Conservation Agriculture Application of Cover Crops

The Application of Cover Crops to Conservation Agriculture at the IDF Demonstration Farm

Village of Bana (West Region/Cameroon, Africa)

 By Allan Sorflaten 

Conservation agriculture (CA) refers to the practice of planting crops using minimum tillage and keeping the soil covered with cover crops or mulch. Farmers are asked to keep their use of hoes, ploughs and other tillage implements to a minimum. The practice is based on reduced or even no mechanical (or hand) tillage, a vegetative soil cover and beneficial crop rotations. The natural composition, structure and biodiversity of the soil thus is kept intact as much as possible. Practitioners of CA avoid burning plant residues because of the benefits these materials can bring to the soil as they decompose naturally. The use of natural fertilizers such as livestock and fowl manures and organic composts are emphasized. The soil is never allowed to lie bare. It is protected most of the time with crop residues such as leaves, stems & stocks and other vegetative matter from previous crops and also by using suitable cover crops that have soil improvement benefits (using intercropping and rotation crops). In so doing, the negative effects of wind and water erosion are minimized and soil fertility benefits are particularly realized by the use of appropriate leguminous crops.

Allan first presented an Introduction to the Principles of Conservation Farming during a 2 day seminar at Bana in November 2011. He then followed up with a more intensive 3 day seminar/workshop in November 2012. This 2^nd event included participants who were more genuinely representative of farming interests in Bana than the first. They were selected so as to include young farmers, women’s groups and also faith based or religious groups.

Shortly after this 2^nd workshop IDF successfully secured the rights to a few hectares of property in the Village for use as a Conservation Agriculture demonstration farm project (Champs École). Boundaries of the property were secured and the farm now appears secure from the point of view of land tenure. For this, thanks are due to the good graces of the Chef /Le Roi Traditionelle de Village, King Sikam Happi IV. The objective of this demonstration farm is to promote a resurgence of farming interest by small landholders in Bana using the very do-able practice of conservation or natural agriculture. The Farm occasionally has access to advisory input from the Regional Division/MINADER (Jean Woupi, Phillip, and the Irrigation Specialist).  IDF/NGO has been the implementing agency throughout and has excellent facilitating & planning skills and is skilled at mobilizing resources.

IDF has made excellent progress throughout the past year in developing the demonstration farm (Bana Champs École). Allan completed an additional CA seminar there (February 25/26) on the use of leguminous cover crops in CA systems.  All of the participants were those from the 2012 workshop who  are continuing to help develop the new demonstration farm. The content of this Cover Crops Seminar can be viewed on the attached Slide Share format. 

From the outset of this seminar/workshop series, Allan has emphasized the role of contour cultivation and other sustainable cropping techniques, many of which are not always commonly practised here. So we’re less surprised these days than we used to be when we see row crops pointing straight down the slope.

Now and then we encounter a few individuals who superbly fit that old extension model of the innovator or early adopter. One of these is Roger (pronounced Rogé) Tianni of Bana who in addition to his own impressive crop farming activities is providing a good deal of his own labor and valuable advice in helping to develop IDF’s demonstration farm. Roger has been a participant in our activities right from the time of that first CA seminar in 2011. As well he’s the only small farmer we’ve met who has actually developed and is using irrigation on his home farm. Perhaps he’s not really a small farmer with about 4 or 5 hectares under cultivation.

The IDF demonstration farm/champs école has access to water that it needs for a gravity based irrigation system during the dry season. Right now a few of the short crops like huckleberry (morele), cabbage, hot pepper, etc. can be grown at the bottom of the hillside on the flat land.

A well thought out system has been devised to bring a reliable and steady flow of water by pipe from a short distance upriver for hand distribution by watering cans. The system can be viewed as the first or rudimentary step in constructing an irrigation system powered by mechanical pump and with storage at the top of the hillside for gravity distribution to crops. The irrigation specialist from MINADER West Regional Division has been involved with planning the proposed irrigation system for Bana.

Cover crops or crops that can be associated with a complementary crop for the benefits that they may bring to the primary crop generally appear not to be considered here, possibly because they simply are not recognized as such. Long standing patterns or habits of “le houe” farming we suspect are also influential. As well, the attitude sometimes is expressed that there’s no point in changing established ways because there’s never enough money available to farm the modern way using purchased inputs like manufactured fertilizers.

Mr. Dagobert is a local authority on plant based medicines and has been a source of valuable information for us here in Bamenda. Early on this trip he provided us with advice on the use of locally sourced leguminous trees and other plants as cover crops and also contributed an excellent supply of seeds for the same at no cost. We happened to meet him quite by chance at the Vegetable Growers Seed Sales Outlet in Bamenda.  On our first visit to his small farm we learned that his son is doing a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Quebec. On our second visit Allan actually spoke with his son in Quebec City (using Dagobert’s mobile).

Other sources besides Mr. Dagobert  have generously provided financial resources for the IDF (Bana/Befang) farm seeds including the Rotary Club of Truro and Sorflatens.

Because public relations is important in furthering the purposes of the IDF demonstration farm, the good relationship that has been developed with Mr. Jean Baptiste of Radio Flambeau in Bafang will be maintained and expanded hopefully to include print media and television. Improved public awareness about the benefits that Conservation Agriculture can bring to the many, many poor  farmers throughout this region of Cameroon may encourage the Government/MINADER to implement programs that will further the practice of CA here and elsewhere throughout Cameroon.

The retired physician Dr. Poungey who in collaboration with IDF is an active supporter of palliative care in Bana speaks positively about the benefits of increased quality food production that CA can bring to those in need of the most basic care and nutritional consideration in their daily food needs.

https://www.slideshare.net/LydiaSorflaten/bana-conservation-demonstration-farm-in-cameroon