Ifunda - House of Prayer -- CVP Visit Nov 3-2010

2010 CVP
Companion Village Project
3rd visit, Year One
November 3, 2010

Village Ifunda
Pastors Jenock Mwilafi
Companion House of Prayer, Oakdale
Attendees Male 7 Female 5
Weather Dry
Ah Institute Staff Gabriel, Fred and Pastor Lunodzo

Purpose of the visit
• Delivering seeds and fertilizers
• Demonstrating corn planting and fertilizer application
Greetings
Before we began the demonstration, Fred delivered greetings from St. Paul Area Synod and US Institute of Ag advisory committee
Review of the handouts
Together with them we went through the handouts
• 3rd Visit Instruction
• Plant population with 60 cm. rows and Fertilizer applications
• Fertilizer needs template

Demonstrations
o Planting and fertilizer applications
Outside the church we demonstrated on how to place seeds (Both corn and beans) and how to apply fertilizers. We insisted that they should not place seeds and fertilizers together.
o Seeds and fertilizers
We delivered 2 bags of NPK and 4 bags of corn seeds

Crop Seeds Fertilizer
Varieties Amount Type Amount
Corn H628 8kg (4 bags) NPK 100kg (2 bags)

Questions/comments from the audience
 How many time should they apply fertilizers
We recommend two applications of fertilizers; at the planting and when the plants are at knee high.
 When to do second application to the corn?
Do second application when plants are at knee high, it is good to do it when the rain resume (Rain normally stops for few weeks in the mid of rain season here)
 They wanted to know whether fertilizers have chemicals that affects human health or not?
Fertilizers do contain plants nutrients. They have been approved by the government because they do not affect human health.
 They said they know that local varieties are more resistant to diseases and are not easily damaged when harvested. Why do we encourage them to use improved varieties?
It is true local varieties have some very good characteristics which sometimes the improved varieties do not have. However the improved varieties have more good characteristics (high yield, high nutrients content etc.) than the local varieties.
 What types of improved corn seeds are suitable to this area
We told them the H625 and H628 will suit their weather.
Plot
We drove to their plot which is on the slope close to the water stream, in the farming area of the town. The plot is good and it has been well cleaned.

Conclusion
We encouraged them to follow the instructions and take good care of the plot. Good results they get from the plots will help them to decide whether they should adopt the techniques or not. They should use the plot as the learning tool.