Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance

Several traditional methods of maintaining soil fertility in bean-based cropping systems are reviewed as follows: visoso, large- scale chitemene, ngoro or matengo pit (Mbinga District, Tanzania), mambwe land-use system of northern Zambia (fundikila), mounds of the Wafipas (SW Tanzania), tumba land-u...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Edje, O.T., Semoka, JMR, Haule, KL
Format: Conference Paper
Language:Inglés
Published: Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) 1988
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/55961
_version_ 1855516423864975360
author Edje, O.T.
Semoka, JMR
Haule, KL
author_browse Edje, O.T.
Haule, KL
Semoka, JMR
author_facet Edje, O.T.
Semoka, JMR
Haule, KL
author_sort Edje, O.T.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Several traditional methods of maintaining soil fertility in bean-based cropping systems are reviewed as follows: visoso, large- scale chitemene, ngoro or matengo pit (Mbinga District, Tanzania), mambwe land-use system of northern Zambia (fundikila), mounds of the Wafipas (SW Tanzania), tumba land-use system (southern Tanzania), guie (central highlands of Ethiopia), mafuku in Zaire, termite mounds, agroforestry, relay intercropping systems, coffee- banana-bean cropping system of the Wahayas of Bukoba (Tanzania), removal of maize tassels (northern Malawi), and storage of nutrients in weeds (Arusha, Tanzania). It is evident from the review that, traditionally, farmers producing beans and other crops depended on standing trees and bush vegetation for providing nutrients for the restoration of soil fertility and productivity. In addition to providing nutrients through ash and burning, the vegetation also provided cover for the fragile tropical soils. The oldest form was shifting cultivation (visoso) and its variant chitemene. Although fallowing restored the nutrients almost effortlessly and cost-free, these systems were inefficient, destructive, and had low human carrying capacity. With a reduction in the fallow period, the mambwe or mound cultivation system evolved whereby green manure was composted. Then the era of cheap inorganic fertilizer discouraged the dependence on regenerative agriculture; however, the oil crisis in the mid-1970s and the high attendant cost of agro-chemicals shifted emphasis to agroforestry, an alternative to shifting cultivation, which may be adapted to present day circumstances. (CIAT)
format Conference Paper
id CGSpace55961
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 1988
publishDateRange 1988
publishDateSort 1988
publisher Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)
publisherStr Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace559612024-01-09T09:48:10Z Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance Edje, O.T. Semoka, JMR Haule, KL phaseolus vulgaris soil fertility land use cultivation systems shifting cultivation agroforestry cultivation soil requirements fertilidad del suelo uso de la tierra sistemas de cultivo cultivo migratorio agrosilvicultura Several traditional methods of maintaining soil fertility in bean-based cropping systems are reviewed as follows: visoso, large- scale chitemene, ngoro or matengo pit (Mbinga District, Tanzania), mambwe land-use system of northern Zambia (fundikila), mounds of the Wafipas (SW Tanzania), tumba land-use system (southern Tanzania), guie (central highlands of Ethiopia), mafuku in Zaire, termite mounds, agroforestry, relay intercropping systems, coffee- banana-bean cropping system of the Wahayas of Bukoba (Tanzania), removal of maize tassels (northern Malawi), and storage of nutrients in weeds (Arusha, Tanzania). It is evident from the review that, traditionally, farmers producing beans and other crops depended on standing trees and bush vegetation for providing nutrients for the restoration of soil fertility and productivity. In addition to providing nutrients through ash and burning, the vegetation also provided cover for the fragile tropical soils. The oldest form was shifting cultivation (visoso) and its variant chitemene. Although fallowing restored the nutrients almost effortlessly and cost-free, these systems were inefficient, destructive, and had low human carrying capacity. With a reduction in the fallow period, the mambwe or mound cultivation system evolved whereby green manure was composted. Then the era of cheap inorganic fertilizer discouraged the dependence on regenerative agriculture; however, the oil crisis in the mid-1970s and the high attendant cost of agro-chemicals shifted emphasis to agroforestry, an alternative to shifting cultivation, which may be adapted to present day circumstances. (CIAT) 1988 2015-01-28T14:22:02Z 2015-01-28T14:22:02Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/55961 en Open Access Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Regional Programme on Beans in Southern Africa EDJE, O.T.; SEMOKA, J.M.R.; Haule, K.L. 1988. Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance. In: Wortmann, C. (ed.). Workshop on Soil Fertility Research for Bean Cropping Systems in Africa (1988, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). Proceedings. Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC); Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Regional Programme on Beans in Southern Africa, Debre Zeit, ET. p. 7-29. (CIAT African workshop series no. 3)
spellingShingle phaseolus vulgaris
soil fertility
land use
cultivation systems
shifting cultivation
agroforestry
cultivation
soil requirements
fertilidad del suelo
uso de la tierra
sistemas de cultivo
cultivo migratorio
agrosilvicultura
Edje, O.T.
Semoka, JMR
Haule, KL
Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title_full Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title_fullStr Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title_full_unstemmed Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title_short Traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
title_sort traditional forms of soil fertility maintenance
topic phaseolus vulgaris
soil fertility
land use
cultivation systems
shifting cultivation
agroforestry
cultivation
soil requirements
fertilidad del suelo
uso de la tierra
sistemas de cultivo
cultivo migratorio
agrosilvicultura
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/55961
work_keys_str_mv AT edjeot traditionalformsofsoilfertilitymaintenance
AT semokajmr traditionalformsofsoilfertilitymaintenance
AT haulekl traditionalformsofsoilfertilitymaintenance