Today, Margaret use conservation farming techniques: instead of ploughing the entire field surface, she plants her seeds in smaller squares, filled with manure and covered with leaves. This not only protects the top soil better, but the seeds can await the first rains for up to 2 weeks.
This simple technique increased her yields from 3-4 bags of maize, to 57 bags per season.
Margeret was supported by TIST, an ICRISAT partner.
Video by Peter Casier/CGIAR Consortium office, produced for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
View more CCAFS farmer testimonials
Acho louvavel e necessario uma concientizaçao sobre a importancia de se preservar as vegetaçoes bem como espalhar o conhecimento sobre vegetaçoes resistentes a seca, e incetivar o cultivo conciente de tais,para que algum dia a populaçao africana se sustente com as proprias “pernas” e tenha independencia dos outros paises.
Sandra, I allow a “liberal” translation into English for the other readers (given my very imperfect Portuguese, but with help from you via Twitter):
Sandra says:
.. And we could not agree more, Sandra! — This is one aspect. But we could also widen it: training on those crops, adapted fertilizers and cropping techniques, creating a market for these crops, irrigation, forestation (to protect the fields)… All goes together..
Peter
(Moderator)
[...] Margaret Silas, a Kenyan farmer uses simple techniques to increase her yield [...]