Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Chewaka Cluster Partnership: Achievements, Lessons & Way Forwards Chewaka Cluster Team IQQO-BARC ILRI-N2Africa Partners Review and Planning Workshop Lalibela Auditorium, ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa January 2016

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Presentation Outline  Partnership Objectives  Scope of the partnership  Achievements and Progresses  Lessons Learnt  Main Challenges  Way Forwards

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Pillars/Strategic Objectives of the Partnership Nurturing long-term sustainability of  Knowledge transfer  Technology dissemination  Efficient input supply chains  Market linkages

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa The Scope: Beneficiary farmers

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Achievements and Progresses  Key achievements: The Four Pillars 1.Capacity Development 2.Dissemination 3.Input Supply 4.Market linkages

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa 1. Capacity Development  Training was conducted to farmers, development agents and experts on legume agronomy, inoculation, improved extension approaches  Conducted by BARC, IFDC and Menagesha at all sites both general training and training of trainers.

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa General training and TOT on bean production management and importance Training given BARC for farmers Training given by MBF  Bean production managements and importance were conducted for 1,548 farmers at all sites within 1,650 leaflets  General training  TOT were conducted for 126 DAs, model farmers and Woreda experts  Focused on inoculants application, seed and input application, bean importance, improved extension approaches, etc.

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Training given at B/Tibe and Dano sites for farmers, DAs and Experts General training and TOT on bean production management and importance Dano site Bako Tibe site

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa  Soybean utilization and processing given for health extensions, model female farmers, nutrition specialist at B/Tibe, I/Gelan and Dano sites  Focused practical based on different recipes with combination of cereal grain and vegetable crops at different proportion General training and TOT on soybean processing and utilization Utilization by nutrition specialist Practical training by BARC at Dano

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa General training and TOT on soybean processing and utilization Different recipes prepared from soybean Milk prepared from soybean  General training were give for 685 farmers, DAs and other experts  TOT were given for 83 model farmers, health extensions, nutrition specialists, female DAs and Woreda experts  More than 17 different recipes were prepared from soybean with combination of different crops

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa 2. Dissemination  Technology dissemination: demonstration and adaptation trails  Demonstration trails: Four d/t treatments (+R+P, +R-P, -R-P & - R+P) were established for both CB and SB. About 23 demo plots were planted at all targeted districts  Adaptation Trails : Improved seeds of CB and SB and inoculants were disseminated for 640 (BARC & MfM) +780 (IFDC) = 1,420 farmers Improved varieties and inoculants were distributed for 22 FTCs and the adaptation were observed during field days and training session organized by DAs and BoA at FTC

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa 3. Input Supply  Inputs distributed BARC and partnership: seed, inoculant and fertilizer (in line with demonstration and adaptation trails)  Common bean : Nasir, Dendesu and Tibe varieties  Soybean: Didesa, Ketta and Ethio varieties  Bio-fertilizer: 1,465 packets for 1,443 farmers and  22 FTC distributed ( to demonstrate by DAs)

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Input Supply cont..

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Input Supply cont..

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa 4. Market linkages  Facilitate linkage with Guts Agro-Industry (Chewaka-IFDC project)

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Analysis and Inference of Agronomic trials  Demonstration trials for both CB & SB were conducted at farmers field in six districts  Total SB conducted on 16 farmers were as CB conducted on 7 farmers with four treatments  Successful only 12 Soya farmers plot and 5 CB farmers plot  The other demo plots were affected by birds at early stages and some of the farmers harvested by themselves without capturing the yield data. +R+P +R-P-R+P -R-P

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Analysis of Technology Evaluations and Preferences  Evaluation of the demonstration plots were conducted at each site on both CB and SB  Done by three groups (Men, Women and Mixed) at podding stage  621 farmers were participated on technology evaluation  163 participants were female & 458 male  They clearly identified treatments variation in terms of crop performances & deep greenness of leaves Male group Mixed group Female group

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa General discussion after field evaluation  General discussion was conducted after field evaluation on treats clarification, importance's of crop and strains, methods of application  Farmers comments in terms of capacity building (short training & demo visit), gender issues, learning platform  Finally, majority of farmers commented for further scaling up, but  They have a worry of market linkage & availability of strains at local community

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Demonstration yield analysis (Soybean)  There is superior grain yield obtained from combination of P & R  Lower grain yield recorded from control  Either P or R used were not show differences on grain yield

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Demonstration Analysis (Haricot bean)  There is superior grain yield obtained from combination of P & R  Lower grain yield recorded from control  Either P or R used were show differences on grain yield

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Adaptation field of soya and climbing haricot bean Soya farm MfM Intercropping maize with climbing haricot bean

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Adaptation Trials Field days  Field days were organized on adaptation trials at G/Sayo, B/Tibe, I/Gelan & Dano MfM  648 participants were participated on field days  110 participants were female and 538 male  Farmers, Researchers, DAs, district experts, NGOs, Local administrations, etc G/Sayo I/Gelan

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Adaptation Trials Field days (farmers feedbacks) B/Tibe Dano MfM  After field observation general discussion were conducted on bean production managements, market, theory of utilization

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa General Discussion after field observation  For further scaling up (mass production) but, they have a worry of market linkage and availability of strains at local community G/Sayo B/Tibe

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Empower women to increase benefits from legume production  Gender inclusiveness was considered on promotions of N2Africa technologies (adaptations, demos, field days, evaluations, and training sessions) at all sites  Total of more than 3,500 farmers and other stake holders 851 (24.3%) of the participants were female and 2,649 (75.7%) male

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa FTC field  Improved varieties and inoculants were distributed for 22 FTCs through districts BoA  FTC where adaptation to target farmers were not addressed

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Media Oromia TV ask the farmer about soya management and importance Oromia TV ask TA about soya and strains application

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Lessons Learned  Inoculants, improved seeds of beans and fertilizers are promising in enhancing beans productivity and variability was observed across treatments  Different common bean and soy bean demonstrations were respond differently and the farmers select the best treatment for further production  Farmers were aware to use inoculants for legume crops production and they are willing to go to mass production of these technologies for the future  Their is a yield advantage from combination of R and P

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Opportunities Identified  Mono-cropping farming system  Government’s commitment and support to break mono-cropping  Other NGOs work on soya and common bean (CIMMYT- SIMLESA, ILRI-Legume choice, AGRA, etc)

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Main Challenges  Untimely budget released : Financial report was not submitted on time  Soybean market problem  Due this absence of local market the farmers in all action sites were reluctant to accept the technology and go for mass production easily  Soybean disease problem: In Chewaka site soybean rust disease was bottle- neck for the expansion of soybean technologies  Absence of farmer cooperatives : This problem worsens the situation of strengthening PPP on marketing issue of soya bean in the rest of action sites  Coordination problems among partners: Due to lack of strong harmonization, we were not fully succeeded on demonstration data at chewaka site

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Way Forwards  Budget will be released on time  More awareness creation with innovation plat form system and focused on soybean value chain  Focus on soybean disease  At Dano focus on group producer farmers  Focus on integration with all partners  Focus on mass production with combination of R & P

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa