Research in Sustainable Intensification in the sub-humid maize-based cropping systems of Babati

Mateete Bekunda (IITA)Ben Lukuyu (ILRI)Danny Coyne (IITA

Dan Makumbi (CIMMYT)Jean Claude Rubyogo (CIAT)

Job Kihara (CIAT)Fen Beed (IITA)

Adebayo Abass (IITA)Stephen Lyimo (SARI)

Victor Afari-Sefa (AVRDC)Festo Ngulu (IITA)

Africa RISING East and Southern Africa annual review and planning meeting, Lilongwe, Malawi, 3-5 September 2013

Introduction: guide to our work; objectivesMethodology & playersPlanned deliverablesStatus on the deliverablesLessons learned and 2013-14 Research

Presentation outline

Actions to address the AR hypotheses (Integration, Adoption, Trade-off, Scalability) are summarized in the Schematic representation of the Program’s Research Framework, indicating:

- 4 Research Outputs (RO)

- various research tools,

- components of the M&E framework, and

- themes that apply across all ROs (red arrows)

Research guide

Objectives Relating to Research Output 1: Identify key biophysical and socio-economic constraints to crops and livestock production at

farm and landscape levels? Identify existing opportunities for enhancing productivity and resource use efficiencies Map mycotoxin contamination in on-farm food and feed products and along value chains

Objectives Relating to Research Output 2: Introduce and evaluate improved varieties of food and fodder crops to farm households in a

manner that complements their on-going farm enterprises, contributes to sustainable agricultural resource management and offers nutritional and marketing advantages.

Introduce and disseminate best-bet management packages around promising improved crop varieties suited to widely representative agro-ecological zones.

Introduce postharvest safety and nutrition technologies into the maize-based farming systems as a potential driver to increased agricultural productivity

Babati: Purpose/objectives (2012-13)

Applied research tools

Activity Approach

General approach

1. Work Package model was used as an implementation strategy

2. Integration between and within the WPs assured through joint planning and implementation of activities on same action sites and where possible, at same time.

RO1: Situation analysis

Literature search, scoping studies, household interviews, FEAST, focus group discussions, physical soil and production characterization

RO2: Integrated systems improvement

Research teams (WP), mother/baby trials, multiple-site on-farm trials, on-station trials, participatory farmer evaluation

RO3: Scaling & delivery actions

Field days, television, radio, training

By who: Partner engagementWork Package WP Leader Partner research

institutions♯Research Farmers (%F)

♯Associate Farmers* (%F)

Biophysical production constraints

Job KiharaCIAT

SARI, DAICOs 320(sampled plots)

480

Improved food &feed crop varieties

Dan MakumbiCIMMYT

CIAT, SARI, IITA, DAICOs

Maize: 8 (13)Beans: 24 (54)

Maize: 272 (17)Beans: 424 (41)

Fodder species for land management

Ben LukuyuILRI

CIAT, TALIRI, IITA, DAICOs

6(50) selected for on farm trials

117 (21)

Intercropping & micro dosing with Minjingu PR

Stephen Lyimo, Selian ARI

IITA, ICRISAT 28 (36) 634 (27)20m thru TV & radio

Mycotoxin contamination

Fen BeedIITA

NM-AIST, MAFSIC, SUA

Not applicable 545

Postharvest technologies

Adebayo Abass, IITA

SUA 8 428

Integration of vegetables

Victor Afari-Sefa, AVRDC

IITA, University of Dodoma, DAICOs

Not applicable 300 (150 veggies & 150 non-veggies)

* Farmers reached through training, interviews, group discussions, field days, factsheets…

Research Outputs: Status by July 31.Deliverable StatusMap showing key biophysical constraints to crop production in Babati Oct 2013Map of key degradation hotspots within Babati and possible interventions Oct 2013Agronomic practices limiting production in Babati identified Done

Two adapted varieties of maize identified for target areas Sept 2014Three adapted and preferred bean varieties identified for each site

Two adapted species for both forage and erosion control identified for each site Sept 2014Most preferred P fertilizer micro-dosing source for intercrops identified DoneTwo factors that increase each of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize & bean food and feed, and along value chains identified

Dec 2013

10 sites targeted for application of Aflasafe in year 2 identified Dec 2013Factors contributing to high postharvest losses, the effect on productivity gain, income and food security of farm households identified

Oct 2013

New strategies for reducing postharvest losses developed Sept 2014Suitable vegetable varieties identified & best bet production practices developed Oct 2013

Fields ordered by increasing maize grain yield

Mai

ze g

rain

yie

ld (t

/ha)

02

46

810

SC 513

SC 627 and DK 8031

H 614 and Pannar 691

H 628Agronomic practices limiting production (physical data):

• Great management variability between replicates in the same field, e.g.

• Spacing between rows 55-110 cm

• Nutrient mining in 65% of farms (2.5% farmers used mineral fertilizers; 85% used improved crop varieties)

• Inherent field variations

Results: RO1

Results: RO1Map of livestock production systems for Babati District:a precursor to the feed recommendation map (literature data).

Livestock feed availability:Farmers meet up to a maximum of 65% of feed during wet season (mainly grazing); only 12 - 30% during the dry season (mainly crop residues)

Results: RO2 Maize variety selection: Note site differences in yield & similarity with local check. Some hybrids with superior yields (e.g. SH 208 in Sabilo) are not necessarily selected by farmers.

