Sustainable Intensification of maize-legume based Farming Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA)

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Annual Meeting Global Conservation Agriculture
Program March 28, 2011 CIMMYT-Kenya
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East Africa

• Newest region to start GCAP activities (1 yr old)
• Collaborative Projects
• SIMLESA - ACIAR
• Crop-Livestock EC-IFAD
• Striga Management BMGF (IITA led)

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1. SIMLESA Sustainable Intensification of
Maize - Legume Cropping Systems for ESA
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Geographical focus

• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• South Africa
• Tanzania

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Project partnership
ICRISAT, ASARECA, EIAR, KARI, DRD, DARS, IIAM,
ARC, QDEEDI and Murdoch University Program SEP,
GCAP, GMP Other collaboration DTMA, TL-II,
N2Africa
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Local Partnership

• Researchers in different disciplines
• Extension workers
• NGOs
• Farmers
• Input suppliers
• Farmer unions/cooperatives
• Private and public seed companies
• Traders and processors

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Why exploratory (on-farm) trials

• Co-learning of CA technology by farmers,
  extension officers and researchers
• Long term (4 years) commitment of host farmers to
  demonstrate effects of CA
• Responsive to farmer assessment on CA components
• Building capacity of local extension officers

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Why on-station trials?

• To provide more controlled conditions to evaluate
  expanded number of CA treatment responses
• Cross check on-farm results with on station
  results
• More detailed crop, soil and climate data
  collection to help interpret observed responses
  and evaluate predictive performance of APSIM
• Evaluate the longer-term effects of CA on soil
  properties, system productivity and weed, pest
  and disease dynamics

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HIGHLIGHTS IN 2010
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Options for systems intensification
diversification
Potential, sustainable, productive technology
options
Country No. of varieties No. of varieties No. of varieties No. of varieties No. of varieties
Maize Soybean Beans Pigeonpea
Ethiopia 3 3 4 1
Kenya 4 1 2 1
Tanzania 2 1
Total 9 4 6 3
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Discussions with stakeholders in each target
communities
Country Zone Community Farmers
Ethiopia 2 9 47
Kenya 4 8 48
Tanzania 2 14 11
Total 8 31 106
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Develop functional local innovation systems
Country Innovative Platforms Membership
Ethiopia Initiated Research centres MoA Private sectors Input suppliers Farmer Unions NGOs Farm implements manufacturers Processors
Kenya Initiated Research centres MoA Private sectors Input suppliers Farmer Unions NGOs Farm implements manufacturers Processors
Tanzania Initiated Research centres MoA Private sectors Input suppliers Farmer Unions NGOs Farm implements manufacturers Processors
Research centres MoA Private sectors Input suppliers Farmer Unions NGOs Farm implements manufacturers Processors
Research centres MoA Private sectors Input suppliers Farmer Unions NGOs Farm implements manufacturers Processors
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Evaluations of Exploratory trials
Minimum data set for field characterization
Country Basic soil, climate, land use, topography and cropping history data available for each of the exploratory trial sites
Ethiopia Ongoing
Kenya Ongoing
Tanzania Ongoing
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Establishment of on-farm/exploratory trials by
farmers
Country Farmer groups of Exploratory trials
Ethiopia 9 47
Kenya 8 48
Tanzania 8 48
Total 25 183
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Establishment of on-station long-term trials
Country On-station Treatments
Ethiopia 7 4-20
Kenya 2 9
Tanzania 2 5
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Participatory evaluation of exploratory trials
Country Evaluations /season/site
Ethiopia 3
Kenya 3
Tanzania 3
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Adjustments to the maize-legume systems
Country Modifications of treatments
Ethiopia Done
Kenya Done
Tanzania Done
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Capacity Building
Country Short term Short term Long term
CA N2 F PhD
Ethiopia 28 2
Kenya 36 1
Tanzania 25
Total 89 1 2
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Field days and experience sharing events
Country Male Female of Participants
Ethiopia 338 101 439
Kenya 187 170 357
Tanzania 120 80 200
Total 525 351 796
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2. Crop-Livestock Activities
Enhancing total farm productivity in smallholder
CA based systems in EA
Addressing some gaps in SIMLESA Program
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Competition for crop residues CA Vs Livestock

• Mostly used as fencing, fodder, firewood,
  fertilizer,
• Valuable, low-cost feed resource for animal
  production
• Major source of nutrients for livestock

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Competing uses for stover residues!
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Focus Ethiopia and Kenya Start Jan
2011 Partners ICRAF, KARI and EIAR Programs
GCAP SEP
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Objectives

1. Understand the interactions between crops and
   livestock ..... (SEP)
2. Demonstrate efficient, ..... farming systems
   based on the principles of CA that combine
   increased grain production and the production of
   sufficient animal feed with improved quality
   (GCAP)

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Objectives

• Explore, evaluate and demonstrate options for the
  incorporation of trees and shrubs into
  smallholder CA-based systems through
  participatory research in target communities
  (ICRAF/GCAP)
• Evaluate the benefits of .... farming systems
  based on the principles of CA on farm family food
  security, income and livelihoods, and on family
  workload disaggregated by gender and wealth
  groups (SEP).

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Objectives

1. Disseminate and scale out project results to
   farmers, extension agents and researchers through
   targeted activities and publications (GCAP/ICRAF)
2. Maintain project efficiency and dynamism through
   capacity building and constant monitoring,
   evaluation, and reorientation of project
   activities and outputs (GCAP/SEP/ ICRAF)

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3. Striga Management Project Focus Kenya and
Nigeria Start May 2011 Program GMP and
GCAP Partnership IITA, TSBF, AATF, NGOs, Seed
companies, Farmers
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Challenges

• Capacity strengthening as needed we cant train
  everybody
• Residue management Alternative feed sources for
  livestock
• High expectation from partners
• Many competing activities for NARS time
• Balancing staff time

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Lessons Learned

• Inclusion of stakeholders inputs in the trials is
  key to create ownership, guarantee the selection
  of more appropriate technologies and foster
  adoption
• Close supervision and monitoring of field
  activities is essential
• Termites not only CA problem in the region

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Feeding the cattle while starving the soil will
eventually starve both!