BREAKING PLOUGHSHARES INTO PEACE'S Vol 2:9

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Vol. 2:9 BREAKING PLOUGHSHARES INTO PEACE'S September 2001

The African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) consists of practitioners and promoters who believe the adaptation and adoption of conservation tillage principles is a cost effective method of reducing and reversing the environmental degradation and food insecurity devastating Africa. ACT NOW! is ACT's electronic update on events and findings which may assist accelerate this process.
ACT NOW! AND HELP AFRICA GROW!
http://www.fao.org/act-network [email protected]
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EDITOR'S NOTE
Encouraging to see the growing awareness of the advantages of conservation tillage on our continent. Spurred on by, for example, the draft problems of the south (as highlighted in John Asburner's visit to Swaziland and Lesotho) and the brief planting 'window' of the Sudan, farmers throughout Africa are turning to conservation tillage and, although there remain many unsolved constraints, the linking of commercial and subsistence initiatives (as in the Simdlangetshwa Field Day) and the international exchange of ideas and channeling of research resources facilitated by ACT, is lending momentum to the 'agrarian revolution'.
Our thanks to the many contributors to this edition of ACT NOW!, not least John Landers of Brazil, Dr Wilfred Mariki of Tanzania and John Ashburner of FAO. Please remember, we need yours too!!
Once again we congratulate ECAF and FAO on their initiative and foresight in convening the First World Conference on Conservation Agriculture which starts in Madrid on 1 October, and we encourage all participants to share in-depth of their experiences and expertise so that, together, we can HELP AFRICA GROW!

CO-ORDINATOR'S CORNER
I suppose if all innovations had clear benefits to the farmer, the "battle" for adoption would be half won. No matter how "nice" an innovation is, it will not be adopted if it threatens, or is perceived to threaten, food security.
So, what are the benefits of conservation tillage to the farmer. Is sustainable productivity just about tomorrow?
Successful promotion of CT options have to provide real and immediate benefits to farmers, short and long term. What are they? What's your experience? Let us know.
Martin Bwalya [email protected]

FROM THE SECRETARY'S DESK
Together with almost all of humanity I was appalled at the wanton destruction of September 11th. I pray for all those that lost loved ones, friends, acquaintances in those terrible acts, as too for all those of us who were incensed to demand vengeance.
For, as the dust started to settle over the World Trade Center, I was reminded of the analogy of the effect of the plough on soil systems centuries old, and of our banner to 'BREAK PLOUGHSHARES INTO PEACES'. We as conservationists have some understanding of the interdependence of things, and so have a possibly greater responsibility than most to impress upon our fellow beings and leaders the need not, as many of our peers are prone to do, to 'plough deeper!' but, through positive affirmative action, to cease the carnage, bring order to chaos, build not destroy.
For only in this way will our world become a better place - not just for ourselves, our loved ones and all with whom we share this planet now, but for generations to come.
Richard Fowler [email protected]

TOPICAL TIPS
SUSTAINABILITY
Dan Hemenway recently defined sustainability as something that may be done indefinitely. Some criteria include producing at least as much energy as it uses; the energy used is
renewable; sustainable systems protect, nurture, preserve and when
practical increase their resource base and tend to confine their effects to their own bioregions; sustainable activities take place at appropriate scale.
"Science is not the answer. Ignoring science also is not the answer."

John Landers of the Zero Tillage Farmers Association for the Tropical Savannahs in Brazil takes us to task for suggesting "environmental friendly" technologies requires reduced use of fertilizers., noting higher productivity per unit area (using e.g.. fertilizers) reduces the pressure to clear new land and mine natural fertility. If sustainability is within the next 100 years there will be no shortage of fertilizers. Sustainability depends on a balanced system, where the increased biological activity of organic matter under Zero Tillage can make P more available and reduce leaching of other nutrients. Zero Tillage depends on herbicides, which come from petroleum, which in time must run out, but there are ZT systems without herbicides which are showing promise in Paraguay and Brazil sub=tropics. Sustainability depends more on maintaining agricultural soils in place i.e. reducing erosion levels to below soil genesis levels. [email protected]

CONSERVATION TILLAGE IN AFRICA
CONSERVATION TILLAGE IN THE SUDAN
Loxton Venn & Associates established earlier this year 2100 hectares of crops under No Till on the Agadi Pilot Farm Project in Blue Nile State, Sudan. Owned by ASBNACo with funding from AAAID, the eventual intention is to plant dryland 80 000 hectares No Till on the Project, primarily on heavy black clay soils receiving on average 650mm rain pa.

