PN 1: Increased food security and income in the Limpopo Basin through integrated crop, water and soil fertility enhancing options and public private partnerships

ByOswin Madzonga

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

Presentation during PN 17 Workshop Johannesburg- South Africa.

14 – 18 June, 2008

INTRODUCTION The Limpopo basin of Southern Africa is

characterized by Poor and unreliable rainfall Frequent droughts and periodic flooding in

some parts of the basin These have resulted in smallholder farmers un able to to

produce enough food and therefore suffer perennial food insecurity

The basin also faces challenges posed by HIV and AIDS pandemic and these impacts negatively on household labour and well being

In years of adequate rainfall, smallholder farmers produce surplus but cannot sell due to lack of markets and

unattractive prices for their produce

Objectives of the CPWF - PN1

Delineate agro-ecological recommendation domains based on biophysical and socio-economic factors

Validate and adapt integrated cereal and legume crop variety and soil management practices suitable for resource poor smallholders

Use innovative research and extension methodologies and link public-private partnerships, to facilitate promotion and uptake of crop management options and strengthen linkages to input and product markets

Strengthen capacity of farmer and partner institutions to develop and implement innovative research and extension approaches that strengthen public-private partnerships

Outputs

Output 1 – Agro-ecological zonation, crop water productivity in the basin, socio-economic and institutional characterization of target population established

Output 2 – Improved drought –tolerant crops and varieties integrated with improved soil, water and crop management technologies verified and promoted

Output 3 – Alternative farmer market linkage models that provides incentives to adopt improved crop, soil and water management options evaluated, promoted in two countries.

Outputs

Output 4- training and information needs of technical collaborators and farming communities identified and addressed

Output 5- Impact assessment of drought – tolerant crops, new high –value crops, and soil, water and crop productivity enhancing technologies; policy recommendations developed.

Output 6- Impact monitoring scheme and project management established

Participating Institutions

ICRISAT CIMMYT CIAT – for 2005-2006 only IWMI – Pretoria National Agricultural Research institutes

Zimbabwe - Agricultural research Council of Zimbabwe; Agricultural Research and Extension (AREX)

South Africa – Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, Pretoria; Limpopo Department of Agriculture, Progress Milling Company

Mozambique – IIAM (Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique)

Project implementation

Implementation started in 2005/06 season using mother-baby on-farm trials

Improved crop varieties of maize, sorghum, millet & g/nuts were distributed to farmers

Soil & water management technologies and fertilizers were incorporated in the project

Project streamlined beneficiaries after 2 years of on-farm trials

Trials for 2008 09 season

Crop Species Trials Maize variety Groundnut variety Sorghum variety

Water harvesting x Variety x Fertilizer Water harvesting x Weed control x

Fertilizer Water harvesting x Crop species

Progress in 2009

Water harvesting by tied ridges x Maize variety x fertilizer in Capricorn-South Africa

Maize variety trial in Sekhukhune-South Africa

Field day partipants viewing water harvesting x Mze variety x fertilizer trial in Capricorn

Maize variety trial in Capricorn

Progress in 2009 cont’d..

A high yielding groundnut variety in Capricorn

Field day pariticpants discuss after viewing technologies in Capricorn

A better season in CPWF –PN1 Project target areas Zimbabwe

A river flow between Gwanda and Matobo in Zimbabawe during the 2008-09 rain

season

Progress in 2009 cont’d..Groundnut seed production field day participants in Matobo-Zimbabwe

Field day participants viewing a sorghum x fertilizer trial in Matobo -Zimbabwe

Survey results: Farmers who started adopting the technologies brought by the Challenge Program in Zimbabwe

District Proportion (%) of farmers that used tech after two seasons of trials

Improved varieties

Water mgt Fertilizer

Chiredzi 90.5 85.3 26.6

Gwanda 93.3 91.5 45.7

Matobo 88.9 94.2 69.6

Total 91.0 90.8 56.2

Survey results: Change in seed quantity used

Qty of seed used (kg)

District Crop Year 1 Year 2 % change

Chiredzi Maize 1.548 6.915 347

Sorghum 2.094 2.935 40

P/millet 1.333 1.333 0

G/nut 1.233 4.546 269

Gwanda Maize 1.823 2.875 58

Sorghum 1.306 3.556 172

P/millet 1.125 1.272 13

G/nut 1.268 2.891 128

Matobo Maize 1.930 2.608 35

Sorghum 2.063 2.233 8

P/millet 1.125 1.050 -7

G/nut 0.780 1.383 77

Mze (172%), G/nut(128%), Sor (57%) & Pmt (6%)

Thank you