Medium Seasonal

The process of saving one’s own seed involves the collection of seeds from the best performing (most yield, largest size, early maturing or other desired traits, etc.) plants from one season to plant them in the next cropping season. The aim of this practice is to select seed from parent plants in the hope that desired characteristics are replicated in the next generation of plants. Seeds that have been selected will likely be adapted to local farming conditions including soil types and rainfall amounts. The seed most likely to carry intergenerational traits (size, colour, water use efficiency, and other biophysical traits) are open-pollinated (those plants pollinated by birds, insects, wind, etc.) seed varieties as they are cross-pollinated by the same type of crop. Different crops have different reproduction cycles with some species flowering or producing seeds annually, biennially or on a perennial basis. Thus, understanding seeding time is important for farmers aiming to save their own seeds. Almost as important as selecting the correct seeds is seed storage, which must be done correctly to avoid spoiling and losses. Seed saving is a cost-effective measure for farmers to employ and helps them avoid having to buy seeds at market on an annual basis. Seed trading or community seed banks provide a climate resilience strategy as they secure farmers access and availability of diverse, locally adapted crops and varieties while enhancing indigenous knowledge. Often crops from hybrid seeds or improved varieties do not generate viable seeds ensuring that seeds cannot be saved and must be purchased on an annual basis.

Trash lines are the incorporation of lines of organic materials spread across contours of hilly agricultural fields - strips of heaped straw or weed materials that have been collected during primary cultivation of the land. Trash lines have been found to direct runoff in field and act as an erosion control method. Through decomposition, the trash line material acts as a type of compost adding nutrients to the soil, adding more organic material year on year, should the farmer continue to build this line. This is a climate smart approach as it contributes to soil health, capturing more nutrients and carbon in the soil, and in turn promoting sustainable agricultural productivity. In changing climates, implementation of this practice can contribute to adaptation strategies.

Many farmers grow one crop repeatedly on the same field over-and-over again. Crop diversification is the cultivation of several crops of a different species or variety (of one crop) in one plot at any given point in time. The main advantage of implementing crop diversification is that it enhances household climate resilience through reducing risk of monocrop failure due to pests, disease, low rainfall and other climate risks.

Employing crop diversification may also provide opportunity of more diversified income sources and dietary diversity. Farmers can simultaneously grow both food crops, fodder and cash crops in an attempt to increase household food security and improve household incomes. There are also indications that crop diversification can increase crop productivity, which for poorer households can have significant positive impacts. For better capitalised farms, return on specialisation may be higher, and will likely not realise the desired returns.

Monocropping in one field for many subsequent years will cause nutrient depletion in that field and lead to less productive returns. Crop Rotation is the process of planning the planting and harvesting of different crops planted on the same field over subsequent growing seasons, allowing less nutrient depletion and if applied effectively, increasing soil nutrients through nitrogen fixing etc. This farming practice also assists with weed control, prevents soil erosion, and is the most efficient and economical way to break the biological cycles of plant pests and diseases, mitigating the effects of pests/disease as they become more prevalent due to climate change and helping farmer diversify crop production.  Research has shown that rotation between nitrogen consuming crops such as maize and nitrogen depositing plants such as soybeans can provide a healthy balance of nutrients. This farming practice is advantageous for smallholder farmers who are less able to leave fields fallow for extended periods of time, as well as for commercial farmers wanting to reduce pesticide use. It is seen as climate smart as it breaks pest and disease cycles, returning nutrients to the soil, thereby supporting more predictable yields in times of climate pressure, and locking more carbon in the soil.

Intercropping is a process of growing multiple crops either together or in proximity to each other on one piece of land, thereby improving crop production, reducing and preventing land degradation and increasing crop output.

There are different methods of intercropping:

• Mixed intercropping – two or more crops are seeded together and harvested together.
• Row/strip intercropping – two or more crops planted on the same field but planted in alternate rows.

Crops selected for intercropping should not have similar properties or compete but should be selected to complement one another and be mutually beneficial. For example, deep rooted crops can be intercropped with shallow rooted crops, so as to not compete for water or nutrients. Intercropping helps achieve ecological benefits not possible with monocropping systems. Intercropping is commonly practiced for maize-legume systems, where legumes introduce nitrogen into the soil benefiting maize production and improving soil fertility during crop growth. Furthermore, the legume crops can be utilised for fodder for livestock. This practice is particularly beneficial for smallholder farmers, who can grow multiple crops on small plots to receive multiple benefits including improving production/yields, and increasing household food security. Intercropping is also a climate-smart practice as it mitigates farmer risk to climate variations, through diversifying and increasing crop production, reduces threats of pests and disease, and increases carbon sequestration in soils and biomass production.

Soil fertility is one of the most critical factors needs to be maintained so farmers can continue to grow productive and nutritious crops, especially in southern Africa where soils are often fragile and lacking in plant nutrients. Soils are often quickly depleted if mismanaged, further exacerbated by natural biophysical processes such as rain, wind and/or heat. The use of organic fertiliser can help farmers to improve soil fertility, as they improve absorption of water and add nutrients into the soil, drastically improving crop production. Organic fertilisers are plant (crop residues) or animal-based materials, such as green manure, worm mouldings, compost, animal waste, and sewage residues, many of which may be readily available on the farm, or within a farming community. These products are potential counters to inorganic fertilisers - artificially manufactured chemicals (synthetic) mined from mineral deposits comprising minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium - which are often costly when few farmers can access credit needed to sustainably access such materials. Organic fertilisers are considered climate smart as they utilise (recycle) readily available organic materials to feed soil and crops simultaneously as they add nutrients into the soil and condition it, and thus increase productivity and resilience, while inorganic fertilisers add nutrients to the soil only, and are often expensive.

Compost is a biological process where micro-organisms recycle decaying or decomposing organic matter to produce a soil conditioner that can be applied as an additive to improve soil conditions. Composting takes place in the presence of oxygen (aerobic conditions), and with adequate temperature and moisture, transforming organic matter into plant-available nutrients. Compost can comprise organic plant and/or animal matter, and/or residues including leaves, dead roots, manure, urine, bones, and nematodes, amongst other organic materials. As it is generally rich in nutrients, the application of compost can naturally fortify soils, acting as a fertiliser, with soil humus or natural pesticide increasing the resistance of plants to diseases, foreign species and insects. The amount of organic matter in different soils depends on the soil type, vegetation species, and other environmental conditions, such as moisture and temperature. Thus, the application of compost may add important nutrients to soils that can benefit vegetation growth. Rainfall, temperature changes and other biophysical factors may result in a diminishing return of compost benefits to soil health. Therefore, the application of compost to soils should be a continuous practice, in order to increase physical, chemical and biological benefits. There are two main composting systems: Open Systems (compost piles or pits) or Contained Composting – see technical application below. This is a climate smart approach as it recycles readily available organic materials from a farm for use within the farming system, plus it avoids the use of chemical fertilisers. Composting is a climate smart approach as it reduces the need for chemical fertilisers, contributes to soil amendments that support adaptation to climate change, and helps retain soil fertility, which in turn aids agricultural productivity.