‘Killer Interventions’

• Irrigation– Possible benefits: raises water productivity;

double the cropping season and thus yields; greater food security and cash income; high value crops; integration with other components (fruit trees, legumes, grains, fodder)

– Possible Issues: siltation; upstream/downstream conflicts and competition; glut on market; equity issues;

Agroforestry

• Possible benefits: soil fertility; reduce soil erosion; cash income; food; fodder; construction material

• specific practices: improved fallow; trees on farm; woodlots; fencing, etc.

• Possible issues: competition over limited space; ownership of trees; establishment challenges (management, livestock predation); labor; access to seedings

Wheat

• Possible benefits: high yielding varieties increasing harvest for food and cash; fodder; fuel; thatch.

• Possible issues: access to markets for inputs (fertilizer, herbicides); land preparation and management; trade-offs of improved variety for grain versus fodder needs; quality of grain affected by management

Potatoes• Potato and sweet potato benefits: high value

per unit of water; can store in field; food security – fills hunger gap; cash crop not as affected by global price fluctuations; high yielding ‘lazy farmer’ crop; drought resistant; relay crop; good in rotation; use of residual soil moisture; dual purpose – fodder and food; Vitamin A from orange-fleshed sweet potato – addressed malnutrition; new storage options

Potatoes cont’d• Possible issues: storage, weight-distance to

market, rainy season spoilage (though improved varieties address this);

Tie Ridges• Possible benefits: yield increases; improved

water use• Possible issues: soils; slope; labor

Steps for Research

• Design a conceptual framework to rapidly assess complex system to determine possible inventions

Background literature reviewCommunity facilitation processActor and Institution mapping

Research questions• Research on the process: what are the

impacts of the conceptual approach and implementation on the project outcomes

• Factors affecting adoption• How to best approach and operationalize

integration