Shortened bush-fallow rotations and sustainable

rural livelihood
Source UK Department For International Development (DFID)
Keywords Bush fallowing, soil fertility, fallow, maize, cocoa tree,
cooking plantains, legumes
Country of first practice Ghana
ID and publishing year 4578 and 2006
Sustainable Development Goals Decent work and economic growth and life on land

Summary
In Ghana, increased population pressure generation 25 to 30 years). It still remains the
and the need to cultivate greater land area most common agricultural land-use practice
have resulted in reduced fallow periods. As a in Ghana and much of West and Central
consequence, the restoration of soil fertility Africa. Nutrients are returned to the topsoil
is insufficient to allow recovery of secondary during the bush fallow period as a result of
forest and rejuvenation of exhausted soils. the accumulation of vegetative matter. Trees
Fallows are of ecological, economic and and shrubs are deeper rooting than grasses,
social importance to rural people and to the hence they access nutrients from lower
nation at large. levels, so that restoration of fertility is much
more rapid under forest fallow than grass
A majority of farmers depend on fallowing, fallow.
using little or no fertilisers to improve
impoverished soils. This implies that farm The biological efficiency of this practice
production (and income) will consistently depends on the duration of the fallowing
decline over the years. Several promising phase, and the structure, composition,
technologies have been developed in the biomass and functioning (especially mineral
last decade to address these issues. On‑farm nutrient cycling) of the fallow vegetation.
trials have demonstrated the value of Traditional fallow systems are ecologically
maize-legume relays, permanent plantain, sound. Some authors consider the practice
cocoa-shade trees, planted tree fallow, and a rational farming system that reflects
yam-legume relays in improving yields and indigenous knowledge accumulated through
restoring soil fertility. centuries of trial and error, with an intricate
balance between product harvested and
Description ecological resilience and an impressive
Bush fallowing (or slash and burn agriculture) degree of agrobiodiversity. However,
is the practice of clearing small plots of land fallows take several years to restore soil
to cultivate for a few years (generally two to fertility while natural vegetation becomes
five) and then leaving the land under natural established and reaches a
vegetation for much longer periods, usually
greater than five years to restore soil fertility
peak of biological productivity,
ecosystem functioning
TECA
(but in traditional systems over one human and nutrient cycling. Due TECHNOLOGIES
and PRACTICES
for SMALL
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 Crop Production

to a need to cultivate greater land area in their replacement by weedy herbaceous

to produce more food, the long fallow species which are thereafter present in
periods have shrunk to a few years and the the soil seed bank in greater quantities,
restoration of soil fertility is insufficient resulting in greater weediness of subsequent
to allow recovery of secondary forest and cropping cycles. A farmer tends to abandon
rejuvenation of exhausted soils. The principal a stand when he or she finds it easier to
reason commonly attributed to this change obtain subsistence production by clearing
is increasing population and its attendant and cropping a new stand than weeding the
decline in land available for shifting existing one.
cultivation. Consequently, fallow periods Fallows play a crucial role in sustaining
are shortening while cropping periods rural livelihoods. The fallow vegetation
lengthen, leading to rapid degradation of the serves a number of purposes, the least of
environment. More generally, the practice which may be restoration of soil fertility
is no longer sustainable as crop yields are from the farmer’s perspective, including
declining while labour required to control being a source of wood (timber, poles,
weeds is increasing and overall household fuelwood, craft/carvings) and non-wood
food security and rural livelihoods are being (food, medicines, fodder, thatch) products
threatened. Weed infestation is one of the and protecting soil from climatic agents
main reasons, if not the major reason, along like rain, wind and solar radiation. The
with soil fertility decline for smallholder longer the fallow the more productive it is
farmers to abandon cropped land. likely to be as a source of these products
1. Bush-fallow rotations and services. Thus, fallows provide a
In long fallow lands, there is a rapid growth means for rural people to generate natural
of the early ligneous seed stock, which resource‑based incomes. Shortening
overtakes that of grasses. By contrast, the fallows result in scarcity in wood and non-
cropping system with fallowing of less than wood fallow products, and thus the loss of
six years (a “shortening” fallowing system) opportunity of supplementing farm income
was rapidly dominated by herbaceous weed with these products. The social benefits
species of various groups. Meanwhile, in of fallows for food and medicine, as well
short-cycle fallow (that is, systems with as biodiversity and other environmental
many cycles of one to five years of fallow per benefits, also decline. Consequently, fallows
cultivation) the weed community appeared are generally of ecological, economic and
to be constituted mostly of grasses, along social importance to rural people and to
with Chromolaena odorata. This plant is the nation at large. However, most farmers
called Siam Weed, a perennial shrub native depend mainly on fallowing, using little or
of South and Central America, and is a no fertilisers, either organic or inorganic
serious pest in the humid tropics of South (expensive or not easy to come by) to
East Asia, Africa and Pacific Islands. For improve impoverished soils. This implies
further information on this weed species farm production and income will consistently
see below under e-Resources. Shortening decline over the years. Nonetheless, several
fallows eliminate many stages of natural promising technologies have been developed
vegetation succession, which would normally in the last decade to address these issues,
result in secondary forest species, resulting using participatory methods. On-farm trials

