidcool AEZ..
What Now?
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR
BASED PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
DSS PROCESS FLOW
… and in the Future?
FARMING SYSTEMFARMER SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
RESOURCES TO MANAGE
SUGGESTED PRACTICES
CONSTRAINED BY
TYPOLOGY, SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
RANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FACILITATORRANKED PRACTICES
BASED ON FARMER
FARMER BASED
PRIORITIES
FACILITATOR BASED
PRIORITIES
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Thank you!!