Translating Integrated Soil Fertility Management Empirical Knowledge into Action through Participatory Learning and Marketing Agricultural Produce in Zimbabwe
Abstract
168 words
The study sought to identify suitable mechanisms for transferring
the available knowledge on concepts and principles of integrated
soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies to smallholder
farmers and agricultural service providers in Zimbabwe. The
study was carried out in two distinct smallholder farming
communities of Makoni and Wedza in eastern Zimbabwe aiming
at with an aim of promoting adoption of innovations for
sustainably increasing yields and incomes. a The national
extension agency, Agritex, was identified as the major conduit
for agricultural information dissemination by 80% of farmers in
Makoni and 95% in Wedza. PAR approaches enabled
mobilisation of farmers differing in resource-endowments to
participate knowledge-sharing alliances resulting in significant
farm-level increases in maize and legume yields. Attendance
to local meetings and other agriculture-related fora also
increased from <5% representation to ~50% for the more
vulnerable members, notably women-headed households, the
elderly and the more resource-constrained community
members. Benefits of ISFM for farmers participating in learning
alliances included improved household food security through
increased yields and marketing of produce (income).
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