Collaboration for Improved Soil and Water Managementand Water Management

in Eastern and Southern Africa

Charles WortmannCharles WortmannDepartment of Agronomy and Horticulture Seminar

University of Nebraska, LincolnS t b 24 2010September 24, 2010

TopicsTopics• Issues and background• INTSORMIL• Collaborative activities

ObjectivesPartnersPartnersModes of operationResultsResults

• Opportunities for UNL

Issues25

30 CassavaMaizeSorghum

• Production is increasingSlight yield increaseI d 15

20

25

milli

ons

gSweet potatoesBeans, dryGroundnuts, with shell

Increased areaPer capita declineMaintaining yield = 5

10

15

Mg

yr-1,

Maintaining yield achievement

• Mostly resource-poor llh ld

01960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1.810smallholders

• Little input use• Poor input supply & 1

1.2

1.4

1.6

g ha

-16

7

8

9

g ha

-1

Poor input supply & markets

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Yie

ld, M

g

Beans, dry1

2

3

4

5

Yie

ld, M

CassavaSweet potatoes

0

0.2

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Groundnuts, with shellMaizeSorghum

01960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Sorgh m Millet and Sorgh m Millet and Sorghum, Millet and Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSPOther Grains CRSPOt e G a s C SOt e G a s C S

INTSORMIL focal cropsSorghum, Pearl Millet and Other Grains

Finger Millet (E. & Southern Africa)

Tef (Ethiopia)

Fonio (West Africa)

INTSORMIL Technical Focal AreasINTSORMIL Technical Focal AreasEnhancing productivity and livelihood in marginal areasmarginal areasSoil and water managementIntegrated pest managementIntegrated pest managementMitigating post-harvest lossesNutrition and healthFood quality, processing and safetyBroadening market accessI i iIncreasing incomeBreeding, biotechnology, and biodiversity

Increase yield level and stability for sorghum through crop, soil, and water management while maintaining or improving the natural resource base

Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)g ( g ( ) )

• An important crop in Africa ti ll di d id l d t d• genetically diverse and widely adapted

• primarily a crop of small-holder farmers • typically produced under adverse conditions

– low input use – marginal lands– numerous biotic and abiotic production constraints

Th i d t d i• The grain and stover are used in many different ways with localized preferences.

Charles Wortmann* and Martha Mamo, UNL

Christopher Mburu, Kenya

Elias Letayo, Tanzania

Girma Abebe, Ethiopia

Kaizzi C. Kayuki, Uganda

M d Chi i Z biMedson Chisi, Zambia

Munyaradzi Mativavarira, Zimbabwe

Soares Xerinda, Mozambique

Theophile Ndacyayisenga, RwandaUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln (cwortmann2@unl.edu)

The Atlas• information for 3.4M ha in

39 sorghum production39 sorghum production areas spanning 38o

latitudelatitude– production constraints– cropping systemscropping systems– management– uses– preferences– gender rolesg– marketing

43 constraints were assessed; the top 16

Cropping systems • 61% of sorghum is insorghum is in sole crop in ESA

• Sorghum intercrops with maizemaize, cowpea and common bean are most important

Gender and children ibilitiresponsibilities

• Production• Post-harvest• MarketingMarketing

MajorStover-fuel

Major uses of Stover-construction

Stover-fodder

EthiopiaKenya

sorghum

O llLivestock feed

Stover-mulch MalawiMozambiqueRwandaTanzania

Overall, stover = 26% of crop

Beverage-alcoholic

Beverage-non-alcoholic UgandaZambiaZimbabwe

26% of crop value; 37% in Ethiopia

Food-boiled

Food-roasted

in Ethiopia.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Food-injera

Food-baked

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Percent of total uses

Grain marketing

Country %Ethiopia 29

Production by small-Ethiopia 29Kenya 30M l i 28

scale farmers is primarily for home cons mption Malawi 28

Mozambique 24consumption. Overall, 34% is marketed

Rwanda 67Tanzania 40

marketed.

The Atlas of Sorghum ProductionUganda 50Zambia 28

The Atlas of Sorghum Production in Eastern and Southern Africa

• available at http://intsormil.orgZimbabwe 23

p g

Collaboration in research and i U d d E hi iextension: Uganda and Ethiopia

• Collaborator is essentialCollaborator is essentialCommonly working in difficult situations: low pay, poor p y, pfacilities, little recognitionLittle reason to be productivep

Need to identify those who are capable and motivatedcapable and motivated

Recognition, technical support, funds, sponsorship, p p

Work with small-h ld fholder farmers• Discussions to

– Plan research– Convey informationCo ey o at o– Evaluate results

Many sites and groupsMany sites and groups

• Local facilitators are keyYouth from the villagesImplement trials, organize field days and meetingsAdvise farmersPaid based on accomplishment

• Building on other accomplishments

Uganda: Dr. Kaizzi Kayuki, Kawanda OAgricultural Research Institute, NARO

• Soil fertilitySoil fertility management

• Reduced tillage• Reduced tillage• Input supply

d t h land technology transfer

Uganda: rotation, green manure and nitrogenYields and returns improved with crop rotation, mucuna, and p p , ,N fertilizer.

Kaizzi, C.K., J. Byalebeka, C.S. Wortmann, and M. Mamo. 2007. Low input approaches for soil fertility management in semi-arid eastern Uganda. Agron. J. 99: 847-853.

Cover crops

Tephrosia, a leguminous shrubleguminous shrub containing rotenone, used as a cover

t l lcrop, controls mole rats

Uganda: N, P, manureUga da , , a u eWhat is an acceptable B:C ratio for resource poor farmers who do not have good credit availability and who have lt ti f th i ll t f ?alternative uses for their small amount of money?

