Conservation agriculture: Farmers advised on ‘smart’ way to boost crop production

Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ildephonse Musafiri, has urged farmers to embrace conservation agriculture in order to increase yields, highlighting the significance of the new farming technique, especially in the Eastern Province where drought is commonplace. He said research has demonstrated that soil health can be improved, erosion reduced, and water sources conserved when applying this technique, which would, in turn, result in larger crop yields and help to reduce the impacts of climate change. “With this modern farming technique that we urge farmers to adopt, a farmer minimises soil disturbance with no tillage of the soil, keeping a permanent soil cover with crop residues. “Research has shown that this form of agriculture helps the farmland maintain nutrients and allows the soil to absorb water. We are in trials with two farmers in every sector, and the samples have yielded as we expected. We urge farmers to embrace this new farming system because it will help increase agricultural production,” Musafiri said. On June 16, the Minister spoke at the graduation ceremony of over 200 farmer facilitators in Kayonza District. These facilitators will support the adoption of new farming systems, like conservation agriculture and fruit tree monitoring, across Kayonza and Ngoma districts. ALSO READ: Agricultural economist on ‘best’ farming model for Rwanda Typically, traditional farmers plough their land twice before planting, using a deep plough in the first instance and then pulverising the soil in the second, resulting in its loosening. In areas prone to climate change, like Murama Sector in Kayonza, which experience droughts, farmers have started trials of the method, which in turn has proven to sustain the long droughts and increased yields. Speaking to The New Times, Adrien Niyomugabo, a farmer and one of the facilitators in Kayonza District, said the trial conducted in his home village of Muko in Murama sector, showed a significant increase in maize yield when using the conservation technique compared to traditional farming methods. ALSO READ: Research, innovation key to sustainable Agriculture in Africa - experts “On samples we carried out on an acre planted with maize using the conservation technique, we harvested 95 kilogrammes of maize compared to 50 kilograms harvested on the same piece of land using traditional farming methods. We also realised that the farmer saves money because the farming method requires less fertiliser and labour. Previously, a farmer could spend money on double ploughing the land and weeding, but with this new method, you do not need extra labour because the crop residues suppress weed growth,” Niyomugabo said. Mitigating climate change using conservation agriculture The Government of Rwanda and the International Fund for Agricultural Development partnered to finance the Kayonza Irrigation Integrated Watershed Management Project, which seeks to reduce poverty in the drought-prone Eastern Province by encouraging conservation agriculture. Consequently, over 1,000 hectares have been planted with an array of fruit trees, including 160,000 mango trees, 100,000 avocado trees, 60,000 jackfruit trees, and 60,000 citrus trees. According to residents in Murama and Kabarondo, these trees have helped normalise the weather patterns in their area. ALSO READ: Decentralise afforestation initiatives to mitigate climate change On how the farming system has helped mitigate climate change, Hassan Habyarimana, a 45-year-old farmer in Murama sector, told The New Times, “Before, our area was very prone to droughts, and rainfall was not sufficient for growing crops. However, since our area was planted with these trees, we have noticed that we have started receiving more rainfall than before. Besides that, planting fruit trees is alleviating farmers’ poverty and helping in the fight against malnutrition.” For the sustainability and management of the fruit trees, and the spreading of knowledge on conservation agriculture, farm field guides have been trained and equipped with the knowledge to facilitate activities in the farming process where they can grow healthy crops, observe fields regularly, and observe the ecology of the crops under the conservation agricultural farming system. It is estimated that the 255 facilitators trained will assist more than 4,000 farmers in Kayonza and Ngoma districts to adopt to new farming systems, mainly fruit tree farming and conservation agriculture. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, conservation agriculture is practiced on about 57 million hectares or about three per cent of the 1,500 million ha of arable land worldwide. ALSO READ: Agriculture budget shrinks, raising concerns over food security

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Conservation agriculture: Farmers advised on ‘smart’ way to boost crop production