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of these interventions/technologies were dual-purpose legumes, as they did on their
established in study villages, including maize- aggregate concept of soil fertility, comprising
legume relays, permanent plantain, cocoa- strength, crop yield, moisture-holding
shade trees, permanent plantain and planted capacity (where a fertile soil is regarded as
tree fallow and yam-legume relays. one that is moist, not water logged), and
2. Outcomes on which the standing crop has dark green
leaves and is likely to give a good yield.
A number of interventions for the
improvement of bush fallows were 3. Lexsys and Leginc
developed and tested. These included Lexsys is a tool that assists with the selection
maize‑legume relays, permanent plantain, of legumes for incorporation into tropical
cocoa-shade trees, planted tree fallow, and cropping systems. The first version of Lexsys
yam legume relay. was released in 1993 - 1994 and has been
The effects on maize yield showed an subjected to several iterations to develop
increase of up to 40 percent over the further versions (See section 7: Further
control for maize-legume relays with maize reading).
grain yields in control plots of between A related support tool, Leginc provides
2 to 3 tonne per ha. However, the farmers’ information for integrating legumes into
evaluation indicated that positive effects cropping patterns based on data from Ghana.
on weed suppression and moisture The tool asks a series of questions for the
conservation as a result of legume cover had user to respond to. A list of legume species
been realised and were equally, if not more with potential for the required purposes
important, outcomes. Farmers were hopeful is then produced and revised according
of an increase in the yield of a succeeding to the responses given. A suitable way (or
maize crop in the coming season as they ways) of integrating one of these legumes
anticipated decomposition of the legume into cropping patterns is also suggested. An
biomass and conserved moisture would information sheet is produced as an example
improve soil fertility. They also anticipated of how one of these legumes has been
a reduction in the labour for clearing the integrated into a cropping pattern in Ghana,
legume fallow as compared to the Panicum, where pictures of the legumes and their
Cenchrus and Rottboellia grass and/or seeds are available.
Chromolaena fallow on the control plot. 3.1 Other Leginc information sheets
Preliminary estimates indicated this to be the
case. • Green manure e.g. Mucuna for
vegetables.
The permanent plantain, cocoa-shade • Long duration legume e.g. long duration
tree and planted tree fallow experiments Mucuna, to mulch a vegetable crop.
were not expected to yield results until • Long duration legume for weed
the following season, although farmers suppression on plantations e.g. Pueraria
anticipated positive results judging from phaseoloides .
the good growth and establishment of the • Long planted fallow e.g. Sesbania or
plants. Farmers gave as much importance Gliricidia .
on the positive effects in reducing labour • Maize followed by a green manure e.g.
requirements and provision of food from Mucuna, for dry season vegetables.

