Instruction: This template should be used for interim and final technical reports. Final reports should include supporting data (tables and graphs) under Section D. No tables and graphs are needed for interim reports.
Reporting Period: October 1, 2013 – September 30, 2014 (Year 3)
Section A. Partner Information
A.1. Institute: Michigan State University
A.2. Contact persons: Prof Sieg Snapp (), Dr Regis Chikowo ()
A.3. Intervention site, country: Malawi
A.4. Partners: CIAT, ICRAF, LUANAR, DAES
Section B. Summary of progress/achievements during the reporting period (What are the two key achievements?)
· Expansion of the research team and activities: The Malawi Africa RISING research team has been expanded as from October 2013, to include scientists from two additional departments in LUANAR university. The new additions are the Department of Animal Science and the Nutrition and Food Science Department. This expansion is anticipated to improve the overall research team pool of expertise and help provide insights into research questions such as: What are the current biophysical and socio-economic constraints to increased quality, quantity and diversity of crop (cereals and grain legumes) and livestock products (meat and dairy). CIAT has also joined in the implementation of action research with farmers, testing various bush and climbing bean varieties. More than one thousand farmers are now directly experimenting with sustainable intensification technologies under Africa RISING in Malawi.
· Africa RISING exchange visit with Zambians and Tanzanian Scientists: As part of Africa RISING knowledge sharing and research design improvements, the Malawi team hosted 16 researchers from Zambia and Tanzania between 5-8 March 2014. The researchers were taken on a tour of the action research sites in Dedza and Ntcheu districts over 2 days. During the trip, the researchers had a chance to interact with farmers, local extension partners and our district R4D actors.
· Malawi Africa RISING Video: During this period, the Africa RISING Malawi team managed to complete the production of a Africa RISING documentary ' In Search for Sustainable Intensification Pathways for Agricultural Production in Malawi'. The video highlights the Africa RISING philosophy, including the strong partnership between international scientists/institutions and local stakeholders.
Section C. Implemented work and achievements per output (less than 200 words per activity)
C.1 Research Output 1 (RO1): Situation analysis and program-wide synthesis. Please refer to the Program Document for Activity Headings.
C.1.1. Activity: Mega-site stratification by ‘development domains’ in Malawi
C.1.1.1 Implemented work: This activity has largely been completed and there has been consolidation of activities within the sites that were selected during Years 1-2. We have since validated the original site selection as being appropriate as evidenced by large differences in rainfall among the sites over the past 2 years. To recap, the sites in Malawi were selected based on elevation as a proxy for temperature/avapotranspiration potential, and long term rainfall. Three agro-ecologies emerged:
a. Linthipe Extension Planning Area (EPA): that has relatively high rainfall, high elevation (about 1200 masl) – with high agricultural potential.
b. Nsipe and Kandeu EPAs: the areas have medium elevation (800 - 900 masl), medium rainfall with intermediate agricultural potential, and
c. Golomoti EPA: located at low elevation (550 masl) and high temperature – this has very high evapotranspiration and short growing season. The area is associated with flush flooding due to the low lying flat terrain and flat and is characterized by poor rainfall distribution
C.1.1.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): based on agro-ecology analysis, CIAT is now implementing research on intensification of different bean varieties in two contrasting areas - Linthipe, which has potential for both bunch and climbing bean varieties, and in Kandeu that is more appropriate for bunch varieties
C.2 Research Output 2 (RO2): Integrated Systems Improvement. Please refer to the Program Document for Activity Headings.
C.2.1. Activity: Identification of research teams within R4D platforms
C.2.1.1 Implemented work: The project has expanded the research team to now include the Animal Science Department and the Nutrition and Food Sciences department from LUANAR. The original team that comprised CIAT, ICAR, MSU and LUANAR's Plant and Soil Sciences Department has also seen internal expansion, including recruitment of research assistants and graduate students. Our R4D platform partners continue to actively participate in project activities, including spearheading field based learning through field days.
