Progress and achievements of SIMLESA project in Amhara Region

Presentation on CASFESA Project Closing Workshop February 23, 2015

ARARI, Bahirdar

What is SIMLESA?

• Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA)

• A research program developed by African (ESA) and Australian stakeholders

• Funded by the ACIAR through CIMMYT

• Implemented by NARS

Target districts

Project site (S. Achefer and Jabihtenan )districts

Overall goal of the Project

• Increasing farm level food security and income through maize legume/forage integration

• Ensure productivity sustainability and profitability in the farming community

TARGET AREAS

SIMLESA project in Amhara (2012-2014)

SIMLESA supports crop livestock Integration through

Testing and promotion of maize legumes intercropping under CA

Improve access to adaptable and productive varieties of maize,

legume and forage (PVS)

Facilitate adoption and scaling

up of CA technologies (IP)

Strengthening the capacity of the research system

Maize Legume

Preliminary Results of on-farm demonstration of CA

No Treatment Description and combination

Treatment Cropping system Variety used

1 Conventional practice (CP) Sole maize BH540

2 Conservation Agriculture (CA) Sole maize BH540

3 Conservation Agriculture (CA) Maize with Haricot bean BH540and chorie

4 Conservation Agriculture(CA) Maize with Caw pea BH540 and AccNo12688

5 Conservation Agriculture(CA) Maize-Haricot bean Rotation BH540or chorie

Mean grain yield of maize in different tillage practice

based cropping system at South Achefer

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Sole maize-conventional

tillage

Sole maize-conservation

tillage

Maize @Haricotbean-

Conservationtillage

Maize@cowpea underconservation

tillage

Maize= Haricotbean Rotation-conservation

tillage

Mean

2.3 2.4

3.2

2.5 1.9

2.5

4.3

5.3 5.6

6.1

0

5.3

7.9 7.5

7.1 7.7

10.9

8.2

Gra

in Y

ield

(t/

ha)

Tillage practice based cropping system

2012/2013

2013/2014

2014/2015

Mean grain yield of maize in different tillage practice

based cropping system at Jabehtenan

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Sole maize-conventional

tillage

Sole maize-conservation

tillage

Maize @Haricotbean-

Conservationtillage

Maize@ cowpeaunder

conservationtillage

Maize= Haricotbean Rotation-conservation

tillage

Mean

1.1 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.4

3.6

4.6

5.2 5.4

0

4.7

7.9 7.4

7.8 7.9 8.4

7.9

Gra

in Y

ield

(t/

ha)

Tillage practice based cropping system

2012/2013

2013/2014

2014/2015

Feedbacks from CA demonstration

Cowpea intercropping in maize reduce weed problem

Minimum tillage save family labor, reduce dependence on

oxen for land preparation (especially for women and poor

farmer)

Minimum tillage solve problem of logging on maize

Minimum tillage and legume intercropping save soil moisture

and reduce effect of terminal moisture stress on maize (the

case in 2012 and 2013)

Bacterial blight was main challenge on cowpea and HB

Achievements of Objective 3

Maize PVS

• Set I. Includes 8 hybrid maize varieties and conducted during 2012 and 2013

• Set II. (5 hybrid varieties in 2013 and 2014)

• Set III. Six OPV in 2013 and 2014

•BHQPY-545, AMH-851 and BH-661 were the first, second and third preferences of farmers

respectively, for their better performance for disease tolerance, drought tolerance and high

yielding.

