1022 conservation agriculture project
DESCRIPTION
Presented at: Workshop on the System of Rice Intensification, Exchanging Experience in ChinaTRANSCRIPT
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
•MCC involvement began in 1995
• So far, over $15 million US in food and other material resources has been provided
Four main areas of involvement: Humanitarian assistance Sustainable agriculture Advocacy Assisting other organizations
with English training
Food and greenhouses to tuberculosis hospitals and rest homes
Soybeans, soymilk makers, and other materials to orphanages
Continuing agricultural partnerships
Discussions began in 2008, MOU signed with DPRK in April 2009
MCC NE Asia Project has office in Beijing James Frey, MCC Project Officer, works from
Beijing, traveling to DPRK 3-4 times per year
Partners are DPRKMinistry of Agriculture and3 cooperative farms
Three cooperative farms are collaboratingin project (all located south of Pyongyang)
Combined area of 2,987 hectares(7,378 acres)All farms are growing riceOne farm devotes 80% of its cropland to rice production
Soils in area are: Eroded Highly acidic Low in carbon
Some causes: Excessive tillage Excessive fertilizer application Continual removal of plant matter
Project goals are to: Reduce tillage
Conservation tillage Specialized seeder
Improve soil fertility By using green manures (mixture of hairy
vetch & rye seed) Timely (slow) release of nutrients in soil
Increase plant residues left on field For better retention of moisture and nutrients To improve soil ecology
No-till seeders: Minimize soil
disturbance Ease labor
constraints Increase precision
No-till seeders:Used for most crops…
…but probably not suitable for rice.
There are good reasonswhy farmers till! Weeds are a major constraint
Project also provided: 60 hp tractors Fertilizer Green manure seeds Inoculant for seeds Backpack sprayers Herbicide
Opportunities for SRI: Rice is an important crop
on project farms Using fewer plants/m2
means using less seed SRI is in line with overall
project goals of managing soil fertility
Labour is a big constraint
Provide training along with all equipment and inputs
Develop participant understanding of conservation agriculture through workshops and training sessions
Provide expertise inareas relevant to theproject, including: Agronomy Horticulture Animal husbandry
Expertise provided through
short-term agronomists
Commitment to engage with partners, even when larger forces appear at odds
Fulfill MCC’s mission to show the love of Christ in the world
Down in the dirt: Work together to
break down barriers Acknowledge our
differences Discover our
similarities
ThankThank YouYou!