C.2.1.2 Achievements (progress and/or results):
Bean studies
Mother trials were laid out in split-plot design. Results show that pure bean stand with stick stakes and chicken manure produced the highest yields (1960 kg ha-1) whereas bean intercropped with pigeonpea as live stake produced the least mean yield (740kg ha-1). Maize and bean intercrops fertilized with NPK and/or manure also produced high yields (Table 1). Despite staggering the planting by two weeks, pigeonpea had too short a stature to effectively support climbing beans. Generally, fertilization strategies had a large bearing on the performance of bean varieties. DC86-263 produced the highest yield under bean + maize + NPK + manure cropping system (2450 kg ha-1) whereas MBC33 had highest yields in pure stand under stick stakes and manure application. For DK8033 maize variety, the highest yield was obtained in maize-bean intercrop where both NPK and manure were applied (Table 1).
Integration of legumes and fertilization strategies
The research team has been collecting data across all research sites, with the mother-baby trials approach as the main methodology for co-learning with farmers about sustainable intensification options. The collected data includes agronomic performance of different crops (grain legumes and maize) under different cropping systems (sole cropping, cereal-legume intercrop, doubled-up legumes) and fertilization regimes. During early March 2014, the research team embarked on an ambitious exercise collecting hundreds of plant samples across the research sites to estimate biological N2-fixation of different legumes under different soil fertility and agro-ecology domains. Samples are already being processed and isotopic methods will used to determine the proportion of legume N originating from biological N2-fixation.
Among other research activities, graduate students within the research team have investigated 1) phosphorus (P) fertilization for soyabean across three agro-ecologies and established a significant P effect (Figure 1), and 2) root biomass inputs in various intercropping systems involving grain legumes and maize (Figure 2). These studies show potential for intensification of soyabean through modest P fertilization rates of 14 kg ha-1, as well as huge below-ground biomass inputs through pigeopea. Building soil organic matter is the basis for sustainable agricultural systems. We have also investigated the impact of NPK and NPK+ organic inputs across soil fertility regimes and agroecologies (Figure 3).
Dairy intensification
Milk production among Malawi’s smallholder dairy farmers who own improved dairy cow breeds is very low (Table 2), especially during the long dry off-season when pastures are scarce and of poor quality. The quantities are very low realizing that the dairy cows have potential to produce > 30 L of milk per day. In desperate for cash, farmers sell almost all the milk they get, depriving the hosuholds the nutrition. The biggest constraint is unavailability of cheaper dairy feed supplements in increase milk production. Africa RISING is investigating the potential for generating dairy feed through fast growing leguminous tree species such as Leucaena pallid (Photo D2)
C.2.2. Activity: Identification of modelling and decision support tools for the ex-ante technology identification, trade-off analysis, evaluation of the ex-ante sustainability and resilience of options, and guiding future research
C.2.2.1 Implemented work: We have continued to collect data that is necessary for detailed modelling. Eight more rain gauges have been installed close to the eight new mother trials. Data collected by local extension during 2013 shows that the local extension personnel that have been given this responsibility have understood the importance of quality data collection. We also recently received 2 portable weather stations from IITA Arusha, the East and Southern Africa, Africa RISING office.
C.2.2.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): A graduate student from MSU is completing his MSc thesis that include modelling using the agricultural production systems simulator (APSIM) model. We are also commissioning a consultancy study that will investigate in detail the long-term tradeoffs of various cropping arrangements. We want to understand what bearing these crop arrangements/sequences have on systems stability and climate change adaptation, elements that we consider as important in the sustainable intensification discourse.
C.2.3. Activity: Participatory evaluation and adaptation of appropriate combinations of technologies and interventions:
C.2.3.1 Implemented work: A total of 16 mother trials, each with at least 10 treatments, were (re)established in Dedza and Ntcheu districts between November and December, 2013. These experiments are testing different sustainable intensification technologies. The original eight mother trials that were mostly in the legume -phase have now entered the rotational phase, in which residual effects are being tested. Eight new mother trials were established in the project's four EPAs, but expanding to new villages. The number of 'baby farmers' more than doubled from the 450 during the 2012/13 cropping season, to > 1000 during the 2013/14 cropping season. The original baby farmers are already demonstrating innovations, and are able to elaborate on the knowledge and benefits that are accruing as a result of Africa RISING interventions. In addition to the 16 'systems' mother trials, CIAT also implemented six mother trials and several baby trials, investigating the potential for intensification of field beans for improved nutrition of diets.
