Grain legumes

ALIVE and nutritious cropping systems: A Legume Intensification and Variety Enhancement participatory approach

CCRP projects

»Andes CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 06-016: Quinoa 09-005: Organic groundnut 09-016: Andean grains 09-022: Andean pests 09-025: Climate risk management 09-029: Native potato seed systems 09-032: Water security 09-033: Agrobiodiversity and nutrition 09-168: Food security 09-169: Communal ag. risk mgt. 09-181: Biospecticide/potato moth ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 01-1563: Andean tubers (Peru) 05-112: Biodiversity and soil 05-112: Cover agriculture 05-112: Green manures/legumes 05-112: Lupin/quinoa 05-112: Native potato 05-112: Potato moth 05-112: Seed systems 07-702: Nutrition support 07-1209: Soil nutrient budgets

»East/Horn of Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 06-447: Cereal roots 06-448: Tef/finger millet 08-019: Sweetpotato breeding

»Southern Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 05-780: P-efficient legumes 06-740: Legume best bets 06-741: Cowpea/Alectra 06-742: Groundnut breeding 06-743: Bean seed 06-744: Climbing beans 09-273: Bruchid mgt. for beans 09-274: Groundnut post-harvest 09-297: Botanical pesticides/legumes 09-298: Soil fertility mgt. 09-299: Bambara groundnuts

»West Africa CoP

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 05-009: Sweetpotato 06-012: Nutrition 06-013: Grain legumes 06-014: Sorghum/millet improv. 06-015: Seed systems ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 06-011: Insect pest management

»Non-CoP projects

-select a project- ---------------------- CURRENT PROJECTS 05-781: Rice biodiversity ---------------------- PAST PROJECTS 00-1071: Milpa 01-1564: Wheat scab 02-026: Wolbachia 02-027: Chickpea 02-246: Indigenous vegetables 02-460: Potato 02-476: Sweetpotato diversity 02-644: Finger millet 02-778: Legumes

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Project information

»Funding dates

Original grant (2006-2010) Yr 1: 3/1/2006-2/28/2007 Yr 2: 3/1/2007-2/29/2008 Yr 3: 3/1/2008-2/28/2009 Yr 4: 3/1/2009-2/28/2010

Legume survey for farmer evaluation of different varieties.

»The problem
West African farmers have traditionally depended on leaving crop land to lie fallow for up to 50 years to restore depleted soil fertility. However, long fallow periods are no longer feasible as high population growth rates have led to agricultural intensification. Agricultural intensification has exerted increasing pressure on fragile, marginal lands and has also unfortunately been accompanied by farmers becoming overly dependent on cereal monocultures. Reliance on cereal monocultures creates a downward spiral in both human and soil nutrition and is usually associated with a marked increase in poverty and food insecurity.

»The approach
Year 2 workplan: English
Intercropping cereal crops with legumes offers farmers a viable means of improving soil fertility and family nutrition, while diversifying their sorghum and millet-based cropping systems. Legumes are able to access sparingly soluble soil Phosphorus pools, biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen, and produce edible grains rich in protein and oils that help to improve human nutrition. This project will attempt to enhance farmers' interest in legumes, including cowpeas, groundnuts, Bambara groundnuts, pigeonpeas, and soybeans, by educating farmers about their nutritional benefits. It will subsequently engage interested farmers in participatory action research to identify well-adapted legume species and varieties, and to develop appropriate management systems for them. The project will also explicitly investigate the consequences of different intensities of legume use on soil and human nutrition, as well as cereal productivity.

»The goals
The overall objective is to increase legume intensification and use in sorghum and millet based cropping systems in three regions in Mali (Dioila, Mande, and Cinzana). The project specifically aims to:

1. Develop baseline information about current legume use in the target areas.

2. Educate farmers about legumes nutritional benefits.

3. Facilitate farmer participatory research to identify and select "best bet" legume varieties that are adoptable by farmers and adapted to different agroecosystems and farming system niches.

4. Investigate the role of legumes in enriching soil nitrogen and phosphorous pools for enhanced cereal nutrition and long-term productivity.

5. Document the role of adopted legumes in enhancing family nutrition.

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	Insect damage to pigeonpea.

Investigators

»Partner institutions

• Institut d'Economie Rurale du Mali (IER), Mali
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Niger and Mali
• Helen Keller International (HKI), Mali
• Union Locale des Producteurs de Céréales (ULPC), Mali
• Association des Organisations Professionelles Paysannes (AOPP), Mali
• Michigan State University (MSU), USA
  
  

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Annual progress reports

Click the links below for annual progress reports.

»Original grant Year 1 (3/2006-2/2007) English Year 2 (3/2007-2/2008) English Year 3 (3/2008-2/2009) Due 3/31/2009 Year 4 (3/2009-2/2010) Due 3/31/2010

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Publications

None listed as of .

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