Regional scale Participatory analysis Crop modeling Performance data Plot Participatory Modeling Survey Household Research 4 Development platform (extension, research, policy, private sector) Agroecology

Experimental design for participatory on-farm research (2 districts, Dedza district as an example) Random Stratified random Random Household level = volunteers in farmer groups; n=410 in year one

Thoughts on baseline and follow up survey design (to be modified by IFPRI) Sample size = 800 households, panel data year 1 and year = randomly chosen farmers from participating villages 300 = randomly chosen farmers from counterfactual villages 200 = randomly selected from among participating farmers

Research questions How effective are the technological options under different biophysical and socioeconomic conditions in achieving poverty alleviation, improve nutrition and ecosystem stability? (RO2) MALAWI EXTENSION 1)Document productivity (quality and quantity) of best bet options through participatory research mother/baby trials (Bunda College/LUANAR) 2)Validate and apply crop/soil simulation modeling to assess subset of technologies performance for household typologies, risk assessment (climatic risk and soil risk) MSU

Participatory research 4 development Iterative Co-learning Diagnosis & Systems Analysis Best bets On-farm Research plot & household Innovation supported by platforms Policy recommendations Better bet options Participatory Modeling

Mother and baby trial design

Research questions How effective are the technological options cont. (RO2) 3) Monitor soil and vegetative cover properties in m/b trials and model over space and time (CIAT) 4) Co-learning through farmer assessment of technologies - types of technologies chosen in baby trials and participatory ranking of technologies, farmer adaptation of technologies over time, and participatory systems analysis with farmers (game based) MSU and Bunda

Objective 2, cont. How effective are the technological options & risk 5) Participatory modeling: - conduct risk analysis of subset of best bet technologies, using historical and climate change weather series (example: maize mixtures with pigeonpea, increase or reduce risk of calories, protein produced at plot and household level, using household typologies) MSU and ICRAF - Meet with farmers to show modeling results for households and document farmer preferences, analysis

Household typologies and modeled risk (Ekwendeni, Northern Malawi)

Research questions What are the major factors that determine farmers’ participation in field-based learning platforms and subsequent influence on their use of soil fertility and livestock production intensification technologies? (RO2) 1)Participatory analysis documenting farmer assessment of best bet options in baby trials, and focus groups with participatory farmers to document their reasons why yields vary (Bunda and MSU) 2)Co-learning activities with farmers, extension and research over each year (field days, reporting and co- planning mother/baby trials, farmer-farmer visits)

Research questions What are the key ingredients for effective co-learning, technology adaptation, scaling and delivery to farmers in heterogeneous farming systems? (RO3) 1) Document co-learning through assessing technologies and research priorities at beginning and end of project (baseline survey) Metrics: - Number of best bet technology options, have they expanded and been improved? - Are number of journal publications and extension educational materials demonstrating gains in knoweldge and improved research relevance? - Number of ext and ngo ag advisors trained

Research questions What are the key ingredients, cont. (RO3) 2) Evaluate if participatory research (mother baby trials, participatory systems analysis and participatory modeling) supports technology adaptation, and assess different sustainable intensification pathways - farmer innovations leading to uptake and scaling out Metrics: Compare uptake and innovations with technologies by participating farmers and control farmers through baseline survey, and panel data from a follow up survey (4 th year)

Research questions What are the key ingredients, cont. (RO3) 3) Implementation of and documenting multi-stakeholder platforms (all partners) 4) Test questions through baseline and follow up survey evaluate the impact of typologies, nutrition education (within Dedza this comparison will be possible), market linkages (access to markets farmer assessed as well as physical distance, and participation in INVC activities in Dedza and Ntcheu), and participation in Africa RISING (hopefully a driver!)