•BHQPY-545, AMH-851 PHB-3253 (Jabi) and BH-661 were recommended for the area in

2013

Hybrids

Yield (t/ ha-1)

Days to

maturity

BH-542 5.67 154.0

BH-545 7.14 156.0

BH660 6.69 174.0

BH661 7.43 178.7

BH-673 7.07 174.7

PHB-3253 7.42 149.3

AMH-850 7.35 169.1

AMH-851 7.80 171.6

Farmers selection criteria and selected hybrid maize

Variety Selection criteria with their weight Total Rank

Cob length (3)

Cob No. (1)

Husk

cover (4) Yield (2)

AMH 760Q 3 2 4 4 13 2

Shone 3 2 4 2 11 1

BH 540 9 3 12 6 30 3

BH 140 12 4 12 8 34 4

BH800 6 5 16 10 37 5

Recommended maize varieties in 2014

• Shone was the best hybrid

maize variety selected by both

farmers and researchers and

recommended for the areas in

2014

• Gibe-1 had better preference by

farmers in both districts

• Gibe -1 was the highest

yielding in south Achefer

(4.8t/ha) and recommended as

an option

Gibe -1

Shone

Legume PVS

• Set I. Fababean 8 varieties

• Set II. Haricot bean 8 varieties

• Set III. Soya bean 8 varieties

Preliminary results of 2013 under maize

Fababean Yield

(kg/ha)

HB Yield

(kg/ha)

HB Yield

(kg/h

a)

Holeta-2 695 Dimitu Poor Gizo 1128

Degaga 567 Tinkine Poor Wogayen 912.5

Gebelcho 453 Naser Poor Belesa-95 1378

Moti 769 Dinknesh Poor Awas-95 1009

Wolkie 900.5 Gabisa Poor Gishama 1070

Dosha 970.5 Anger Poor Afgat 833.5

Tumsa 616.5 Awash Melka Poor Jalale 951.5

Obse 312.5 Loko Poor Ethio- yigozlavia 981.5

Recommendation from lupin PVS under maize

• Inter cropping of sweet lupine cultivars in to maize did not cause any yield penalty on maize

• Sanabor (5.44 q/ha) followed by Bora (5.43q/ha) under maize

• Where as these cultivars gave 32 and 28 quintal/ha planted as sole

• Sanabor and Bora recommended for intercropping under maize

• Out of four candidate sweet lupin variety two Sanabor and Vitabor were registered by NVRC

Combined analysis for two years in Jabitehnan showed that kenkety, 9334, TVU and bekur gave better dry matter yield without affecting maize grain yield in maize cowpea intercropping.

However, 9334, TVU and bekur were given medium to low rank by farmers due to poor ground cover and resistance to disease

Based on biological data and farmers preference ranking kenkety recommended as compatible cowpea variety for intercropping with maize for Jabitehnan and others with similar agro ecology.

Recommendation from cowpea PVS under maize

Yield of cowpea in different intercropping date with maize

Treatments South Achefer

DMY t/ha

Jabitehnan

DMY t/ha

Cowpea simultaneously with maize (T1) 1.06a 1.78a

Cowpea 10 days after maize sowing (T2) 0.84b 0.77b

Cowpea 20 days after maize sowing (T3) 0.66c 0.45bc

Cowpea 30 days after maize sowing (T4) 0.43d 0.31c

Mean 0.75 0.83

SL *** **

Means with different superscript in columns are significantly different (P<0.001)

Innovation platforms and scaling up

Joint planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and support

Roles and responsibilities shared

Trainings organized to farmers and partners on IP and SIMLESA

technologies

Newly recommended varieties supplied to seed producers for production

Awareness creation, technology deliveries/scaling out efforts were led by

Two IP established

IP members Zone & district office of agricultures Farmer Cooperatives Public Seed Enterprises Farmers Local Administrators Local input suppliers Research centers

Scaling up of identified maize and forage under minimum tillage

• Participant farmers 40

• Each on quarter of ha

• Maize (BHQPY 545) with cowpea intercropping in Jabihetenan

• Maize (Jabi) with sweet lupin in South Achefer

Field day participants in 2012, 2013and 2014 cropping season

SIMLESA findings communicated to public using different media

• EBC

• AMMA

• ARARI news letter

• ARARI Proceedings

• Journal article on progress

• Leaflets

• Poster

Capacity building

• One PhD student partially supported

• One Master student thesis research supported

• Various short term training in country and abroad

• Exchange visit for farmers

• Exchange visit and experience sharing on CA abroad

• One double gabin Toyota car

• Various office and field equipments purchased

Thank you

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