Cover crops are specific crops that play a major role in Conservation Agriculture by addressing crop production constraints such as low soil fertility. They are primarily grown for the benefit of the soil rather than as a main crop. They are commonly used to surpress weeds, manage soil erosion, help in improving soil Soil fertility and quality by fixing nitrogen in the soil, control disease and pests and increase crop diversity.

In response to the observed challenges that hinder the widespread adoption of Green Manure Cover Crops (GMCC) practices in Western Kenya, the GIZ ProSoil Project in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) through the Food Crops Research Institute – Alupe Centre under a Financial Agreement have implemented a grant supported project for bulking of seeds for assorted GMMCs and the building of capacities of the farmers and extension staff on the good practices for GMCC production.

A pictorial guide showing conservation agriculture techniques & tools.

This training manual provides a practical, county-owned, and user-friendly guide to strengthen the capacity of frontline actors in promoting Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (SALM) in Siaya County. Drawing from over a decade of ProSoil project experience, the manual translates proven practices into actionable training content and participatory methodologies tailored to the realities of smallholder farmers.

Conservation Agriculture | GIP Training Content Overview

Operation, Management and Maintenance of tools.

Operation, Management and Maintenance of tools.

Operation, Management and Maintenance of tools.

Operation, Management and Maintenance of tools.

Operation, Management and Maintenance of tools.

Conservation agriculture (CA) is an increasingly adopted production system to meet the goals of sustainable crop production intensification in feeding a growing world population whilst conserving natural resources. Mechanisation (especially power units, seeders, rippers and sprayers) is a key input for CA and smallholder farmers often have difficulties in making the necessary investments. The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ is implementing a global soil program “Soil protection and rehabilitation for food security” in seven countries, Kenya being one of them. This project aimed to facilitate the implementation of sustainable approaches for the inclusive promotion of soil conservation and for the rehabilitation of degraded soils.

Conservation Agriculture is a system which aims to produce high crop yields while reducing production costs, maintaining the soil fertility and conserving water. CA facilitates good agronomy, such as timely operations, and improves overall land husbandry for rain-fed and irrigated production.  It is a way to achieve sustainable agriculture and improve livelihoods.

The approach to the agroecological transition offers a practical and scalable pathway to transform farming systems into resilient, integrated production landscapes. Originally presented in a CIAT publication

(Sanginga and Woolmer, 2019), the approach was adapted to and tested in Ethiopia’s Highlands by the ProSoil programme, responding to severe soil degradation that undermines food security and rural livelihoods.

The “Dry Valley Rehabilitation and Productive Use (DVRPU)” approach supported within the framework of the global programme Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security (ProSoil) implemented by GIZ offers a comprehensive and innovative solution to address the root causes of land degradation, drought, famine, and poverty. Across Afar, Oromia, and Somali, where communities face increasing challenges, the ProSoil Ethiopia Lowland Soil Rehabilitation Project has played a pivotal role in promoting and implementing sustainable land management (SLM) practices. This publication compiles and documents three core SLM practices implemented under the project, serving as a knowledge repository to support continued learning, replication, and evidence-based decision-making.

En Tunisie, les régions rurales à vocation agricole, comme d’autres territoires de l’intérieur et des côtes font face aux défis croissants liés à la dégradation des sols, avec près de 47 % des terres menacées par l'érosion, et à l’épuisement des ressources naturelles. La Stratégie ACTA 2050, portée par l’institution publique dédiée à la conservation du sol, a mis en avant les PADIT : Projets d’Aménagement et de Développement Intégré des Territoires, afin d’engager les populations et faire émerger un travail collectif et de co-construction à travers des initiatives spontanées. Ces initiatives sont amenées à être intégrées dans un cadre d’intervention cohérent pour assurer leur viabilité et leur alignement avec les politiques de conservation des ressources naturelles. Il est ambitionné de promouvoir près de 30 PADIT par gouvernorat (région, total 24) sur une période de 10 ans.

Située en Afrique du Nord, la Tunisie accorde à l’activité céréalière une importance de taille pour sa contribution à l’économie nationale et à la sécurité alimentaire, avec plus du tiers de ses superficies agricoles et la moitié de sa force de travail agricole. Caractérisée par des conditions semi-arides à arides dans ses régions centrales et méridionales, cette activité agricole fait face à une vulnérabilité certaine face aux effets du changement climatique. Depuis plusieurs décennies, en effet, la dégradation des sols agricoles s’est accentuée sous l’effet combiné de l'érosion, de la désertification et de la perte de fertilité, aggravée par des pratiques agricoles inadaptées. En outre, le changement climatique se manifeste par une baisse significative des précipitations et une augmentation des épisodes de pluies torrentielles sur tout le territoire, rendant la production agricole plus incertaine. Dans ce contexte, l'intégration de solutions agroécologiques apparaît essentielle pour préserver les ressources naturelles, restaurer la santé des sols et assurer la durabilité de la filière des céréales.

En ciblant cette activité, l’approche adoptée s’inscrit dans une dyna-mique d’alignement à la Stratégie ACTA 2050 afin d’offrir une réponse adaptée aux besoins des agriculteurs soucieux de meilleurs rendements et d’une meilleure viabilité.

This handbook is prepared as a guiding manual for decision-makers, technical functionaries, field staff, and civil society working at local and district levels to contextualise best soil and water conservation methods for ensuring sustainable soil management, water conservation, and climate change mitigation. This Composite Resource Sustainable Soil Management (CRSSM) handbook, explains the rational of Sustainable Soil Management (SSM), focusses on enabling participatory and decentralized processes for planning, designing, and executing the SSM technology. It will also help field practitioners for improving the existing planning and financing mechanisms, building capacities, and strengthening cooperation between sectors, government departments, and all other implementing functionaries, and finally implementation of CRSSM. The idea of this handbook is to present CRSSM process in a manner which will be participatory, inclusive, climate-resilient, adaptive, and leaves no one behind. 

Derived from decades of learnings from on-ground interventions in Madhya Pradesh, ProSoil project has created an integrated landscape approach called the ‘The Mandla Model’ to scale up Natural Farming. This document details the evolution of this approach and learnings that can be applicable in scaling up on Natural Farming practices in other locations within the country.

For Gram Panchayat - Jawla, Block - Jamkhed District - Ahmednagar, Maharashtra 

Developed under the project Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security in India (ProSoil) 

The ProSoil project together with the Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission has developed e-Prakriti, a GIS-based planning tool to facilitate efficient and timely planning of scientific based-natural farming practices.

The e-Prakriti app is a planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning application designed for seamless implementation of natural farming practices.

It aims to enhance the effectiveness of agricultural initiatives through advanced monitoring and learning mechanisms.

It is available as an easy-to-use mobile app for community resource persons (CRPs) in the field. It also features a comprehensive dashboard for managers and executives.