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• Major season fallow e.g. short duration School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences
Mucuna, followed by minor season maize. University of Wales, Bangor, Gwyned LL57
• Major season maize followed by a minor 2UW, UK.
season fallow e.g. short duration Mucuna. 4. Health and safety
• Major season maize followed by a minor
season fallow e.g. short duration Mucuna, The researchers, their institutions or this
followed by dry season vegetables. website cannot be held responsible for
• Major season maize relayed with any damage resulting from the use of the
a fast‑growing cover crop e.g. long materials or methods described here. The
duration Mucuna, followed by dry season application or use of treatments, processes
vegetables. and technologies is the sole responsibility of
• Major season maize relayed with fast the user.
growing cover crop e.g. long duration 5. DFID disclaimer
Mucuna. This technology is an output from the
• Major season maize simultaneous or relay Renewable Natural Resources Research
planted with a slow growing cover crop strategy funded by the UK Department for
e.g. Canavalia ensiformis, followed by dry International Development (DFID), for the
season vegetables. benefit of developing countries. The views
• Major season maize simultaneous or relay expressed are not necessarily those of DFID.
planted with slow growing cover crop e.g.
6. Acknowledgements
Canavalia ensiformis.
• Plantain and maize relayed with slow The technology was selected and the
growing cover crop e.g. Canavalia record was compiled from the original
ensiformis. project documentation by Natural
• Plantain intercropped with a creeping Resources International Ltd, with funding
legume e.g. Canavalia ensiformis for weed from DFID’s Central Research Department
suppression. (Communications). Implementing and
• Plantain intercropped with an erect advising on this process were: Karen Wilkin
legume e.g. Flemingia macrophylla for and Tina Rowland (joint project leaders),
mulch. Andy Frost, Vino Graffham, Jody Sunley, Liz
• Short duration legume e.g. short duration McVeigh, RNRRS programme staff, FAO’s
Mucuna, to mulch a vegetable crop. Research and Technology Development
• Short duration major season legume Service, FAO’s LEAD programme, DFID’s
e.g. short duration Mucuna to mulch a Central Research Department, Ken Campbell,
vegetable crop Short planted fallow e.g. Graham Farrell (Plant Clinic), Simon Eden-
Mucuna or Pueraria. Green, Peter Golob, John Esser, Liz Betser
(360º Responsibility). Validation domain
Enquiries for Lexsys and Leginc can be sent reviewed by the Centre de Coopération
by email to lexsys@bangor.ac.uk or leginc@ Internationale en Recherche Agronomique
bangor.ac.uk, whilst copies of these systems pour le Développement (CIRAD), Simon
are also available through these addresses. Eden-Green and Peter Golob. Uploading
An alternative mail address is: by Random X Solutions Ltd. For more
Dr Morag McDonald information, please contact Karen Wilkin, NR

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International Ltd or Tina Rowland, Random X 2003. Producing shade trees for cocoa on-
Solutions Ltd. farm and in the community. Annex E of the
7. Further reading Final Technical Report of project R7446.
University of Wales. 8 pp.
• McDonald, M.A. 2003. Shortened bush- • Vanlauwe, B., Wendt, J. & and Diels, J.
fallow rotations for sustainable rural 2001. Combined application of Organic
livelihoods in Ghana. DFID Natural Matter and Fertilizer pp. 247-279 in:
Resources Systems Programme, Final Tian, G., Ishida, F. and Keatinge, J.D.H.
Technical Report project R7446. School of Sustaining Soil Fertility in West Africa.
Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University SSSA Special Publications 58. Soil Science
of Wales, Bangor, UK. 24 pp. Society of America, Inc./American Society
• McDonald, M.A. and Obiri, B.D. 2003. of Agronomy, Inc. Madison, WI, USA.
Process documentation. Annex A of the
Final Technical Report of project R7446. 53 7.1 e-Resources
pp. • Chromolaena odorata, Biocontrol in the
• Jatango, J.A. 2003. Biophysical findings. Tropics: URL.
Annex B of the Final Technical Report of • Contact details for DFID research project
project R7446. 78 pp. teams
• Obiri, B.D. 2003. Developing and testing 8. Agro-ecological zones
technologies with farmers. Annex C of the
Final Technical Report of project R7446. 96 • Tropics, warm
pp. 9. Objectives fulfilled by the project
• Moss, C., Doores, J., McDonald, M.A., 9.1 Resource use efficiency
Nolte, C. and Sinclair, F.L. 2003. Decision The use of technology allows for improved
support tools (LEXSYS and LEGINC) Annex soil fertility, increase in farm production and
D of the Final Technical Report of project income.
R7446. 9 pp.
• Anglaaere, L.C.N. and McDonald, M.A.

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TECHNOLOGIES
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