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!

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

Doubled up legumes and other best bets C How much labor? How much food? How much cash? Drought tolerance? Farmer evaluation? P Pigeonpea Soybean

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2015/16 Reflection

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 2012-13 8 400 458 50 600 360 2013-14 16 900 916 172 1100 550 2014-15 32 1200 1232 235 1600 750 2015-16 40 1450 1490 410 2000 *Cumulative, including trainings in improved bean management, SI technologies, seeds

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)