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