Climate Smart Agricultural Practices

Current agricultural practices include;

1. Extensive expansion of agricultural farms through deforestation - The conversion of grasslands and forests into farmland leads to deforestation, which reduces carbon sinks that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. This increases greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming.

2. Exploitation of natural resources such as water, soil & land- Over-extraction of water for irrigation and unsustainable soil management practices degrade these resources, reducing their capacity to support long-term agricultural production. Depleted soils can emit carbon, and water scarcity exacerbates the effects of climate change on agriculture.

3. Monocropping and reliance on limited crop breeds/varieties - Monocropping depletes soil nutrients, increases vulnerability to pests and diseases, and reduces biodiversity, all of which can destabilize ecosystems. Limited crop diversity reduces resilience to climate variability, making agricultural systems more susceptible to extreme weather events.

4. Increased use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides- The excessive use of these chemicals releases nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, and contaminates water sources. Mismanagement of these inputs also harms soil health, reducing the soil’s ability to sequester carbon and leading to higher emissions.

5. Excessive use of fossil fuel-dependent farm machineries-  Heavy reliance on machinery powered by fossil fuels contributes to increased carbon emissions. This exacerbates the greenhouse effect and accelerates climate change.

6. Market fragmentation, leading to low income and post-harvest losses- Inefficient supply chains and fragmented markets result in significant food waste and spoilage. The decomposition of organic matter in landfills generates methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than CO2, further contributing to global warming.

However, livestock sector current practices are also a major contributor of GHG emissions contributing to climate change effects. These practices includes; poor feeding practices, poor manure management, animal breeds and varieties.

Climate Smart Agriculture Practices

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices can fall into either adaptation strategies or mitigation strategies: Adaptation strategies focus on reducing the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the negative impacts of climate change, enabling farmers to cope more effectively with changing conditions. On the other hand, mitigation strategies aim to lessen the effects of climate change by minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural production or enhancing carbon sinks of GHG gasses.

Conservative Agriculture

Conservation agriculture is one of the climate-smart agricultural techniques that have the potential to mitigate against moisture stress, an aspect brought about by the effects of climate change, and also enhance the rate of soil carbon sequestration. By definition, conservation agriculture is a farming technique that judiciously exploits natural resources through concise, integrated, and improved sustainable methods. Conservation agriculture has been shown to mitigate against the effects of conventional tillage which exposes crops to adverse water stress under negatively varied precipitation conditions. Conservation agriculture comprises the following principle:

1. Minimum soil disturbance

Under minimum soil disturbance, tillage is maintained at least possible to support plant growth.

Tillage is only done to create permanent planting holes/basins to the plant requirements. Weeding under no-till or reduced-till systems is achieved through the application of either pre- or post-emergence herbicides. The success of a particular herbicide will depend on the selection of the types of herbicides, application techniques, and timing of application. Minimum soil disturbance confers numerous advantages including:

• Improves water infiltration in the farm

• Promotes build-up of soil organic matter

• Saves time, energy, and money because less land is tilled

• Reduces destruction of the soil structure

• Reduces soil degradation caused by wind and water erosion

• Reduces soil compaction because the crop plant roots are left undisturbed

2. Permanent soil cover

Conservation tillage emphasizes the presence of vegetation on the farmland throughout the year. A farmer can explore the potential of cover crop off-season and intercrop it with the main crop during the season. Of great importance is also the incorporation of crop residue/stubble back into the soil after harvesting. Other materials such as tree biomass produced ex-situ can also be exploited for physical cover for the land. Selection of a cover crop should be a crop of important value such as cowpea beans, soya beans, or common beans. The farmer should also take note of the need to consider the potential of pest build-up if the cover crop selected for the offseason was planted the previous season.

The soil covering offers the following benefits:

• Helps reduce direct raindrop impact and so reduces soil erosion.

• Helps reduce runoff and helps water to seep into the soil.

• Reduces evaporation and so conserves moisture for the crop.

• Suppresses weeds emergence.

• The organic residues improve organic matter content and soil nutrient status.

• Provides a beneficial environment for soil organisms, such as worms and millipedes that

• are important for biological tillage.

• Soil temperature is regulated by the crop residues which act as heat insulators. This promotes biological activity and reduces the volatilization of mineral compounds from the soil.

• Crop residues release trapped mineral nutrients in the stalks through mineralization and are

made available to the roots of the main crop. This is cost-effective as the amount of fertilizer

to be applied will reduce.

• Soil aggregate stability and porosity increase.

• Better conditions for the development of roots and seedling growth

3. Diversification of crops

Diversification of crops can be achieved through crop rotation and intercropping of crops.

• Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is the systematic planting of different crops in a particular order over several

seasons/years in the same farm unit. The process helps maintain nutrients in the soil, reduces soil erosion, and prevents plant diseases and pests. The length of rotation time between different plants depends on the rotated crops and the farmer’s economic circumstances and locally adopted farming systems. Instead of planting a single crop such as maize, farmers can plant several crops in rotation.

It is important to include a rotation with legumes. Rotation with legumes is essential in maintaining and improving soil fertility. Rotation also helps in breaking pest and disease life cycles.

