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August 2014
Suthu says: “I grow vegetables primarily for consumption in the
household. I alsogrowmaize that I sell to local communitymembers
and in town. Producingmaize is costly for me, especially hiring the
tractor in addition to the weeding being labour intensive. I sell my
maizegreenatR10acoband the rest aresolddry in5 litrecontainers
at R25 for 5 litres.”
She was very keen to join a group of SCG members interested in
improving their cropproductionpractices throughCA.
Volunteering farmers as key innovators
TheCA-FIP process involves volunteerswithinSCGs and enterprise
interest groups undertaking to do CA trials alongside their normal
production practices. The CA practices introduced to them,
comprised planting without ploughing using specialised hand
planters, retaining the crop residues on the soil surface and crop
diversity, i.e. intercropping and crop rotations.
A high crop density approach (i.e. narrow rows and higher plant
populations)was followed to reducesoilwater loss fromevaporation
and to suppress weed growth, whilst accelerating soil health
improvement. The volunteering “CA groups” joined in an ongoing
learning process throughout the season, using trials as “field
laboratories” and their groupmeetings as social learning events.
1: SibongileSuthudiscusses her enterprisebudgetswithothermembers of themaize and vegetableproduction interest groupduring abusinessman-
agement learning session.
2a: An animal drawnno-till planter.
2b: Testing thenew “wheel planter” called theHarakaplanter.
2c: Having a look at thehandhoe typeMBLI planter.
2d: Jabbingwith theMatraccaplanter.
3a: Agroupof farmers dayparticipants observes the trial plots atMrsDzingwa’s home.
3b: Farmers dayparticipants listen to an address by theDepartment of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
4:NozamileMandlakhewithher drybean and cowpeaharvest.
5a:Mazwi Dlamini (Mahlathini Organics) stands next to aplot of intercroppedmaize anddrybeans.
5b: Checking for pod set and seedproduction in the legumes.
5c: A viewof a trial plotwith themaize-drybean andmaize-cowpea intercropplots.
1
5a
2c
2d
3b
3a
4
2a
5b
2b
5c
