VTechWorks staff will be away for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29. We will resume normal operations on Monday, December 2. Thank you for your patience.

Browsing by Author "Wall, P. C."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Effects of conservation agriculture techniques on infiltration and soil water content in Zambia and Zimbabwe
    Thierfelder, Christian; Wall, P. C. (Elsevier, 2009)
    This paper discusses the results of researcher-managed field trials in Zimbabwe (sandy soil) and Zambia (finer-textured soil) 2005-2007, comparing conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional management. CA plots had significantly higher water infiltration 49% and 45% greater than conventional for two seasons in Zimbabwe, and 57% and 87% greater infiltration for CA treatment in Zambia. Most CA plots had higher average soil moisture throughout the season. The years of the study were not drought years, so it did not assess the drought-mitigating capacity of CA directly, but results suggest improved water use efficiency, which would reduce risk of crop failure in low-rain years.
  • Tailoring conservation agriculture to the needs of small farmers in developing countries: An analysis of issues
    Wall, P. C. (Taylor & Francis, 2007)
    The defining characteristics of conservation agriculture (CA) are retention of crop residues on the soil surface and minimized soil disturbance. A major barrier to adoption of CA is the extensive prerequisite knowledge required for successful implementation. Other factors inhibiting the spread of CA among small scale farmers are the prevalence of crop-livestock systems, which often depend upon crop residues for animal feed; limited access to markets, capital or credit; and a lack of equipment tailored to the specific needs of small-scale CA. To encourage wider adoption of CA, important foci are building individual and community knowledge about CA and developing farming system practices and equipment especially suited for small-scale farmers.