on this page:		Lushoto

Farmers in Kwehangala Village plan for improved management of springs to balance diverse livelihood needs (income generation vs. a clean, reliable supply of domestic water). The AHI site team provides negotiation support to diverse local interest groups so that the needs of those owning land near springs are balanced with the needs of water users.

LUSHOTO, TANZANIA
Usambara Mountains in the Eastern Arc Mountains chain

Several Department of Research and Development (DRD) research institutes are active in this site: Selian Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) contributing agronomy, livestock, maize, banana, beans and socio-economics expertise; Hort Tengeru, vegetables; Lyamungu, coffee; and Mlingano National Soils Research Institute, soil fertility and conservation. Researchers also collaborate closely with district extension and community development departments, several NGOs, CIAT/TSBF and ALTERRA. The Lushoto landscape is punctuated with steep slopes, small valleys, erodible soils poor in N, P and K and a few, remnant forests. Mixed farming is widely practiced and farmers have relatively recently organized collective marketing of milk and vegetables. The two major thrusts of the research has been: sustainable intensification and diversification (new vegetable, banana, maize, bean, coffee varieties) which is now being followed up with local seed production; improving soil fertility and conservation through introduction of agroforestry and herbaceous fodder and legume species on boundaries and bunds; soil and water conservation structures and various options for improving soil fertility. Research on IPM has focused on bean pests and diseases as related to soil management. The dissemination thrust is looking at drama and seed systems and has found farmer exchange visits to be instrumental in getting farmers to change, socially and technically.

A network of farmer research groups and sub-groups has emerged. They participate in research activities and are now undertaking some of their own projects.

The research work will now be exploring other issues identified by communities:

• Use traditional irrigation but increasing water demand with increased intensification of tree plantings, conservation works and cash crops is changing traditional irrigation systems and may create scarcity
• People intruding on forest resources and strong interaction between forest management and water sources
• Poor soil fertility (low N, P, K) and strong interaction with pests and diseases
• Livestock component and interaction is the system are weak
• Need for soil and water conservation on steeper slopes and improvement of productivity of several land use types
• Use indigenous fertility amendment with organic sources; organic resources relatively plentiful but needs more intensive management
• Linking NRM and enterprise development including improved links to markets and what this does to the system