Improve soil fertility through locally available and environmentally responsible inputs.
Project 03Ongoing programmeSustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture & Green Manure Programme
Farmer field schools, local soil-fertility solutions and conservation farming in Chididi.
SURCOD's sustainable agriculture work promotes practical, low-cost farming approaches that improve soil fertility and reduce reliance on expensive synthetic inputs. In 2017, the programme in Chididi used farmer field schools, demonstration plots, green manure and Tithonia diversifolia to support local learning and adoption.
- Location
- Chididi and surrounding communities, Nsanje District, Malawi
- Dates
- 2017 programme phase
- Countries
- Malawi
- Farmers reached
- 1,200 farmers reached through farmer field schools in 2017
Project overview
Learning by testing sustainable farming practices in the field.
SURCOD uses participatory farmer field schools and demonstration plots so that farmers can observe, test and discuss practices before adopting them on their own farms. The approach places local farmers and lead farmers at the centre of learning rather than relying only on classroom-style extension.
In 2017, farmers in Chididi took part in green-manure nurseries, Tithonia trials and conservation-farming demonstrations designed to improve soil health and reduce dependence on costly chemical fertilisers.
Related SURCOD programme
Agriculture & Food Security →Objectives
What the programme set out to achieve.
Reduce smallholder dependence on expensive chemical fertilisers.
Strengthen farmer knowledge through participatory field schools and demonstration plots.
Promote conservation-farming practices that protect soil and improve resilience.
Support farmer-to-farmer diffusion of practices that have been locally tested.
Methodology
Farmer-led, demonstrative and grounded in local conditions.
The programme relies on demonstration, experimentation and peer learning. Farmers learn in field-school settings, observe practical results in demonstration plots and help explain techniques to other farmers, allowing locally tested practices to spread through community networks.
Activities
- Establishing and managing green-manure production nurseries.
- Farmer field-school sessions on compost and green-manure management.
- Local trials and promotion of Tithonia diversifolia as an organic soil-fertility input.
- Demonstration fields showing conservation farming without chemical fertiliser.
- Lead-farmer learning and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.
- Practical discussion of lower-cost approaches to soil fertility and crop production.
SURCOD implementation role
Connecting farmer knowledge with practical field demonstrations.
- ✓SURCOD organised farmer field schools and demonstration activities in Chididi communities.
- ✓The organisation worked with farmers to test and adapt practices before wider promotion.
- ✓Local lead farmers helped communicate results and practical techniques to their peers.
- ✓SURCOD connected programme support with locally available resources such as compost materials and Tithonia.
Results
Adoption beyond attendance.
1,200 farmers reached
In 2017, farmer field schools reached 1,200 farmers and supported the adoption of compost and green-manure practices.
487 farmers adopted Tithonia
Following three years of trials, 487 farmers in Chididi adopted Tithonia diversifolia in 2017.
10 production nurseries established
Ten nurseries were established to supply Tithonia material to participating farmers.
30 demonstration fields
Thirty demonstration fields supported learning about conservation farming and other agricultural techniques in 2017.
Impact and follow-up
The programme created a practical pathway for farmers to replace part of their purchased fertiliser requirement with locally available organic inputs while improving soil-management knowledge.
Farmers put locally tested practices to use through green manure, Tithonia and conservation farming, connecting field-school learning with work on their own farms.
Project gallery
Field learning in practice.
Green-manure nurseries, Tithonia trials and demonstration plots used in SURCOD's farmer field-school approach.
Featured moment
01 of 04A farmer field-school visit to the green-manure nursery in Mpangira Village.
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Partners
Partners in sustainable agriculture.
The programme combined philanthropic support with local farmer participation and SURCOD facilitation.
Volkart Foundation
Switzerland
Programme funder
SURCOD
Malawi
Implementing organisation
Local farmer groups
Malawi
Community implementation and peer learning
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