Raphael Chinolo is a farmer from Chamkoroma village of Kongwa district in Dodoma Region. Dodoma region is located in the semi-arid area with unrealiable rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 800 mm per year. Sometimes the amount of rainfall decreases below the above mentioned amount that may lead to low crop production, an influence to food shortage at household level. The area is also highly affected by severe gully erosion due to the existing soil structure unreliable rainfall distribution and increased deforestation. The area is characterised by deep gullies runnig all the way from the upper hill slopes to the valley and soil infertility.
Purpose of innovation
The heal the threatening gullies and turn them into arable croplands to grow banana, sugar cane, maize and fruit trees.
Motivation for the innovation
After completing his primary education, Mr Chinolo did not believe that he will get improved life and be successful from agriculture. He decided to go to town to find new job but it did not work as he expected things to be. When he returned back in village, he secured a land from the village government but the land given to him was abandoned and unproductive. As he had no option to suceed his life, he tried to find new alternatives to face his challenges through combating the threatening gullies that eroded his land by converting them into crop arable land for food crop production. The innovation is very helpful and has been adapted by so many farmers from Dodoma and other regions with similar characteristics.
Brief description of the innovation
In practising the innovation, the following steps are involved:
- Across the bottom of the gully, the farmer fixed pegs in two rows space 2 feet a part and 4 feet of interval between pegs. The distance from one trash barrier to another is 7 to 8 metres and the number of rows depend on the length of the gully
- Dry grasses, tree branches and any organic matter is put in between the rows of pegs
- As wtaer flows from the upper slope, sand and organic matter are stopped by the trash barriers through sedimentation processes
- Soils resulting from the sedimentation process are used to grow food crops after they are mixed with farmyard manure.
- The more sediments accumulate, the greater the gully is healed and more the arable land increases
Benefits from the innovation
- Has managed to convet gullies into arable cropland of more than 4 acres
- High recognition with the community and government authorities for the great effort used to conserve the environment
- Has been given many awards from the Tanzania government related to environmental conservation (e.g In 2007, he was the second winner of presidential award on environmental conservation in Dodoma region)
- He is food secured with so many assets earned from his land
- He is now practicing crop diversification
- Increased production and money income
- He is used by local government and other development institutions as resource person to mobilise other farmers at country and regional level. He has initiated about 56 farmer groups angaged in crop production and environmental conservation.
