Bomalang'ombe Lutheran-Prince of Peace; CVP Report for Jan 17-2011

2009 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report
4rd Visit 2nd year
January 17, 2011

Village Bomalang’ombe parish
Pastor Lutango Tewele
Companion Price of peace Lutheran Church
Attendees Male 4 Female 8
Weather Light rain
Reporters Nafeti, Roger and Pongolani

Purpose of the visit
• Deliver fertilizer for 2nd application to corn
• Deliver bean seeds and NPK fertilizer for planting beans
• Deliver pesticides ( Thionex)
• Give instructions on bean planting and 2nd fertilizer application on the corn plot

Greetings
Greetings were delivered from the St. Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese by Roger Blomquist. Roger also gave a summary of what we are instructing them to do on our demonstration plot and the importance of using the techniques on their own farms.

Review of the handouts
• 4rd Visit Instruction with information on the importance of regular weeding, bean planting, fertilizer placement and pesticide application.

Delivery

Type/Variety Amount
Bean seeds Urafiki 30kg
Fertilizers NPK 2 bags
CAN 2 bags
Pesticides Thionex ½ Litre
Sprayer pump Capacity:


Plots
Corn Plants were planted and they had a very good germination and the plot is a good example of the proper use of the recommended spacing between rows and within plants. The bean plot will be planted this January.





Questions

1. How to make a 10cm spacing between bean seeds using a hand hoe?
To make 10cm spacing between bean seeds can be done using a mark of any kind so long as you can be able to see and use them. Alternatively, twin string can be used to mark 10cm spacing by tying knot at the recommended spacing.

2. There are two ways of pesticide application according to our experience; using pesticide mixed with sandy or mixed with water, so which way is the best?
Most of the pesticides come with instructions on the proper use of a particular pesticide, so if the instruction on the bottle requires that pesticide to be mixed with a certain amount of water or sandy then we should do as instructed.


Comments;
When they were asked how many of them have started using the techniques we are teaching them, of the 12 attendees three people said they have started using our practices and here are some of the observations they told us:
• One woman said she used the recommended practices and got comments from her neighbors about how nice her corn and beans looked. They wanted to know what she was doing to get crops that looked so good. She also said that she got the highest yields of corn and beans that she has ever harvested.
• One man said he is using our recommended practices. Soil fertility is improved by leaving the crop residues to decompose and release nutrients back to the soil and hence yields are increasing
• The pastor also said using the recommended spacing of planting corn and beans eliminates the need of growing a large area and ending up with low harvest and instead they can farm a small area and harvest more.

Conclusion
After going through the handouts and demonstrations of bean planting and 2nd
Fertilizer application on the corn plot we reminded them on the importance of learning our practices and taking them back and start using on their own farms.