1) Conservation agriculture involves three principles - minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations. It can increase water infiltration and yields while reducing soil erosion, environmental costs, and lifting people out of poverty. 2) The presentation discusses various techniques for implementing conservation agriculture, including no-till planting, use of mulch and cover crops, animal-drawn and mechanical weed control equipment, and soil amendments. 3) Conservation agriculture provides benefits like 50-70% labor savings, stable yields, reduced costs, and improved livelihoods for farmers through opportunities like diversification and livestock.

1. Conservation Agriculture
Concepts, Principles and Practices
By
Peter Kuria
Presented at
Kitui CA training for Farmers (Ox Ripping technologies) on
12th August 2014
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2. Why do we plough?
A destroyed land – the wonderful plough!
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Increased water infiltration!
Loose soil after continuous tilling becomes prone to water erosion

3. Ploughing up of the virgin lands led to the “Dust Bowls”
in the United States in the 1930
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4. How many tons of soil do we loose if 1mm of soil per
hectare is lost - 1 mm/hectare = 15 Tons
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5. Gullies are formed every year and not
sufficient efforts are done to arrest them
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6.  Increase cereal yields by one ton/ha in Africa –
low external inputs and intensification.
 Doubling of current cereal production with less
environmental and economic costs is
achievable!
 It will lift millions of people out of poverty – at
least the 1 out of the 4.
 Transformation based on agroecological low-
external input resource conserving CA systems
For Kenya to feed itself and others
change anchored on soil health is imperative!
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7. What is Conservation Agriculture?
Three principles
 Minimum soil
disturbance
 Permanent soil
cover
 Crop & cover
crop rotations
and associations
Maximum and
sustainable
benefits derived
when the 3
principles
overlap
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8. How minimum tillage?
Conventional Under CA
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9. How does CA work for hand hoe
farmers?
In Hand hoe Farming Systems
Dibble stick
Basins
Jab planter
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10. ACT 2014

11. Planting
CA: direct seeding into
mulch and moist soil
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12. No-till animal drawn planters
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13. Mechanical weed management
equipment options
Hand operated weeders
Animal drawn light weight weeder Knife roller
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14. CA for challenging situations
 Ameliorate plough pans and soil
compaction
 Support developing physical structures for
erosion control
 Consider Agroforestry
 Amend soil degradation
 Others?
Pre-conditions to implementation of CA
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15. Rippers or
chisels
●Poor weed control
● Clogging
● Needs proper soil
moisture (crumbling
or dryer)
● Lifting stones/clods
● Needs lots of power
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16. Chemical weed control equipment
options
Pedestrian-pulled4-nozzle sprayerZamwipe herbicide applicator
Draft animal pulled sprayer with
an 80 litre tank and a 5 m boom
Zamwipe
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17. Ameliorate plough pans and soil
compaction
 Sub-soiling
 Planting basins
 Biological tillage
using cover
crops with tap
roots: Cajanus
cajan, Dolichos
lablab,
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18. Complimentary CA enhancers …
 Good agronomic practices
 Timely planting
 Proper plant spacing
 Effective weed control (with and without herbicides)
 Use of improved external inputs
 improved seeds
 Judicious use of Fertilisers
 Judicious use of pesticides
 Agro-forestry – Fertiliser trees, fodder, live fences,
wind breakers. Faidherbia Albida; Baobab; Grevillea;
shrubs (e.g. Pillostigma)
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19. SOIL COVER
- the most important principle -
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20. Do weeds grow on ploughed land?
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21. Let the roots and soil flora and
fauna do the work
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22. Develop physical structures for erosion
control
 Stone bunds
 Contour bunds
 Cut off drains
 Permanent
ridges
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23. Consider Agroforestry
 Fertiliser trees
(Faidherbia albida, )
 Multi-purpose trees
for fruits, fuel wood,
building materials
 Live fences
 Wind breakers
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24. Faidherbia Fertilizer Trees at 100 trees per ha
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25. Potato growing under no till cover
condition at Yaksu farm - Korea
2m wide ridge
Put potato seed
under rice stubble
covered with no-till
Harvesting potato
Left rice and potato
stubble evenly on field
Rice transplanting
on mid of June
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26. ACT 2014

27. Benefits of CA
 50-70% labour saving
 Less drudgery
 Stable yields, food security
 Reduced production costs
 Less wear and tear on machinery
BETTER LIVELIHOOD AND INCOMES
To farmers
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28. Another opportunity ... ...
 Diversification to livestock
and other income
generating activities
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29. THANK YOU
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