Zero-tillage farming

To prevent medium and large-scale farmers in the tropics from losing their fragile land through erosion and other soil. degrading factors scientists and agricultural engineers of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are of the opinion that zero-tillage farming is the best option. Zero-tillage farming is essentially farming without ploughing, where seeds are planted in a narrow slit or trench opened up mechanically in the soil. According to IITA, zero-tillage farming gives effective soil management, with cost-saving technology which supports continuous land use. It encourages productivity for all categories of farmers. The compaction and soil degrading effects of heavy machinery are considerably reduced. Zero-tillage farming makes effective post-clearing management possible. Its soil conservation attributes include effective reduction of erosion, increase of waterholding capacity and maintenance of temperature balance in soils. Furthermore, zero-tillage promotes earthworm activity. The IITA report says that the potential of zero-tillage farming for the humid tropics is being increasingly realized. Weed management research including the use of herbicides, is being carried out at IITA, where engineers have developed a series of small planters, fertilizer band applicators and the farmobile, a multi-purpose machine. Some of the techniques and improved tools have proved successful in parts of Nigeria Ghana, Cote d'lvoire, Cameroon, Zaire, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and some southeast Asian countries.To prevent medium and large-scale farmers in the tropics from losing their fragile land through erosion and other soil. degrading factors scientists and agricultural engineers of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are of the..