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»Funding dates
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Original grant (2006-2010)
Yr 1: 9/1/2006-8/31/2007 |
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Yr 2: 9/1/2007-8/31/2008 |
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Yr 3: 9/1/2008-8/31/2009 |
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Yr 4: 9/1/2009-8/31/2010 |
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More food, improved soil
fertility! Pigeonpea that was intercropped with
groundnuts in one farmer's field in Ekwendeni. Groundnuts
have already been harvested. |
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»The problem
Rural populations throughout the Southern and Eastern Africa
are facing rising food insecurity due to increasing pressure
from the devastating HIV-AIDS epidemic, climate change, degradation
of the soil-resource base and poverty. Malawian smallholder
farmers are amongst the most affected. Eighty percent of Malawi's
population is highly dependent on their own agricultural production
to meet their household needs for food and income. The majority
of rural smallholder farmers cultivate between 0.5 - 1.0 hectare
of land. While 70-80% of the agricultural landscape is devoted
to maize, the staple crop, smallholder farmer's average maize
yields are in decline. This is primary due to nutrient-related
soil constraints and farmers economic inability to invest
in external inputs for soil improvement. There is a strong
relationship between soil fertility, agricultural productivity,
crop diversity and malnutrition. To improve food security
and the nutritional status of their families, Malawian farmers
need to understand these relationships and learn ways of cultivating
their land both more sustainably and intensively.
»The approach
06-740: Year 3 Workplan
The “Legume Best Bets to Acquire Phosphorous and Nitrogen and Improve Family Nutrition” project is being implemented in Northern Malawi at Ekwendeni, and in Central Malawi at Kasungu. An innovative team of non-governmental partners and farmer research and extension teams have partnered with researchers to investigate legume diversification options for improved soil nutrition and family health; and participatory technology development approaches. Nutrition education with farm families’ has markedly enhanced interest and farmer experimentation with legumes such as pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) intercropped with groundnuts, and Mucuna.
- A baseline survey was carried out with 46 farmers, including documentation of cropping systems, farmer utilization of legumes, and soil sampling.
- An on-farm soil test kit provided immediate soil pH and texture results to facilitate discussions with farmers and soils were collected for laboratory analyses - Initial results have documented low soil fertility, and a wide range of soil texture and organic matter characteristics among participating farmer field sites.
- 94% of participating farmers have experimented with growing the multipurpose legume pigeonpea in Ekwendeni, whereas the new sites in Kasungu have few farmers currently growing pigeonpea, but many interested in experimenting with this new legume system.
- On-farm research trials were carried out in 2008 at 42 field sites in Ekwendeni and 32 sites in Kasungu to assess legume technologies, quantify nitrogen fixation, maize nutrition, cropping system performance and soil improvement from legume best bet technologies. Hundreds more farmers are involved in participatory action research and conducted their own experimentation. The initial growing season demonstrated the high variability in rainfall that is becoming more common, and crop yield in this stressed environment ranged from 400 to 1000 kg/ha.
- Innovative extension underway includes nutrition education through recipe days, on-farm adaptation of legume varieties and residue management practices, and farmer-to-farmer visits. Training materials developed include 3 Extension Bulletins on Legume Technologies and 10 Farmer Flyers on Legume 4 Recipes. This provides information on how to utilize legumes, and how to manage doubled up pigeonpea-groundnut and multipurpose legume technologies. These have been developed and distribruted and they are being reviewed as part of an on-going process of iterative evaluation by multiple partners and then will be disseminated broadly. Additional training materials on compost preparation and legume recipes are planned for 2009.
- Research and extension plans for 2009 are to follow up for a second year of onfarm trials, quantifying nitrogen inputs from biological fixation and impact on soil organic matter fractions. Farmer assessment is on-going and an iterative process. Initial research results have been summarized and reported at farmer field days, and at other research and extension venues in Malawi and the region.
- Policy input: An exciting development is input into Malawi government policy on agricultural subsidies, which have been broadened to include legumes for the first time. A policy stakeholder briefing meeting is planned for February, 2009 to promote broader understanding of the soil and family nutritional benefits from legume diversified technologies.
»The goals
The goal of this project is to improve Malawian families'
access to nutritious legumes while promoting sustainable farming
through diversified crop species that access soil nutrients
for long-term productivity.
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Farmers on exchange visit to
Kasungu. |
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»Partner institutions
- Bunda
College of Agriculture, University of Malawi, Lilongwe,
Malawi
- Ekwendeni
Hospital, Soils and Healthy Communities Project, Ekwendeni,
Malawi
- Michigan
State University (MSU), Michigan, USA
- Malawi Enterprise Zone Association (MALEZA), Kasungu,
Malawi
»Investigators at University of Malawi (*=project
leader)
Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri*
Dr. Kate Wellard Dyer
Austin Phiri
»Investigators at Ekwendeni
Hospital
Lizzie Shumba
»Investigators at MSU
Dr. Sieglinde S. Snapp
Anne Ferguson
Wezi Grace Mhango
»Investigators at MALEZA
Patrick Thawe
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Click the links below for annual progress reports.
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Presentations at National Scientific Meetings:
1.
“Functional tradeoffs: Which ecosystem services do legumes provide on smallholder farms?” Sieg Snapp, George Kanyama-Phiri, Wezi Mhango and Tracy Beedy, Organized Session on Emerging Theory in Agroecology, August 6, 2008, Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, WI.
Publications Submitted or Published:
1.
Sirrine, D., C. Shennan, S.S. Snapp, G. Kanayama-Phiri, and B. Kamanga. Ms submitted. Agroforestry, risk and vulnerability in Southern Malawi: improving recommendations resulting from on-farm research. Experimental Agriculture.
2.
Bezner-Kerr, R., S.S. Snapp, M. Chirwa, L. Shumba and R. Msachi. 2007. Participatory research on legume diversification with Malawian smallholder farmers for improved human nutrition and soil fertility. Experimental Agriculture. 43:437-453.
Extension bulletins in review:
1. Increased soil fertility and diversified food with doubled up legumes: maize rotated with a groundnut and pigeonpea intercrop Wezi Mhango, Sieglinde Snapp, George Kanyama-Phiri, Bunda College of Agriculture, University of Malawi.
2. Increased soil fertility and diversified food from a maize pigeonpea intercrop Wezi Mhango, George Kanyama-Phiri, Bunda College of Agriculture, University of Malawi.
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