@article{Bridget:231357,
      recid = {231357},
      author = {Bridget, Bwalya Umar},
      title = {Reversing Agro-Based Land Degradation through Conservation  Agriculture: Emerging Experiences from Zambia’s Smallholder  Farming Sector},
      journal = {Sustainable Agriculture Research},
      address = {2012},
      number = {526-2016-37816},
      year = {2012},
      abstract = {This study reports on the land degradation minimizing  effects of Conservation Agriculture (CA) as promoted among  smallholder Zambian farmers. It found no evidence of CA  associated improvements in soil fertility after five years  of CA practice, most probably because crop residues were  removed from the fields. The study reports high phosphorus  (15.53 mg kg-1) and potassium (0.75 cmol kg-1) levels, low  nitrogen (0.12 %) and organic carbon (1.19 %) levels, and  no plough/hoe pans in soils from both CA and conventionally  (CV) managed fields. This is in part contrary to the  dominant land degradation narratives which have been the  basis for promoting CA in the study areas. Faidherbia  albida, a leguminous tree promoted as part of the CA  package in Zambia, is associated with significantly higher  levels of nitrogen, organic carbon and potassium under its  canopy. Its planting by CA farmers is linked to the  incentives provided by CA promoters. Average maize yields  of 3.8 t ha-1 and 2.8 t ha-1 were reported under CA and CV  systems respectively. Government subsidies for mineral  fertilizer and hybrid seed promote maize mono-cropping and  remain unsupportive of CA. It is concluded that the  dominant land degradation narrative, which posits  population induced land degradation, may not hold in this  case. Instead, the removal of crop residues and low levels  of mineral fertilizer and manure amendments may better  explain the soil fertility status of the study areas. More  nutrient replacement strategies are required if the  benefits of CA on soil fertility are to be actualized in  the immediate future.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/231357},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.231357},
}