Land Preparation

By Lillian Mumba

Most farmers are in the process of preparing their land in readiness for planting their various crops. Although they are advised to start preparing their land immediately after harvesting, many farmers only start after the first rains usually at the beginning of November.

Their argument is that the soil is usually hard and they do not have the farm equipment to deal with the hard soil.

Mrs. Emma Mwanza of Nampundwe in Shibuyunji districtsays she would want to start as early as possible but the owners of ploughs which she hires advise to wait till the first rains which soften the soils.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), land preparation is the first operation in ensuring that crops can achieve the best yields. It is essential to provide plants with the best soil conditions for their development. 

A proper seedbed should be prepared with the right nutrients and conditions that can allow first, the seed to germinate and then the crop's establishment for its later development.

Traditionally, farmers plough, slash and burn but the Ministry of Agriculture and other organization like FAO are promoting alternative ways for land preparation especially now when farmers are faced with the effects of climate change such as drought and flooding.

Minimum tillage, pot-holing and the use of adequate tools and equipment contribute to good land preparation practices.

Good land preparation involves taking care of the soil to ensure it contributes to increased farm productivity. When worked on in the right way, the soil can improve its capacity to retain water and allow adequate air circulation. Water and warmth in the soil is also important for seed germination and plant growth.

There are many ways farmers can prepare their land for planting, but each depends on the type of crops they are planting, the type of soil they are working on and also the rainfall pattern.

It is important to add organic matter into the soil before preparation of the seedbed. Organic matter includes crop residues, green manure and farmyard manure. The organic matter should be dug into the top layer of the soil, up to a depth of 15 to 20 cm.

This is the reason why farmers should not burn their fields after harvest as the maize, beans and other crop residues are essential organic manure that supports a lot of life in the soil, such as worms and microscopic bacteria, which help release food for the plants.

Ms. Agnes Musonda, a maize and soya bean farmer of St. Antony in Mpongwe district says land preparation starts with removal of shrubs and stumps from the field. The land is then ploughed using, hand hoes, oxen or a tractor.

Ms. Musonda says where she plants her maize she ploughs a flat land popularly known as “mushime” for easy planting as she uses planting ropes. Where she plants soya beans, she uses ridges.

“Iuse ridges to plant my soya beans so that it is on higher ground. This helps in keeping the soya bean crop intact even when there is too much rain. When you plant on flat land, it can easily be swept away when there is a flow after heavy rains,” she explained.

Ms. Musonda ensures that the crop residues are covered under the big ridges commonly called “imputa” as they provide manure to the soya beans.

When making ridges a hoe is used to ridge up the soil by splitting the previous season’s ridges to form new ones in the old furrow.  Crop residues are placed in the furrow which is then covered with soil. Ridges should always follow the contour.

Farmers can also create basins in the soil in which seeds are planted. When the rains, come the water is trapped in the basins, allowing roots to develop and stopping the top soil and fertilizer from being washed away. This method is usually called pot-holing and is most ideal in the dry parts of the country such as Southern, Lusaka, Western and some parts of Eastern provinces.

Minimum tillage means reducing tillage operations to the minimum required to plant a crop. For hoe and ox farmers it usually involves scratching or ripping out the row where the crop will be planted and leaving the rest of the land undisturbed until weeding is required. This method is popularly known as ripping.

Farmers should know that poor land preparation can lead to poor yields. It is important to prepare land in good time so that one is not caught unaware when the rain season starts. Early land preparation is still encouraged especially for farmers practicing conservation agriculture. Farmers are encouraged to consult local extension staff regarding land preparation.

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