Benefits of crop rotation

• Replenishes soil fertility: Nitrogen-fixing legumes that rotated with cereals add nitrogen to

the soil. Such legumes include green grams, field beans, and cowpeas. Rotation with deeper-

rooted crops assists in "pumping up" leached nutrients to the upper soil zones for use by shallow-rooted crops and improves soil quality (more or deeper roots; root exudates) through better distribution of nutrients in the soil profile.

• Reduces pests/diseases: An effective crop rotation system reduces crop failure due to

• pests and diseases by breaking the cycle of dominant pests and diseases. It also smothers

weeds if cover crops are included in the rotational arrangements.

• Provision of crop residues: Crop rotations balance the production of residues by alternating

crops that produce few and/or short-lived residues with crops that produce a lot of durable

residues.

• Intercropping

Intercropping is a system where two or more (multiple) crops are grown (companion planting)

in the same farm unit same season/year making use of resources or ecological processes that

would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop. The practice is most common in areas where land for cultivation is limited due to the high population. An example of companion planting is the interplanting of maize with field beans or sorghum with cowpea.

Benefits of intercropping

• Greater yield/increased yield and income: Intercropping offers greater financial returns for a

farmer, - because of multiple types of products, which is always for and revenue outcome.

• Insurance against crop damage: Intercropping may be the insurance that farmers need,

especially when the region is vulnerable to weather extremes. Drought, torrential rain,

hurricanes or cyclones, and various other weather conditions affect the yield of a given year

or season. Having diverse yields allows the farmer to have some income even if the primary

crop gets damaged or doesn’t yield as much as expected.

• Resource sharing: A complementary sharing of plant resources, such as Nitrogen from fixing plants.

• Natural weed control: Weed suppression, and a reduction in susceptibility to insects and

disease.

Key principles for productive conservation agriculture

• Do not plow or cultivate fields. Plowing is unnecessary, takes time and money, and robs the soil of moisture and structure.

• Do not burn stubble/residues from the previous crop, but retain as much of it on the soil surface.

• Plant a seed and apply fertilizer using a conservation agriculture seeder that allows planting through surface residue into narrow slits in the soil.

• Farmers can sow on time as no plowing is needed.

• Control weeds before sowing with a non-selective herbicide. However, remember that this is unnecessary where there is little rain.

• New approaches may be needed to manage soil fertility and control pests, diseases, and weeds in different ways than in conventional systems.

• Use diverse crop rotations/intercrops to break the cycle of cereal pests and diseases.

Regenerative Agriculture Practices

Regenerative agriculture (RA) is an outcome-based food production system that sustains and restores soil health biodiversity, and enhances farms' productivity and profitability. It is an adaptive strategy that aims to combat climate change effects by restoring soil health and biodiversity and create a resilient and a sustainable farming system.

Key Practices of Regenerative Agriculture

1. Agroecological Practices

Agroecology is the application of ecological principles to farming, aiming to create sustainable and productive systems. These practices enhance biodiversity and ecosystem balance.

• Agroforestry: The integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes to improve soil health, reduce erosion and enhance biodiversity.

• Integrating Livestock: Incorporating livestock into crop systems helps to cycle nutrients back into the soil through manure, naturally fertilizing the land and improving soil structure.

2.Sustainable Water Management Practices

Effective water management is critical for regenerating agricultural systems, ensuring efficient use of resources, and maintaining soil moisture.

• Water Conservation Practices: Techniques such as rainwater harvesting, contour farming, and mulching are used to retain soil moisture and prevent erosion.

• Efficient Irrigation Techniques: Methods like drip irrigation and precision irrigation help minimize water wastage by delivering enough water directly to the plants.

3. Natural Pest Management

RA prioritizes natural pest control methods to avoid synthetic chemicals that harm the environment and disrupt ecosystems.

• Biological Control Methods: Use of natural predators, beneficial insects, and microorganisms to manage pests.

• Natural Pest and Disease Management: The use of organic pesticides, crop rotations, and resistant plant varieties to prevent disease outbreaks and manage pests naturally.

4.Soil Health and Nutrient Management

• Compost and Organic Matter: Adding compost, green manure, and cover crops helps improve soil structure, increase organic matter, and enhance microbial activity, leading to healthier and more fertile soil.

• Organic Fertilization: Using organic inputs, like compost and bio-fertilizers, to build up soil nutrients rather than synthetic fertilizers.

Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture:

• Enhanced Soil Fertility

• Increased Biodiversity

• Creating a climate resilience agricultural system.

• Reduced Input Costs. As farmers rely more on natural systems and organic inputs, the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides decreases.

• Long-Term Sustainability: Regenerative practices restore ecosystems, ensuring that farms can remain productive and profitable throughout all the seasons.

In the livestock sector, Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices aim to enhance productivity while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and building resilience against climate impacts. Key practices include introducing highly digestible forages and improving feed quality, which boost animal productivity and efficiency. Enhanced animal husbandry, genetics, and reproduction practices, alongside targeted animal health measures, contribute to healthier, more resilient livestock systems. Improved manure management and optimized fodder production support better nutrient cycling, which benefits plant productivity and reduces environmental impact. Effective crop and grazing land management further ensures that livestock systems contribute to sustainable agricultural productivity, while reducing emissions per unit of food consumed. 

NB: CSA solutions must be tailored to the specific needs of smallholder farmers, as no single approach fits all contexts. For maximum effectiveness, CSA implementation should be adapted to local conditions, integrating multiple CSA approaches that address diverse challenges and priorities.