Résumé
Training Initiatives: Over the past three years, post-COVID, with funding support from ITC and GIZ, the ICAC has been conducting training sessions on regenerative agriculture (Regen-Ag) for scientists, agricultural field staff, and farmers in Africa, India, and Bangladesh. The trainings focused on two main technologies: Bokashi composting (Teruo Higa, 1984) and the ICAC open-earth-cone-pit method (Schmidt and Taylor, 2014; Kranthi and Kranthi, 2023) for producing biochar. Biochar and Bokashi: Complementary Technologies for Soil Health Biochar is a robust method for carbon sequestration, while Bokashi is the fastest method of composting. Freshly produced biochar is alkaline (pH 8.0 to 11.0) depending on the feedstock and production method, whereas freshly produced Bokashi is acidic (pH 3.5 to 4.0). Both are carbon-rich, but biochar's carbon is recalcitrant and remains in the soil for several decades, while Bokashi provides nutrients for soil microorganisms and plants, enhancing soil fertility and health. Biochar improves soil structure, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, and reduces carbon emissions. Tailoring Soil Amendments to Local Conditions: In many cotton-growing regions of Zambia and neighboring countries with acidic soils, biochar alone has been effective in soil remediation, increasing productivity of cotton and other crops. In Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, where soils are alkaline, Bokashi alone could serve as an excellent compost to improve soil health. A combination of Bokashi and biochar creates a neutral, carbon-rich material called biochar-compost, which can be tailored for any type of soil. Practical Implementation and Farmer Training: The ICAC open-earth-cone-pit method requires only a shovel, dry stalks, a matchstick, and water or soil to produce several tons of biochar in a day. The Bokashi method requires plastic trash bags or buckets, organic farm waste such as finely crushed weeds or leaves, molasses, effective microorganisms (EM), and water to produce excellent compost quickly. Techniques were developed to calculate the optimal proportions of biochar and Bokashi for a potent carbon-rich soil amendment called biochar-compost (Kranthi and Kranthi, 2024). These methods are adaptable by any smallholder farmer globally. The training also emphasized adapting local practices to the six principles of Regen-Ag: avoiding harmful agrochemicals, no-till, cover crops and crop diversity, mulching and organic amendments, crop rotations for year-round live roots, and integrating animal husbandry. Global meta-analyses of scientific evidence show that practices like biochar application can sequester 4.2 tons of CO2 per hectare annually (Chen et al., 2023), no-till farming can sequester up to 1.76 tons of CO2 per hectare (Tadiello et al., 2022), and cover crops can sequester about 1.17 tons of CO2 per hectare (Poeplau and Don, 2015). Overcoming Challenges in Adoption: Smallholder farmers are generally amenable to adopting practices such as cover cropping, avoiding harmful chemicals, crop rotations, organic mulching, and organic amendments, and integrating animal husbandry. However, they often express reservations about no-till farming due to the need for tillage to control weeds. Incorporating Bokashi compost into the topsoil and mulching with either biochar alone or biochar-compost reduces weed problems, encouraging farmers to adopt minimum tillage or no-till farming. Success Stories and Impact: Agricultural transformation efforts under the 'Regenerative Agriculture for Sustainable High Yields' project, funded by the ITC-EU, have yielded remarkable results. Over 350 model farm demonstrations showcased the four essential steps for enhancing crop yields, resulting in more than double the yields in most locations compared to control fields, with some achieving seed cotton yields of up to 2760 kg per hectare. Addressing acidic Zambian soils, the project introduced biochar from cotton stalks, which proved to be highly effective in soil remediation. Training on the mass production of biochar using the open-earth cone-pit method was provided to over 2000 farmers, leading to the production of about 500 tons of biochar and significantly improving soil health. Eighteen comprehensive training sessions across Zambia from 2021 to 2024 reached approximately 4000 participants, including 25% women. WhatsApp groups were created for participants to exchange project activities, results, field experiences, and technical knowledge, demonstrating the project's transformative potential in enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability. In April 2023, ICAC conducted a practical training program on the open-earth-cone-pit biochar production technology for about 50 participants, including ESA, Yamoussoukro, SECO Cote d'Ivoire, and Ivoire Coton staff. Under Mr. Mahesh Ramakrishnan's leadership, SECO produced 630 tons of biochar in 2023 and registered 2648 farmers to produce 4100 tons of biochar in 2024. ICAC, with GIZ funding, conducted training programs in Burkina Faso for 60 participants, including 39 master trainers and 28 INERA scientists. A one-week training session in June 2022 included field visits and practical training on biochar production and composting methods. INERA scientists reported positive results from experimental field trials in 2023, showing yield increases in both conventional and organic cotton. Field Training Camps and Collaborative Projects: Field training camps on regenerative agriculture, biochar production, and Bokashi composting methods were conducted in Bangladesh for about 100 field staff of Cotton Connect, in India for about 80 field staff each of Cotton Connect and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and in Tanzania for about 50 participants, including senior staff of AbTF, CMiA, ACF, Parrogate, Alliance ginneries, Biosustain, SECO, Louis Dreyfus, SodeCoton, and others, coordinated by the African Cotton Foundation (ACF) and the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF). In collaboration with CIRAD, France, ICAC recently launched a project titled 'Adapting Innovations for Resilience to Climate Change for Smallholder Cotton Farmers in Africa' to be implemented in Cameroon from Dec 2023 to Dec 2026. Funded by GIZ and implemented by the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) and SodeCoton, this project aims to rejuvenate soil health for 4,800 smallholder farmers (over 15% women), increase income through higher yields and climate-resilient technologies, generate additional income for women entrepreneurs, and train 60 extension workers in each of the two countries. Conclusion: The simplicity of the ICAC open-earth cone-pit biochar method and Bokashi production techniques is enabling rapid adoption of these carbon-sequestering technologies among smallholder farmers in Africa and India. The straightforward, low-cost approach of the open-earth cone-pit method, requiring only basic tools and materials, along with the easily implementable Bokashi composting process, makes these technologies accessible to farmers with limited resources. This accessibility has led to widespread adoption, significantly enhancing sustainable soil health. By integrating these practices, farmers are improving soil structure, increasing nutrient availability, and enhancing water retention, all while sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change. The surge in adoption of these methods is a testament to their effectiveness and practicality, driving a transformation in agricultural practices that promises long-term soil fertility and sustainable farming for smallholder communities in these regions.