SAH 538

SAH 536

MH 616

SH 208

SH 308

CKH10717

CKH101795

CKH10038

CKH08051

SC-627 (Loca

l)0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7Sabilo (ns) Seloto (LSD = 0.9) Across (LSD = 0.6)

Entries

Gra

in y

ield

(t/

ha)

Entry 1 2 3 4

SAH 538 12 7 2 8

SAH 536 14 8 9 5

MH 616 5 1 9 3

SH 208 11 3 4 13

SH 308 2 5 9 19

CKH10717 3 9 8 8

CKH101795 4 14 9 13

CKH10038 6 23 19 16

CKH08051 0 4 12 5

SC 627 -local 37 10 14 8

Total 94 84 95 98

Participatory variety Selection Chart

Results: RO2

Selian 06

Lyamungu 90Jesca

Selian 94Selian 05

Selian 970.00

500.00

1000.00

1500.00

2000.00

2500.00

3000.00

3500.00

4000.00

4500.00

Bean varieties

Yie

ld (

Kg

/ha

)

Selian 06

Lyamungo 90 JescaSelian 94

Selian 05Selian 97

Bean varieties

Yield performance of bean varieties against different fertilizers (control – blue; Minjingu mazao – purple; Diammonium phosphate – yellow) at Long and Seloto villages

Long Seloto

Observations:1. Responses to fertilizer was site specific; Mazao better at Long and Seloto; DAP better at Sabilo (not shown here)2. Only Selian 06 just about reached its yield potential (4-6.5 t ha-1) at Long. Other varieties barely reached half of their potential.

Results: RO2Fertilizer micro dosing of a maize/pigeon pea intercrop

increased maize yield by more than 5 times at Sabilo. Pigeon peas are still in the field. Minjingu mazao was best ranked by

the farmers.

Treatment Yield (t/ha)

DAP 4.618 aMinjingu Mazao 4.149 abMinjingu PR -Granular 3.853 bFarmer’s Practice 0.71 cLSD (n=9) 0.62CV % 19.3

A map of key degradation hotspots within Babati and possible interventions, after…On-going lab and data analysis for:- Physical, chemical, mineralogical characteristics of soil samples from 640

sampling points, 32 cumulative mass sampling sites- Infiltration measurements at 32 points- Erosion prevalence using satellite imagery

Expected Results: RO1

Collected 448 maize and 390 bean geo-referenced samples at harvest and recently stored and collated questionnaires to link agronomic practices to mycotoxin levels and due to collect;

Analysis of these data will identify:1. Evaluated novel serological diagnostics for aflatoxin and fumonisin2. Database of mycotoxin prevalence to justify strategy for awareness raising campaign 3. Geographical hotspots and vulnerable sectors of value chain for interventions including

application of biocontrol; aflasafe TZ

Mycotoxins in food and feed value chain for maize and beans

Expected results: RO1

Quantified factors contributing to high postharvest losses, the effect on productivity gain, income and food security of farm households

Expected results: RO1

Bulked forage materials (over 20 varieties) ready for on-farm and farmer suitability experimentation.

Expected Results: RO2

Forage multiplication plots in Tengeru

Other deliverables

Item Indicator

Products CD on fertilizer management in maizeCD on Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease

Publications Post-harvest food losses…under reviewJournal of Stored Products Research

Graduate students

2 Msc in collaboration with iAGRI at SUA1 PhD in collaboration with Tuskegee University

Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14Lesson/Opportunity Suggested research/activity

Closing the yield gaps (maize, beans)

-Identify soil related biophysical production constraints-Evaluate staking value in the maize/climbing bean intercrops-Increased campaigns on better farm management methods including efficient fertilizer use and water harvesting

Maize lethal necrosis disease

Evaluate tolerant hybrids (in Kenya) and local varieties against MLN

Impact of profitability on adoption of technologies and intensification

Design a joint private sector – researcher value chain based research, driven by a commercial crop.

Unprocessed crop residues are a major livestock feed source

Improved storage, processing and utilization of these crop residues, …and subsequent manure recycling

Low awareness of mycotoxins, their health impacts and control

-Targeted awareness and training campaigns-Deployment of crop varieties resistant to fungal attacks-Research with Aflasafe

Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14Lesson/opportunity Suggested research/activityIncreasing farm-level profitability requires the use of postharvest interventions that reduce food losses, increase the shelf life and market value of farm produce

Introduce and test mechanized shelling of maize, threshing of sorghum, and use of simple oxygen impermeable storage technologies (super grain bags or hermitic metal containers) introduced and tested with farmers

Communicating information is variable (demos, field days, training TV/radio)

Compare and determine most effective communication approaches within and outside study areas.

96% Tz rural households own free-range indigenous chickens; have potential to improve nutrition & livelihoods

Research to improve productivity of indigenous chicken through supplementary nutrition with crop products, and better management

Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14

Lesson/opportunity Suggested research/activityVegetables, especially traditional ones, are rich in micronutrients and other health-promoting phytochemicals

Integrate vegetables within maize-based farming systems to complement staples for better smallholder nutrition and increased household incomes

Partnerships within and external to Research Teams

How should partners interact and solve problems more effectively?

Indicators of intensification Define indicators of intensification beyond those expressed at basic (e.g. agronomy) level

1. PANNAR, SUBA-AGRO, MERU-AGRO Seed companies

2. Minjingu Mines and Fertilizer Company

3. Babati Local Government Leaders (policy) & Extension services

4. NAFAKA Staples Value Chain Activity

5. iAGRI – Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative

Acknowledging research-support partners

Thank you