No-till tech could help boost agriculture in Uganda
However, Ugandan farmers could adopt a similar technology of mixed farming practiced by farmers in Brazil, called integrated agriculture, where a piece of land is utilised for planting forest trees and the same land is utilised for growing crops or keeping animals.
Dr Lineu explained that the use of no-till technology could help boost production for growers. No-till technology, where the farm is covered with organic matter, is for the purpose of avoiding sunlight from penetrating through to the farmland that may cause weeds to grow.
Scientists at Embrampa developed a package of this technology where, after grass is cut from the farm, it is left to rot into organic matter for a period of about one month and thereafter the farmer uses a planter to dig holes to plant the seeds.
Dr Lineu says the advantage of this technology is that the soil is conserved and it retains nutrients which enables farmers to harvest increased yields.
source: allafrica.com
