The impact of conservation agriculture on crop production in Tanzania: a case study of Ibumila and Magoda Villages in Njombe district.
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Date
2018
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Agriculture is at crossroads in Sub Saharan Africa today as it fosters development and reduces poverty and hunger. Its production is sustained through sustainable management of innovative practices, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) which provides high yields without undermining the natural resources. This study was conducted in order to understand the role of CA and determine its impact on crop production in Ibumila and Magoda villages in Njombe District. Specifically, the study was aimed to determine the implications of CA practices on crop production, assessing the impact of conservation agriculture on land quality and the challenges of practicing conservation agriculture. A Simple random sampling was used to get 10% of household interviews for each village; 12 members based on age, gender and sex were involved in FGD representing each study area. Discussion with Key Informants was also conducted. Field observation through transect walk was conducted to supplement data collected using other methods and for verification of issues reported. SPSS version 20.0 was used for descriptive data analysis and Microsoft excel spreadsheet were used to analyze quantitative data and the results were presented through tables and graphs, while qualitative data were analyzed and presented through description and plates. The result reveals that 55.9% and 25% of households in Ibumila and Magoda villages respectively improved crop yields in their farms due implementation of CA practices. On the other hand, 100 and 96.8% respectively realized that CA contributes to long term the use of land and water resources. On the other hand, in Ibumila village CA practices are implemented widely as compared to Magoda village. In general, this shows that conservation agriculture has great potentials to farmers on crop production and land quality. Therefore the study recommend that there should be formulation of clear policy concerning CA for sustainable agriculture and training on principles of CA should be addressed to all agricultural stakeholders.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF S604.5.T34A57)
Keywords
Agricultural conservation, Crops production, Soil conservation, Small holder farmers, Ibumila villages, Magoda villages, Njombe district, Tanzania
Citation
Antony, R. (2018). The impact of conservation agriculture on crop production in Tanzania: a case study of Ibumila and Magoda Villages in Njombe district. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.