Are Crop-Livestock Systems Ready for Conservation Agriculture?
Published on: August 26, 2019, Submitted by Valerio Graziano on: August 19, 2019
The project "Use of Conservation Agriculture in Crop-Livestock Systems (CLCA) in the Drylands for Enhanced Water Use and Soil Fertility in NEN and LAC Countries" has been designed to combine an adaptive research program, including integrated capacity development, with the active development of a delivery mechanism for CLCA systems to serve as impact accelerators in both targeted regions. The adaptive research component will include a subcomponent, which involves extensive socioeconomic and market data collection to be used for optimizing adapted CLCA packages for different agroecologies and socioeconomic contexts.
Use of Conservation Agriculture in Crop-Livestock Systems (CLCA) - Videos Photo Collage
The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) - in collaboration with The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and local partners in North-Africa and Latin America - are answering this question through the IFAD-funded project titled Use of Conservation Agriculture in Crop-Livestock Systems (CLCA). The project, which focuses on a strong systems approach and multidisciplinary teams, looks to balance soil health, yield production and livestock nutrition. For this to occur, strategic collaboration with farmers, researchers, implementers and different stakeholders is key in tackling important challenges such as water use efficiency, soil fertility and productivity in the drylands. Some of the project’s results have been consolidated in multimedia material. Three recently produced videos show the development of activities carried out in Algeria, Bolivia and Tunisia.
Tunisia’s video highlights the perspective of a Tunisian farmer on the sustainable systems integration of crop and livestock. This is the result of a well-recognized soil erosion problem in the region. Adnen Abdrabbah, the Tunisian farmer, says, “With conservation agriculture, a farmer can exploit the land while protecting it so that future generations can feed themselves more healthily”.
Despite increasing costs of production and climate variability, farmers in Algeria are demonstrating how to save water and overcome productivity issues with conservation agriculture. In the adjacent video, farmers express that with the help of crop management practices such has zero tillage, farmers can find a balance among crop and livestock systems. Khamej Houcine says “This system has several benefits. First, we preserve our vegetal cover and conserve the sheep flock’s feed. In the past, we have fed animals at the fallow, but this hasn’t been beneficial. On the other hand, these associations’ pea and triticale provides us with fodder and pastures for our livestock”.
In Bolivia, evidence shows that there is a great demand for conservation agriculture practices in the world of quinoa – llama systems in the Bolivian highlands. Fundación PROINPA, a local partner, and CIMMYT are evaluating a range of technological proposals to help contribute to the improvement of soils in the region. Proposals under evaluation relate to sustainable management of the soil and the recovery of soil. Particularly, on the use of native species to establish living barriers that can protect the soils and provide better feed for llama’s.
The overall goal of the project is to reach a balance between crop and livestock system to foster sustainable development. If you want to know more about the project, click on the projects video links provided below.
Acknowledgement
The project "Use of Conservation Agriculture in Crop-Livestock Systems (CLCA) in the Drylands for Enhanced Water Use and Soil Fertility in NEN and LAC Countries" is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The outcomes of this project are the result of the synergic efforts of all partners involved, please visit the project's open access website for more information.
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