NATIONAL CF WORKSHOP IN TANZANIA
Conducted in Arusha from 23-25 July, the workshop was sponsored by TFSC (Tanzania Farmers Services Centre) in a public-private partnership with GTZ, and brought together the various actors in the field of sustainable land management in Tanzania and the Region. About 60 participants including scientists from Eastern and Southern Africa region, and some from outside the region including Ghana, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and some Tanzanian farmers participated, and some of the gaps in knowledge and constraints for enhanced adoption identified and discussed. Dr Wilfred Mariki [email protected]

PLANTING WITHOUT PLOUGHING FIELD DAY
Zimplow of Zimbabwe demonstrated the Ukutshala ungalimanga
(Planting without ploughing) attachment to the SAFIM animal drawn planter at the provincial Planting without Ploughing Field Day on Tuesday 11th September at Simdlagentsha in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Developed in association with the University of Natal, the provincial Department of Agriculture, and the Grain Crops Institute of the South African Agricultural Research Council, the attachment is designed to fit the traditional SAFIM animal drawn planter, and hitches are being developed so these in turn can be hitched in tandem or triplicate behind a tractor. The ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering also demonstrated a ripper-planter they had adapted from that developed at Palabana, Zambia, and a ground wheel driven sprayer.
Designed to showcase and demonstrate equipment and services available to subsistence farmers wishing to expand, over 500 farmers, advisers, industry representatives and researchers from all over the sub-continent (including Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Mozambique) attended this the first Field Day of its kind in Southern Africa.
The next Day is due to take place in February 2002. All those wishing to take part or attend are urged to e-mail [email protected]

DRAFT POWER AND CT IN LESOTHO AND SWAZILAND
Mr John Ashburner, Senior Agricultural Engineer, Agriculture Departmental Group, FAO Regional Office for Africa, estimates that over 500,000 draft cattle (two thirds being cows), 200,000 donkeys, 100,000 horses and just over 1,000 mules contribute to farm power in Lesotho. There are also possibly 11,000 tractors (possibly 7,000 privately owned but probably only 4,000 in working condition. Households owning one or more plows were 38 %, planters 21 %, harrows 15 % and tractors 2.6%. Stock theft is an increasing problem, but a high proportion of cows are used as draft animals, although donkeys are being increasingly used for field work.
In Swaziland the Italian NGO "Co-operation for the Development of Emerging Countries" (COSPE) has been operating an integrated rural development project. The 800 homesteads in the project area have approximately 10 to 12,000 ha at their disposal for crop production. There are very few tractors in the community, less than 500 cattle (not all draft) and some donkeys. Due to the lack of farm power much of the potentially productive land remaining fallow, and it was agreed that Conservation Agriculture be considered. [email protected]

GREEN MANURE/COVERCROP DATABASE
ACT has established, in close collaboration with FAO, the structure for a Green Manure/Covercrop database. This database still needs to be filled with information, but a User Guide, which describes how to fill in
information and search for information is available, as are links to existing
databases. Further information from [email protected] or Dr Kurt Steiner [email protected].

ZIMBABWEAN RIDGERS
Edward Chuma, Chairperson of the ACT Steering Committee, advises that Zimbabwe, during its extensive involvement in tobacco cultivation, has developed/adapted a number of ridgers, primarily for use behind motorised tractors. There are a number of companies in the country manufacturing or importing units, specific information on some of which is obtainable from [email protected]

