The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and Power Conservation Agriculture Technology Company have come up with hybrid conservation farming technology to mitigate climate change.
The technology has already been tested as a pilot project in Chirumhanzu. It does this in three main ways; through minimal soil disturbance, the retention of crop residues and crop rotation. Ploughing and burning disturb the soil and the microbiota that live there. In contrast, Conservation Farming involves very little soil disturbance, enabling naturally occurring soil flora and fauna to flourish
Conservation Farming takes advantage of natural ecological processes to conserve moisture, enhance soil fertility, and improve soil structure, and to reduce soil erosion and the presence of diseases and pests. Conservation Agriculture Technology Company Director, Mr Joseph Ngirandi said the technology enables users to calculate exactly how much water and nutrients each plant requires, thus improving conservation while increasing yields.
For successful adoption of conservation farming, the communication function should be enhanced to ensure understanding of all aspects pertaining to the production systems.With climate change ravaging crop production, more investment is needed for widespread adoption of conservation technologies.