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Sustainable intensification and diversification of maize-based farming systems in Malawi
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Transcript of Sustainable intensification and diversification of maize-based farming systems in Malawi
Sustainable Intensification and Diversification of Maize-based Farming
Systems in Malawi
Dan TerAvestWashington State University
Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Research Review and Planning
Meeting, Arusha, Tanzania, 1-5 October 2012
Project Goals• Incorporate crop rotations and legume intercropping into maize-
based farming systems in Malawi in order to:• Increase Food Production• Improve household nutrition and reduce protein and
micronutrient deficiencies • Enhance soil fertility and quality• Improve resilience to drought and climate variability/change• Increase household income
• Evaluate the sustainability of 3 farming systems; continuous no-till maize (NT), conservation agriculture rotation (CA), and conventional rotation (CVR)
Experimental Design and Year 1 Activities
• 8 smallholder farms: 4 each in Dowa and Nkhotakota districts • 3 plots on each farm:
• NT and CA plots have been managed as continuous no-till maize plots, by farmers, for the 2 years prior to study establishment
• CVR plots have been managed using the conventional practice of clearing residues and ridging for the previous 2+ years
Dowa Nkhotakota NT CA CVR NT CA CVRYear 1 Maiz
eSweet Potato +
pigeonpeaSweet Potato Maize Cassava +
pigeonpeaCassava
Year 2 Maize
Groundnut + pigeonpea
Groundnut Maize Soybean + pigeonpea
Soybean
Year 3 Maize
Maize Maize Maize Maize Maize
Food ProductionDistrict Treatment Crop Yield
Dowa NT Maize 3,641 kg ha-1
CA Sweet potato 6,864 kg ha-1
Sweet potato leaves 38 kg ha-1
Pigeon pea 27 kg ha-1
CVR Sweet potato 9,131 kg ha-1
Sweet potato leaves 38 kg ha-1
Nkhotakota NT Maize 4,136 kg ha-1
CA Pigeon pea 93 kg ha-1
Human Nutritional Output
Crop nutritional output data from the USDA National Nutrient Database (http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964)
Dowa District NT CA CVR
Nutrient
Unit ha-1
Maize Sweet potatoSP leaves
Pigeon Pea
Sweet potatoSP leaves
Energy Mj 46,160 28,530 37,419
Protein kg 285 130 164
Sugars kg 19 326 434
Minerals
Calcium g 211 2,389 3,127
Iron g 82 49 64
Potassium g 8,669 26,858 35,165
Vitamins
Vitamin A g 0 55 74
Vitamin C g 0 191 253
Soil Fertility and Quality
District Treatment pH
CaCl2
Bulk DensityMg m-3
Organic Cg kg-1
Available Pmg kg-1
Inorganic Nmg kg-1
Dowa NTz 5.2 1.35ay 15.4 31 187a
CA 5.0 1.35a 16.1 71 121ab
CVR 5.0 1.28b 17.1 41 74b
Nkhotakota NT 4.6 1.42 11.2 72 41
CA 4.6 1.44 9.3 80 35
CVR 4.6 1.40 7.7 95 41zSampling depth: 0-10 cmyValues within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P ≤ 0.05)
Soil/Crop Moisture Dynamics
40 cm
Economic Analysis US $ Daily Wage Opportunity CostTreatment/District
Outputs TotalRevenue
Variable Costs: Labour, fertilizer,
seed, etc
Net Returns
Variable Costs: Labour, fertilizer,
seed, etc
Net Returns
No-TillNkhotakota
Maize 961.92 605.06 356.86 1,194.19 -232.27
No-TillDowa
Maize 762.12 546.87 215.25 637.22 124.91
CADowa
Sweet potato SP LeavesCuttingsPigeon pea
716.15 711.55 4.60 814.43 -98.28
CVRDowa
Sweet potatoSP LeavesCuttings
868.27 669.17 199.10 718.95 149.32
Successes and Challenges Successes ChallengesCooperation with farmers
Good cooperation and communication with participating farmers
Farmers sometimes slow to inform us of management issues (e.g. insect damage to crops)
Crop management
Maize (both districts) and cassava and pigeonpea (Nkhotakota) were planted in timely fashion. Collected all target data in a timely manner
Late planting of sweet potato and pigeon pea in Dowa: -Sporadic rainfall -Logistics of arranging vegetative materials for planting
Sample analysis
Bunda College of Agriculture laboratory staff were knowledgeable and capable
Sample analysis delayed: -Frequent water and power shortages -Poor analytical capabilities delayed sample analysis
Thank you!
Bunda Collegeof Agriculture