1.5 or 1.75!!

Kaizzi, C.K., J. Byalebeka, C.S. Wortmann, and M. Mamo. 2007. Low input approaches for soil fertility management in semi-arid eastern Uganda. Agron. J. 99: 847-853.

Uganda: reduced tillageUganda: reduced tillageReplacing pre-plant tillage with glyphosate treatment increased yield and profitabilityincreased yield and profitability.

Kaizzi, C.K., J. Byalebeka, C.S. Wortmann, and M. Mamo. 2007. Low input approaches for soil fertility management in semi-arid eastern Uganda. Agron. J. 99: 847-853.

Economics of Smallholder Use of fertilizer N f S h i U dN for Sorghum in Uganda (AGRA supported)

• Nutrient cost 120 R10R20

relative to grain value is very high 80

100

$ ha

-1

R20R30OpCost75%OpCost10%

2.27 Mg ha-1

very high– e.g. ~17 kg

grain to buy60

80re

turn

to N

, $ EONR

2.05 Mg ha-1

grain to buy one kg N, R17 20

40

Net

r

0.78 Mg ha-1

00 10 20 30 40 50 60

N rate, kg ha-1

Can we predict EONR?

Best FertilizerBest Fertilizer Options for Smallholders inSmallholders in Uganda?? (AGRA supported)supported)

Mean mostMean most profitable nutrient rate for an opportunity cost of 75%.

Uganda: technology disseminationUganda: technology dissemination• Activities in 5 districts of eastern and northern

Uganda currently; 7 districts in 2011; 2 locations each

S d i d di i ti f 3 i ti– Seed increase and dissemination for 3 new varieties– Enabling input supply: input supplier training– On-farm trials and field daysOn farm trials and field days– Baseline and adoption, and marketing, study– Many partners, e.g. Soroti Catholic Diocese

D l t O i ti (SOCADIDO) TDevelopment Organisation (SOCADIDO), Teso Dioceses Development (TEDDO), government extension, Global 2000, Africa 2000, etc.

Ethiopiap

Tewodros Mesfin EIAR/ Melkassa ResearchTewodros Mesfin, EIAR/ Melkassa Research Center; Gebreyesus Brhane Axum UniversityGebreyesus Brhane, Axum University

• Tie-ridging for water conservationg g• Skip-row planting for improved drought

tolerancetolerance• Soil fertility

Cli t h• Climate change

ETHIOPIAETHIOPIA

Tied ridging, modification ofmodification of traditional plow and planting attachment f th lfor the plow.

Tied-ridging effects on sorghum yield

Brhane G C S Wortmann M Mamo H Gebrekidan and A Belay 2006Brhane, G., C.S. Wortmann, M. Mamo, H. Gebrekidan, and A. Belay. 2006. Agron. J. 98:124-128.

Buy-in: tied-ridging research on highland pulses in northern Ethiopia

Brhane, G. and C.S. Wortmann. 2008. Tie-ridge tillage for high altitude pulse production in northern Ethiopia. Agron. J. 100:447-453.

Skip-row planting• Common configurations while

maintaining similar plant ha-1

– Plant 2 : skip 2p– Plant 1 : skip 1– Plant 2 : skip 1

• A means of saving water for• A means of saving water for grain fill period: it takes time for roots to reach further soil water

• Most suited forMost suited for– Severe water deficits during

grain fill; <4.5 Mg ha-1 grain yieldyield

– Deep soil with high water holding capacity

– No-till and crop residue coverNo-till and crop residue cover to reduce evaporation

Abunyewa et al. 2010. Agron J. 102:296-302.

Skip-row planting x tied-ridging

• Small yield i ithincrease with S1:P2 but decrease withdecrease with S1:P1

• Large responseLarge response to tied-ridging

Mesfin et al. 2010. Agron J. 102:745-750.

Skip-row and intercropping• Farmers not likely to leave the skip-row

area unplanted.• Can an early maturing crop be planted in

the skip area with increased productivity while saving some water for sorghum or maize grain fill?

Climate variabilityClimate variability• Farmer decision system

according to recent andaccording to recent and anticipated weather conditions

Near bimodal rainfall– Near bimodal rainfall pattern allows planting decisions over 4 month periodperiod

• Crop growth simulation models combined with experimentationexperimentation– e.g. dry soil planting

Opportunities for UNL: Water for Food Program

• Technical and educational support to agriculturalTechnical and educational support to agricultural water management in Oromia region of Ethiopia

Oromia WaterOromia Water Works Design & Supervision E t iEnterprise.

Fentalle irrigation based integrated development project 0 0 1250

1000

1850

11501100 1250

1300

1150

1050

1150

1200

Mount Fantale

AW ASH N ATIO N AL PAR K

NEW LY IDENTIFIED ARE A (ILALA)

5 0

950

950

1050

1 15 0

1 350

Metehara

NLAKE BE SEKA

NO RTHERN BLOCK

900

1500

1400

950

BO MISAMETEHARA SUGER PLANTATIO

N

1200

1100

1050

1650

1200

1400

1250

1350

QAW A

HIRA FARM

BIRKA DIRE SEDEN

1250

1150

130 0 1200

1250

Q

NURA HIR

37

50

1650

17 00

1650

6 0 6 12 Kilom eters

FENTALLE, CNT’D

Vast land resource (>18,000ha)

38

Fentalle, cnt’d

Irrigation- Water from Awash RiverRiver

39

Irrigation

Irrigated maize, harvest of irrigated maize and planting of a crop to be irrigatedand planting of a crop to be irrigated

COMBINING WITH LOCAL EXPERIENCE

42