C.2.3.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): Farmers are already demonstrating a high level of knowledge acquisition. Most participating farmers are able to articulate the principles behind the technologies that they are experimenting with, and are expressing strong interest to scale up the use of the technologies that they already have gained confidence with. A toal of 12 field days were held across the action sites by the Africa RISING team.
C.3 Research Output 3 (RO3): Scaling and Delivery. Please refer to the Program Document for Activity Headings.
C.3.1. Activity: Identify and develop (where necessary) scaling approaches for targeted integrated innovations that are identified to have potential for scalability
C.3.1.1 Implemented work: We continue to improve on the ‘mother and baby approach’ as a co-learning strategy that can be used to deliver technologies at scale to different communities of similar agro ecologies. We have exposed this approach to extension personnel that operate from outside the intention sites, taking care to exclude areas that are designated as counterfactual sites on the Africa RISING project. This was done to minimize deliberate contamination between the intervention and counterfactual sites. During the off-season, field based training workshops on nutrition and post harvest value addition were held (see success story).
C.3.1.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): Field days have been our main vehicle for co-leaning with some farmers, which are in turn, expected to pass on the knowledge to their peers/neighbours. Three pamphlets have been developed and will be translated into Chichewa language for wider distribution to farmers. The Africa RISING Malawi DVD will also be translated into Chichewa and hundreds of copies will be produced and distributed to farmers and other grassroots level partners.
C.3.1.3 Between 27-31 July, Africa RISING Malawi hosted a writeshop event at Club Makokola Retreat in Mangochi, Lake Malawi, involving 35 participants that included project scientists, local extension and international partners from CABI and the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI). The writeshop aimed to synthesize the past three years experiences from Africa RISING project as well as long term insights from the McKnight Foundation funded best-bets project in Malawi, with the goal of promoting scaling out of sustainable intensification approaches relevant to production circumstances of smallholder farmers in Malawi (and elsewhere). This invariably calls for production of simple products that can be readily used by farmers and other stakeholders in different value chains. The writeshop involved synthesising lessons learned organised around the following themes:
1. Fertilizer targeting and land quality
2. Maize-legume intensification
3. Soil organic matter (SOM)
4. Extension and communication and,
5. Scaling
Participants joined the different themes based on interest and comparative competencies. Each of the thematic teams identified the available data sources, key results and gaps that still needed to be filled. This writeshop will result in scientific articles, fact sheet, and technology briefs appropriate to development partners.
C.3.2. Activity:
C.3.2.1 Implemented work. Farmers within intervention villages and even some from neighbouring villages surrounding the action research sites were exposed to early stages of production nurseries of multi-purpose fodder trees through ICRAF.
C.3.2.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): Fodder trees were established on several farms. The good rains received during the 2013/14 season resulted in satisfactory field establishment for most of the transplanted seedlings. Over the next year the research team will be assessing biomass accumulation of the different species, in anticipation of animal feed trials during the period 2015-2016.
C.4 Research Output 4 (RO4): Monitoring and Evaluation. Please refer to the Program Document for Activity Headings.
C.4.1. Activity: Participatory impact pathway analysis and identification of indicators for monitoring impacts on productivity, resilience, health and nutrition, environmental effects, gender equity, etc
C.4.1.1 Implemented work: We have closely worked with IFPRI to implement the baseline survey.
C.4.1.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): We held a write -shop, between 27 July to 1 August involving 25 researchers and extension partners. Systems analysis was a key objective of this workshop, as we begin to investigate the impact of our work on both farmers’ production practices and behavioural change of our partners due to knowledge gains.
C.4.2. Activity: Development of a program-wide database and geo-referenced data collection tools for assessing the indicators in time
C.4.2.1 Implemented work: All the sites have been geo-referenced
C.4.2.2 Achievements (progress and/or results): GIS coordinates for the intervention and counterfactual sites have been documented.
C.5. Research Deliverables
C.5.1. Products
· A documentary on sustainable intensification technologies and stakeholder/farmer engagement approaches has been finalized. DVD copies are being distributed to stakeholders
· With USAID, Africa RISING Malawi participated in the symposium on perennial grain crops during the e American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual meeting in Chicago, Feb 14-17th, 2014,