1. Malawi Reflections: Africa RISING S Snapp and R Chikowo, F Chigwa, R Chirwa, T Jayne, D Lulseged, W Mhango, V Morrone, A Mwangwela, I Nyoka, R Robertson, IITA (Prof M Bekunda, A Arega, J. Odhong, and I Hoeschle-Zeledon), Students, Malawi Extension and Many Farmers!

2. Participatory action research
Agroecological design
Better bet options
Reflect
Plan with
Platforms
Test Best bets
Mother & Baby
Trials, Modeling
Capacity

3. Doubled up legumes and other best betsC
How much labor?
How much food?
How much cash?
Drought tolerance?
Farmer evaluation? P
Pigeonpea
Soybean

4. Entry points
Legumes: modern varieties of climbing beans, groundnuts, soybean, cowpea and pigeonpea
INM: Targeted use of fertilizer, Rhizobium, organic + inorganic, long-lived legumes
Crop-livestock integration: Cow and goat feeding
Family nutrition: Diet diversification

5. 2012/13
CIAT, MSU Baseline characterization of soils, agroecosystems,socio-economics, stratified random choice of four sites representing a continuum from low potential, risky (Lakeshore, Golomoti) to high potential, mesic (Upland plain, Linthipe)
Established 8 mother
trials and 400 baby trials

6. Assessment of maize yield gap in Dedza
2012/13
Assessment of maize yield gap in Dedza
Tamene et al., 2016

7. 2013/14 Baby trial experimentation
Mz+Fert
Mz+pp +fert
Mz+Comp
Mz+Beans +fert
Mz+Gnuts
PPea+Beans
PPea+Gnuts
PPea+Soy √

8. 2013/14 Mother trials: SI legume best bets
Edward Mzumara, Supervised by Dr W Mhango LUANAR
On-farm researcher managed at 3 Africa RISING sites
Eight treatments
Four cropping systems
Doubled up legumes
Pigeonpea+Soy and maize)
No P and 14 kg P ha-1

9. 2014/15 Expansion
Over 1000 baby trials
30 mother trials
Innovation platforms
Nutrition & soybean processing education
Agroforestry livestock forage demos
Crop modeling

10. 2015/16 Reflection
Over 1400 baby trials
40 mother trials
Farmer survey
Innovation platforms
Livestock feeding trials
Nutrition monitoring
Legume growth

11. 2015/16 Reflection

13. No. Field day participants No. of ha under improved techs
Evolution in capacity building - Malawi
(Women: 57% of scientists, ~50% of farmers, 33% of students, 30% of extension, ~60% of adoption)
Research Year
No. Mother trials
No. Baby trials
No. Farmer trainees
No. Other trainees* (extension, graduate students, R4D platform members)
No. Field day participants
No. of ha under improved techs 8
400
458 50
600
360 16
900
916
172
1100
550 32
1200
1232
235
1600
750 40
1450
1490
410
2000
*Cumulative, including trainings in improved bean management, SI technologies, seeds

14. Successful SI entry points:
Doubled up legumes (BNF!)
Improved bean varieties with INM
Targeted Phosphorus
Legumes for improved nutrition
Serious challenges remain:
Seed systems
Extension (research on approaches)
Residue & weed management
Soil water management (pigeonpea for hydraulic lift, building soil organic matter, modeling interactions over space and time)