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Presented by Shirley Tarawali at ILRI, Addis Ababa, 20 January 2012
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Crop-livestock systems in West Africa: Update on past work
Shirley Tarawali
Presented at ILRI on 20 January 2012
• A shift in crop breeding/selection
• Dual purpose legumes and cereals
• Recognition of the greater systems context
• “Learning by doing”– Complementary expertise of
several centres– Work closely with farmers– Take an “INRM” or “Sustainable
Livelihoods” approach (ie not just productivity)
2000
2050
Changing humanpopulation
Source: Thornton et al. 2002Poverty & Livestock Mapping, ILRI, Kenya
2000
2050
Changingproductionsystems
Source: Thornton et al. 2002Poverty & Livestock Mapping, ILRI, Kenya
Pathways of crop-livestock integration?
Crop farmer
InputsGrain
Marginal
Fallow
Manure
Stover
Land resource
Livestock farmer
Livestock farmer
Manure
StoverCrop farmer
InputsGrain
Land resource
?
FallowX
MarginalXCrop farmerLivestock farmer
Crop-livestock systems - already integrated!
The challenge?
• To produce more crop and livestock products
• But:– don’t deplete the natural resource
base– don’t overlook farmers’
perceptions, priorities and circumstances
• Strategies of integrated natural resource management (INRM) and sustainable livelihoods (SL)
Science solutions?
• Improved crop varieties
• Soil management– Add fertilizer– Put more manure
• Livestock– Better quantity and quality feed– Kraal on fields
Science solutions?
Not just one crop speciesNot just for grain
Farmers buy limited inputsManure has to come from
livestockLivestock have to be fed
Feed comes from cropland
Crop varieties - more and better quality feedKraaling not always practical!
What next?• An integrated approach
• Need for “soft” science to better understand farmers, the systems they operate in and how these may influence adoption and adaptation
Integrated approach• Combine the “best” component
interventions– dual purpose crops (cereal +
legume)– crop management (best use of
inputs)– feed stover to livestock – manure returned to field
• Holistic assessment with farmers as co-developers
Research Development
Social, economicpolicy issues
Livestockproduction
Dual purposecrop varieties
Soilmanagement
Partner-ships including
FARMERS
Project basis•Combine component
research outputs•Develop holistically with
farmers and other stakeholders
Cropmanagement
1998:BB+ - best bet options plus minimum inputs
BB - best bet options, no inputs L - local plot of sorghum-cowpea
Livestock feeding dependent on agronomic treatments, manure returned to fields
Biophysical (grain, residue, soil, liveweight, manure quantity/quality)Economic (input and output costs)Social (semi-structured interviews)
Best bet options -the beginning
#S
#S
Ibadan
KadunaSGS
NGS
DS
Agro-Ecological Zonesin Sub-Saharan Africa
LGP 271 - 365 daysLGP 211 - 270 daysLGP 31 - 210 daysElevation 801-1600 m, Rainfall > 900 mm/yearElevation 801-1600 m, Rainfall < 900 mm/yearElevation > 1600 m
Humid ForestMoist SavannahDrier SavannahMoist Mid-AltitudeDrier Mid-AltitudeHigh AltitudeOther
(Originator: IITA GIS lab 2001 Source: CIMMYT Maize Research Atlas, 1999)
S
N
EW
Length of Growing Period (LGP) = 90 days
500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 Km
Nigeria Bichi (U.Zangi,
Minjibir)
Niger Banizoubou,
Kodey
Mali Fana and Koulikoro
Ghana Bawku E.,
Tolon Kumbungu
Burkina FasoNamaeguema,
Pobe
Intensification of integrated crop-livestock systems (Danida)
On farm livestock feeding - Nigeria 2003
Treatment Weight change(kg)
Liveweightgain (g) per gofCowpea fed
Estimatedmanure perhectare (kg/ha)
600g cp/day 0.64 1.06 473300g cp/day 0.93 3.09 1273Local 0.09Pr>F 0.58
Bran is an important
source of feed (especially for
women)
New in Niger- micro-dose
- compost pits
Compost pits are good……….but- transport to distant fields?
- complementarity with inorganic fertilizer?
In Burkina Faso:- begin with farmer evaluation of
feeding and compost options
-potential to dual purposevarieties and crop patterns
- excellent Danish partners, withexpertise in group dynamics
In Ghana:- small ruminant feeding in wet
season- a new challenge?
- begin with farmer evaluation of
feeding and compost options- opportunities to introducedual purpose varieties etc
- outstanding partnerships atgrass roots level
Elaborate social,
economic, policy and
institutional options - enabling
environment
• Highlights– format for economic data
collection and analyses, with and without family labour
– example from Niger– new issues to include– understanding enabling
environment
New issues to include
• Manure value• Soil capital• Livestock reproductive
performance• Livestock “value”• Alternate uses for crops (eg
sorghum stalks)• Grain storage (cowpea)• Value of grain as seed
Understanding the enabling environment
• Trade-offs and balances related to production and resource management– influences:
• resource base, access to market, environmental and cultural factors
• Credit– transition in Nigeria - to paying up
front (confidence and improved income?)
– not yet in Niger and Mali– opportunity for cross site
comparisons
What is new?• Bringing together the best (and not
necessarily no inputs - but maximum use of minimum inputs)
• Close interaction and continuous dialogue with farmers - changes and suggestions
• Economic evaluation - not just value of crop yields, but livestock production, manure value
• Relate to social information - for example:– livestock are important as an emergency cash
reserve; – small ruminants often managed by women– access to market makes a big difference
What have been the challenges?
• Time and discussion– why not extrapolate from on-
station?
• “Fear” of putting technologies or varieties in farmers hands
• Learning to move away from assessment of “success” in terms of yield alone
• Institutional issues– many and diverse partners and
expectations!
Lessons?• Start small and simple - BUT START• Address key issues for farmers - not
everything• Define how what is planned fits into
bigger picture (site selection)• Partners - contribute to key issues• Close communication with farmers -
modify appropriately - learn by doing• No free inputs• If no best bet option - go with what the
farmers do and learn from it • On station research for specific aspects
Lessons?• Keep the holistic balance - all aspects
are important, the aim is SUSTAINABLE improvements in productivity - so the highest production (especially of grain) is not always the “best” and the “fit” into the social and economic circumstances also needs to be considered
• Multi-site investigations demand flexibility according to farming system, BUT don’t get away from the basic principles. Have a protocol and database structure
• Learn to document process etc
• This presentation was originally prepared in 2003
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