Conservation tillage practice in sub-Saharan Africa: The experience of Sasakawa Global 2000

Abstract

Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) for assisting small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan African countries to increase staple food crop production, introduced conservation tillage (CT) technology to Ghana in 1993. In collaboration with the national Crop Research Institute (CRI) and a private company, SG 2000 has developed a ‘no-till with mulch’ cultivation system especially well suited to small-scale farmers. Farmers obtained 3–6 t/ha of maize compared with 1 t/ha by traditional methods. The CT technology package, together with herbicides and fertilizers, offers several advantages such as increased organic matter on the soil surface, soil erosion prevention and, in the long run, restoration of soil fertility. Farmers can reduce labor costs, save time and expand the size of the cultivated area at little cost. CT is profitable even when using inputs such as herbicides, improved seed and fertilizers. Widely adopted by a large number of small farmers in Ghana, the practice has been spreading to Mozambique, Ethiopia, Malawi and other countries where SG 2000 is in operation. By using CT technology, farmers do not need to plough the fields for seed bed preparation, and by applying a herbicide before planting, farmers are relieved from weeding, which is usually done manually. Weeds killed by the herbicide then dry up and become part of the mulch cover. This study proves that CT technology is a vital tool for promoting agricultural development in a sustainable manner. Examples of CT practice in selected SG 2000 country projects are discussed and the impact of CT on various aspects is elaborated.