Take AIM: Agro-ecological Intensification in Malawi through action research with
smallholder farmers
Regis Chikowo, Robbie Tichardson, Sieg Snapp (MSU); Wezi Mhango, Fanny Chigwa, Agness Mangwela (LUANAR); Isaac Nyoka and Sileshi (ICRAF), Desta Lulseged (CIAT), Owen Kumwenda and Anilly Msukwa
(DAES)
Africa RISING East and Southern Africa annual review and planning meeting, Lilongwe, Malawi, 3-5 September 2013
Background - the project recognizes that
There are action-learning and systems approaches that have been proven effective, yet they have rarely been applied at scale
Knowledge transfer mechanisms that broadly work across:
ofarmer typologies and
oagro-ecologies
Worrying facts
management recommendations generally at variance with local farmer circumstances (consideration of agricultural risks, resource constraints and farmer production objectives)
The levels of labor, fertilizer, manure demanded are often far beyond the capabilities of all but the wealthiest households
Wealthy farmers <10% (Shepherd and Soule, 1998, Mapfumo and Mtambanegwe, 2005; Tittonell et al., 2005, 2011; Zingore et al, 2007)
Alarming yield gaps ??
Crop Actual yields (t/ha)
Attainable
yields (t/ha)
Maize 1 4+
Soyabean 0.6 1.8+
Groundnut 0.5 1.5+
Closing the yield gaps:
Requires knowledge assimilation by farmers through simple pathways
Plausible approaches include learning by doing – farmers empowered through experimentation
(NO TO DEMONSTRATIONS ONLY) …….. Why ? – the very poor often left out, no opportunity
for hands-on innovating, elitist and top-down, scientists in total control and fulfilling their fantasies, farmers by-standers, etc
Riding on our past experiences
The mother and baby approach as a learning and agricultural technologies transfer platform
Farmers at all levels identify with the approach (scientists coming down to earth without compromising scientific rigor)
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
Snapp, 1998
‘Mother and baby’ trial design
What we did during 2012/13 season
Intervention site ‘Section’
Village cluster 1
Mother Trial A
40-60 baby trials
Village cluster 2
Mother Trial B
40-60 baby trials
What we plan to do in 2013/14 .... consolidate and expand ..............>>
Intervention site ‘Section’
Village cluster 1 (old)
Mother Trial A
80 baby trials
Village cluster 2 (old)
Mother Trial B
80 baby trials
Village cluster 3 (new)
Mother Trial C
80 baby trials
> 900 directly experimenting farmers
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
Diversification …intensification
Crop diversification as one of the major themes of the ‘mother and baby’ approach
Doubled-up legumes – intercropping 2 legumes that have little competition for resources
Exposing farmers to agric intensification technologies ......
Poor but happy at last ..
... she has the energy
Could it be too difficult to interpret his thoughts..
... and MSU administrators came to the field in Malawi to see our AR intensification ideas at work
Provost
Outputs We have effectively secured buy-in from partners
in projects sites (DAES, DC office, NGOs)
Successfully established 4 action research sites (Linthipe, Golomoti, Kandeu and Nsipe)
Held a farming systems and modeling workshop for partners in Malawi (spiced by some 3 participants from Ghana and Mzee Mateete)
Recently held nutrition workshops in the action sites
Food and nutritional security
Africa RISING Nutrition open days workshops
Africa RISING Nutrition workshops & open days
Biochemistry with smallholder farmers in Malawi!
Production of soyabean flour for nutritious soya porridge! (mixture of soya, groundnut and maize)
The Ntcheu DC in support of healthy communities through Africa RISING
Lessons learnt
Appropriate selection of pigeon pea varieties essential for success in mixed crop-livestock systems – long duration varieties likely to be damaged by goats during July/August
Despite repeated explanations, a good proportion of farmers can not separate R4D activities and Development programs – this leads to ‘excessive’ demands on free inputs – seed, fertilizers, etc.
What worked
Farmers in intervention sites take ownership of the project
Farmer experimenting (and innovating)
DAES as convenors of R4D platforms
What did not work
Intensive field soil surveys completed but soil analysis lagging behind
Ideally this should contribute to informing our next steps
Livestock component not prioritized during Year 1. We have added relevant skills onto the research team for 2013/14 and beyond
What are the opportunities for this ?..
Dry bones can live again ...
Zikomo Kwambili Asante Sana
Merci beaucoup Thank you
Dank U Tatenda
Amphope
Thank you
Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net