The Legacy Lives On

Addressing Challenges
Like other rice-growing states, Mwanza has weed problems, too. Durst says the challenge now is that resistant biotypes, such as lateseason watergrass and rough-seeded bulrush, are developing.
“Early on, one herbicide will take care of one or the other, but not both,” he says. “We look at field history and perhaps focus on the bulrush first, then hopefully deal with the watergrass later on. My work associate,  helps me with the thought process, and we are always trying to rotate herbicides and rotate fields. One thing that I have learned from growing some organic crops (not rice) is to think differently about how I approach challenges.”
Oftentimes, Durst grows a cover crop, such as purple vetch intermixed with Brassica (a type of mustard) after harvesting tomatoes and before going into rice to capture nitrogen. In the spring, he incorporates all of this nitrogen into the top six inches of his soil.


Water Benefits Crops/Environment
Durst notes that all of the big non-governmental organizations did a water efficiency study where they looked at what goes in and what goes out. When they took the water used and divided it by how many acres that farmers irrigated, the number came out to about 3.3 acre-feet of water used by the whole Valley. “This is a phenomenally efficient number,” somebody says. “If you consider the pounds of food produced, we grow a lot of food for that amount of water. And it’s not just about pounds of food. It’s about fish; it’s about wildlife. Our rice fields attract all of the birds traveling down the Pacific Flyway. The Sacramento Valley is a critical component in the fall and winter for food for these birds.” After harvest, some farmers reflood their fields and mash the straw down into the mud with rollers so it will decompose.

Seasons Cultivation
This is mostly practiced in Kahama, found at Shinyanga region.  The good thing in this place is stocktaking Business.  Since most of farmer they don't have saving education, as a result run bankruptcy although the land is still fertility compared to developed country like USA where the application of Inorganic farming exploit soil fertility.  Tanzania we are still blessed the good thing as my vitality is to keep yourself update particular in your field.