NO TILL CLUB CONFERENCE 2001
Approximately 70 farmers and advisers attended the KwaZulu-Natal No Till Club annual conference at Cedara, South Africa earlier this month. The Club's AGM was followed by papers presented by Prof RJ Haynes of the University of Natal (Nitrogen fertilization in a no-till system : forms/types - uses and applications in specific soils; storage and movement in soils; effect on soil organisms and organic matter); Mrs Felicity Mitchell (Irrigation scheduling in a no-till system) and Mr Guy Thibaud (both of the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs) (Phosphorus and potassium fertilization in a no-till system); and farmer Renee Stubbs with some thoughts on cover crops. Mr Hein Moolman of the provincial Planting without Ploughing initiative then spoke on No-till for small scale farmers, followed by Mr W Gibbings (Modifications to a standard planter for no-till planting) and Mr R Ward (The Rowgro no-till planter from Australia). Further information from Bill Russell [email protected] or
Chairman Anthony Muirhead [email protected]

INSECTS AND NO TILL
Mr Richard Bell of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, South Africa believes No-till may demand a greater use of insecticides because of build-up of insects in the soil and stubble. What is your experience? [email protected]

CONSERVATION TILLAGE OVERSEAS
BRAZIL STUDY TOUR, 2001 No-Till for Sustainable Rural Development
11 –21 NOVEMBER, 2001.
Organized by: Federação Brasileira de Plantio Direto na Palha ( Brazilian Federation of No Tillage in Crop Residues), Paraná State , Brazil General Objective: To demonstrate the role and impacts of no tillage system approach, the process of adoption by Brazilian farmers and farmers’ organizations, the different strategies of technology generation and its dissemination, including the social, environmental, organizational, institutional and policy aspects, with emphasis on smallholders agriculture. Further information from [email protected]

28th BRAZILIAN SOIL SCIENCE CONFERENCE
( XXVIII Congresso Brasileiro de Ciência do Solo) (www.cbcs.org.br) .
Herbert Arnold Bartz , President of FEBRAPDP, advises the nearly 2000 participants discussed primarily soil biology and fertility linked to SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) both connected to PDP (Plantio Direto na Palha), that means No Till in Stubble or No Till in Soil covered with Straw. "As a farmer and No-Till pioneer I may assure you that No-Till for Brazilian farmers is no technical option, but a question of survival." Nearly 30% of Brazilian cropland is farmed under No-Till, 14–15 million hectares.

OTHER NEWS
WOCAT - World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies
Dr G.W.J. van Lynden, Project Officer Soil degradation and Conservation of the International Soil Reference & Information Centre ISRIC mailto:[email protected] (http://www.isric.nl) advises WOCAT's mission is to provide tools that allow Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) specialists to share knowledge in soil and water management, so assisting them in their search for appropriate SWC technologies and approaches. It is organised as a consortium of national and international institutions open to all. For much more information visit the WOCAT Website: www.wocat.net and subscribe to the WOCAT mailing list.

ACTION GROUP ON EROSION, TECHNOLOGY AND CONCENTRATION
The ETC group (formerly RAFI) is an international civil society organization headquartered in Canada and dedicated to the advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. Our new web site,
www.etcgroup.org is under construction. Publications ex www.rafi.org

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE
Hosted by Eldis, this contains research, articles, the latest news and
conference information, job postings, links and an extensive archive on the subject of IPR. http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/ipr/

HOW MIGHT WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW AFFECT YOU?Essay Contest & $US $2100.00 Prize. Details of the WIPO contest can be found at: http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/alert/2001/ma03rev.htm
or [email protected]

EARTH SUMMIT 2002
Details on accreditation and registration for the Earth Summit 2002 Preparatory Committee sessions are now on www.earthsummit2002.org
Also available are briefings on About Earth Summit 2002 - http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/2002/Es2002.PDF
and Climate Change - http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/issues/Climate_change\climate_change_and_energy.htm

COMING EVENTS (* denotes first time in ACT NOW!)
1. COUNTRY (What's happening in YOUR country related to conservation tillage?)

