Mr Rajabu Ally Bella is ana innovator farmer from Choka village of Kondoa District, Dodoma region is located in the semi-arid area with unreliable rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 8oo 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 highly affected by severe gully erosion due to the existing soil structure unrealiable rainfall distribution and increased deforestation. In terms of vegetation, Kondoa district has a savannah type of vegetation with a climate which is chracterised by a long dry season lasting between April and December.
Purpose of these innovations
To heal the threatening gullies, reclaiming the land to increase arable land, soil fertility, crop yield and conserve the environment using locally available resources
Motivation for the innovations
Mr. Bella likes to see the environment is well protected. However the area where he lives was threatened by wide meandering Sand River passing through his farm. He started to think about innovative strategies to control it. From that time he started to use control it. From that time he started to use contour bands and tree planting to reduce environmental hazards caused by flooding and heal the gullies to reduce the width of the sand river while increasing water infiltration rate. Through his innovation, Mr Bella has won many awards for environmental conservation from the district to national level. The innovation is very helpful and been adapted by so many farmers from Dodoma and other regions with similar characteristics.
Brief description of the innovation
Mr. Bella is practising three different types of local innovation including gully healing, land reclamation to increase arable area and soil fertility improvement to increase crop yield and environment conservation through tree planting using locally available resources.
a. Gully healing
During rainfall season, silts and other sediments produced by water runoff and floods are trapped into reactangular rooms along the gully that are made of more of stones and hard clumps of soil which are filled of thorny trees and branches. As time goes on, the gully heals gradually. On trapped sediments, the innovator plant elephant grass and trees to allow soil formation process while shifting or reducing the width of the gully.
b. Land reclamation to increase arable area, soil fertility and crop yield
Mr Bella had developed a local innovation on the use of contour bands to enhance rain water harvesting techniques, to increase water infiltration rate and to reduce soil erosion using locally available resources. He constructed big contour bands across the slope of his land inter space of 20 to 30 metres using hand hoe. The contours are made of big trash of chaffs, weeds and crop remains and that covered with soil cut from the up stream. To enforce the contour band, Mr Bella has planted gasses and Grevellia trees downstream to support the loose soil. As the trees also need water and nutriets like other living organisms, he sometimes broadcast around the trees and in the farmyard manure although not regularly.
c. Three planting
The practice of tree planting finds its essence of local innovation by the fact that despite the prevailing climatic conditions of the area. Mr. Bella has managed to establish a plantation of more that 60,000 trees that earn for him a lot of money. Mr. Bella does plant trees for record keeping for any national or international event. He has come up with a beautiful historical site in his field fulll of useful information. Primary school students from his surrounding come regulary in his tree plantation to learn about the past history. >He has established a tree nursery for sedling that is complemented by rooting seedlings.
Benefits of the innovations
- Has managed to establish a big tree plantation of more than 60,000 trees among which more than 5,000 are matured and ready for sell.
- Recognition from development agents, local and central government authorities for his effort in conserving the environment and educating others on the matter. (e.g In 2007, he was the first winner of presidential award on environmental conservation in Kondoa District)
- Has increased production from 1-3 bags of maize yield per acre before practicing the innovation to 11 - 13 after staring practicing the innovation
- More money income earned from maize and tree production
- Has built a modern house, bought dairy cattle and increased the size of the his farm
- Linking with other innovators to share experiences and learn form one another
- Systematic record keeping for National and international events for larning
