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Africa RISING

Africa R esearch I n S ustainable I ntensification for the N ext G eneration (Africa RISING ). Africa RISING. West Africa. East and Southern Africa. Ethiopian Highlands. Our philosophy.

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Africa RISING

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  1. Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING)

  2. Africa RISING West Africa East and Southern Africa Ethiopian Highlands

  3. Our philosophy • Through action research and development partnerships, Africa RISING is creating opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that • improve food security, • nutrition security, and • income security,

  4. Africa RISING Malawi

  5. Agro-ecological Intensification through action research with smallholder farmers in Malawi Regis Chikowo, SiegSnapp, Erim Anders, ChiwimboGwenambira -MSU WeziMhango, edwardMzumara– LUANAR Agronomy Fanny Chigwa –LUANR Animal Science Department AgnessMangwela–LUANAR Nutrition Department Isaac Nyoka–ICRAF DestaLulseged, Rowland Chirwa – CIAT Owen Kumwenda & AnillyMsukwa – DAES WUR IFPRI

  6. Basic crop production ecology …

  7. Yield-determining factors

  8. Yield-determining factors

  9. Discussing these ecological/plant production principles with university students and 99% of them understand all this within 1 hr is nothing special But there is something unique and special when we are able to package scientific concepts into forms that facilitate • Accelerated learning by (illiterate) farmers, and • Utilization at scale for increased farm productivity

  10. In search of middle ground • Coupling scientific experimentation/principles with co-learning for enhanced use of agricultural innovations by farmers

  11. There are multiple problems here

  12. The story is clear

  13. Within farm Contrasts

  14. Alarming yield gaps ??

  15. Closing the yield gaps: • Requires knowledge assimilation by farmers through simple pathways • Plausible approaches include learning by doing – farmers empowered through experimentation

  16. So how are we simplifying science to make it work with smallholder farmers in Malawi under Africa RISING?

  17. Experimentation – we use the mother and baby approach… • The mother and baby approach as a learning and technologies transfer platform • The philosophy - co-learn with farmers through a basket of technologies on ‘mother’ trials, while concurrently ‘variants’ of elements within these are acceptable at farmers’ ‘baby’ fields

  18. ‘Mother and baby’ trial design Snapp, 1998

  19. Farmers experimented with…. • Grain legumes (cowpea, groundnut, soyabean, common bean, pigeonpea) • Different crop mixtures • maize/legume intercrops • Legume –legume intercrops (doubled-up legume technology based on different crop growth habits/architecture • Different soil nutrient mangement regimes (organic-inorganic nutrient resources, and their combinations

  20. Harnessing nitrogen…..

  21. Introducing improved germplasm and appropriate management -the possibilities..

  22. When land is too constraining.. • Increasing land productivity is a must • We have to go an extra mile with our innovations • Moving beyond picking the ‘low hanging fruits’

  23. The doubled-up legume technologyIntercropping two grain legumes • Legume –legume intercrops (double legume) based on different crop growth habits /architecture • one of the crops starts growth slowly • Both crops planted at their optimum spacing (as in sole cropping – additive intercropping design) • two grain crops harvested • soil fertility benefits larger

  24. Doubled-up legumes – intercropping 2 legumes that have little inter-specific competition for resources

  25. When groundnut is almost mature, pigeonpea begins vigorous growth

  26. ‘Double grain’ LER> 1 is an index of superior productivity of crop mixture

  27. What are the opportunities for this ?..

  28. Sustainability indices (metrics)

  29. Belowground biomass assessment 0 - 20 cm 20 - 40 cm 40 - 60 cm

  30. Belowground biomass inputs: SI metrics

  31. Dissemination….

  32. Dissemination through field days

  33. Biochemistry with smallholder farmers in Malawi! Production of soyabean flour for nutritious soya porridge! (mixture of soya, groundnut and maize)

  34. Nutrition open days Pounding of soybean (processing)

  35. Farmer gives further explanations on the product to R4D platforms

  36. … and men also came for ‘cooking lessons’

  37. Packaging our messages…..

  38. Rhizobiology with farmers

  39. Properly working nitrogen factories – nodules when reddish inside

  40. Doubled-up legume technology Released in Malawi March 2016!!~

  41. Where are we?? Where are we? Where are we???

  42. Africa RISING Years 3-5 • “R4D” Platforms • Transfer research outputs • Research refinement & expansion (e.g., IPM) • Technical support

  43. Photos taken this weekend…

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