* October 18, 2001. FOOD ACCESS & NUTRITION. Food Security Prgm, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. [email protected]

November 7-9, 2001. REFORMAT - Second national forum on Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies. Village Market Complex, Limuru Road, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya. www.formatkenya.org

2. AFRICA

October 15-18, 2001. PELUM BGM, Durban, South Africa. Contact Dr Mutizwa Mukute [email protected]

November 26 - 27, 2001. BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA. Witkoppen, South Africa. Contact Kinyua Mbijjewe [email protected]

November 27-29, 2001. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADULT LEARNING AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION. ENQUIRIES: Mandy Deetlefs, Tel: (+27) (12) 323-3447 ext 140. //www.projectliteracy.org.za

December 03-09, 2001 2ND AFRICAN ACAROLOGY SYMPOSIUM, Nairobi, KENYA. Theme: "Novel Approaches to Tick and Mite Management in the New Millennium." Contact: M. Knapp. E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 254-2-860110. (IPMnet NEWS 85)

May 20-24, 2002. 6th ATNESA THEMATIC WORKSHOP, Jinja, Uganda. Modernising agriculture through improved animal traction. Engineer Wilfred R. Odogola [email protected]

3. OVERSEAS
October 1-5, 2001. International Congress. Conservation Agriculture - a world-wide challenge. Madrid, Spain. Further information from www.ecaf.org or [email protected]

November 5-10, 2001. ICPEP-2. Second International Conference on Plants and Environmental Pollution (ICPEP-2). Lucknow, India.
Dr. K.J. Ahmad [email protected]

November 12, 2001. THE WORLD'S WORST WEEDS, Brighton, UK. One day symposium preceding WEEDS 2001 BCPC Conference.

November 13-14, 2001. PESTICIDE BEHAVIOUR IN SOILS AND WATER, Brighton,UK. Research symposium in conjunction with WEEDS 2001 BCPC Conference. Contact: . Fax: 44-171-924-1790. Website: www.BCPC.org (IPMnet NEWS 85)

November 13-15, 2001. INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY SUMMIT 2001. Marconi Conference Centre, near San Francisco, USA. Nikole Wilson
Conference Co-ordinator, [email protected]

March 2002. Women and Environment Conference for RIO+10. Uganda. (http://www.kabissa.org/wougnet/projectnews.html#WEC2002)

* February 19-22, 2002. NO TILL FARMING IN RICE-WHEAT SYSTEMS.

April 20-25, 2002. 4th INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON WORKING EQUINES Al-Ba'ath University, Syria. Registration only US $100. [email protected]

May 26-30, 2002. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION CONFERENCE, Durban, South Africa. [email protected]

June 24-28, 2002. 1ST LATIN-AMERICAN SHORT-COURSE ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF WEEDS, Montelimar, NICARAGUA. [email protected].

July 21-26, 2002. Women's Worlds 2002: 8th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women. www.kabissa.org/wougnet/projectnews.html#WW2002

August 14-21, 2002. 17th World Congress of Soil Science. Bangkok, Thailand. THEME Soil Science: Confronting New Realities in the 21st Century. Email: [email protected]

September 20-24, 2002. II World Meeting of Mountain Populations. (Quito, Ecuador). "Jorge Leon, APMM"

October 26-28, 2002. 3rd Int Symposium:AGROENVIRON-2002 SUSTAINABLE AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS. Cairo, Egypt.
Abstracts by November 30. Email: [email protected]

* August 12-15, 2002. 22ND BRAZILIAN WEED SCIENCE CONGRESS, Porto Alegre, RGS, BRAZIL. Contact: [email protected]

* November 16-21 November, 2002. BRIGHTON CROP PROTECTION
CONFERENCE 2002, Brighton, UK. [email protected]

June 19-25, 2004. 4TH INTERNATIONAL WEED SCIENCE CONGRESS, Durban, SOUTH AFRICA. .

TRAINING
REGIONAL COURSE IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, October 29 - Nov 2, 2001, Western Kenya. [email protected]

COMMUNITY-BASED INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Nov 19 - Dec 7. IIRR, Phillipines.US $ 2500. Education&[email protected]

FARMER-LED EXTENSION November 12-29. IIRR, Phillipines.
US $ 2000. Education&[email protected]

GENDER & DEVELOPMENT. November 19-23, 2001. Training Centre for Development Cooperation, Arusha, Tanzania. [email protected]

* INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT. April 21 - June 28, 2002. Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS. [email protected]

* DEVELOPMENT OF IPM APPROACHES. May 12 - June 9, 2002. Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS. [email protected]

* THE ROLE OF PESTICIDES IN IPM. June 10-22, 2002. Wageningen,
THE NETHERLANDS. [email protected]

PUBLICATIONS

Latest papers from the Agricultural Research and Extension Network:
http://www.odi.org.uk/agren/publist.html
No. 117 "The role of forages in reducing poverty and degradation
natural resources in tropical production systems", M. Peters, P.
Horne, A. Schmidt, F. Holmann, P.C. Kerridge, S.A. Tarawali, R.
Schultze-Kraft, C.E. Lascano, P. Argel, W. Stür, S. Fujisaka, K.
Müller-Sämann and C. Wortmann

Climate change science: a analysis of some key questions
Committee on the Science of Climate Change, National Research
Council, National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2001
Latest study for US government confirms warming data
http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/climsci.htm

The end of world population growth
Lutz, W.; Sanderson, W.; Scherbov, S.
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, (IIIASA), 2001
Population numbers are predicted to fall, but the number of elderly
will still increase http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/age/nat.htm
(ex Eldis Development Reporter August 2001

State of Food and Agriculture 2001
FAO Rome, 2001, 322 pp. + CD-ROM
ISBN 92-5-104600-X / ISSN 0081-4539
$39.00// $49.00 after the 13 September
FAO's annual report on current developments and issues in world agriculture.

INTERNATIONAL IPM INVOLVEMENT
Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development
(CIIFAD) ANNUAL REPORT 1999-2000 with section on international IPM. Softbound, illustrated report. 146pp. [email protected]

"The role of land carbon sinks in mitigating global climate change"
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/policy/index.html

WEED MANAGEMENT IN THE HUMID AND SUB-HUMID TROPICS
Weed scientist P.J. van Rijn, and two guest authors. Principles of weed ecology, then weed management specifics for each of nearly 30 main tropical crops. Softbound, 242pp including short but informative full color section, long reference list & appendices [email protected]

PROGRESSIVE PEST MANAGEMENT: CONTROLLING PESTICIDES AND IMPLEMENTING IPM; and,
COUNTRY PROFILES: THE STATE OF IPM AND CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA. [email protected]

WEB SITES

World Summit on Sustainable Development www.johannesburgsummit.org

World Wind Energy Association (WWEA): www.wwindea.org

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Would you like to advertise a position? Looking for a job?

DevNetJobs at http://www.devnetjobs.org or http://members.tripod.com/dev_jobs a comprehensive listing
of International Development jobs arising in Asia, Africa, Latin America,
Europe, US and other regions on one website. Also a free weekly mailing list of jobs - subscribe by sending a blank email to
[email protected]

NOTE
ACT NOW! is compiled and forwarded on behalf of the African Conservation Tillage Network ACT with the aim of accelerating the adoption of conservation tillage practices in Africa. Views expressed, however, are not necessarily those of the Network or all or any of its members, and the Editor reserves the right to publish whatever he deems relevant and of interest, space permitting. Use may be made of any information or article published in ACT NOW! provided this newsletter is acknowledged. Individuals or organisations may request to be added to the e-mailing list by sending an e-mail to [email protected] headed, as Subject, SUBSCRIBE ACT NOW! and, in the body of the e-mail, the name of the subscriber, the country in which the subscriber is based, and the e-mail address to which subsequent editions of ACT NOW! should be sent. To unsubscribe, send the same information in an e-mail headed UNSUBSCRIBE ACT NOW! Subscribers are urged to send any information, news, views etc on conservation tillage to the same address headed AFRICA NOW! NEWS and then a brief caption, all in the Subject line.
The current Secretary of ACT is Richard Fowler, 5, Musson Mews, Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg 3201, SOUTH AFRICA - e-mail [email protected]
ACT Regional Co-ordinator is Martin Bwalya, ACT Secretariat, c/o IES, University of Zimbabwe, P.O.Box MP167, Harare, ZIMBABWE. Phone +263 4 334395. Fax 332853. [email protected]