Gliding on biological N2-fixation Regis Chikowo & Africa RISING Team

Africa RISING (Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation) Soaring like eagles

Africa RISING Focuses on agricultural intensification Address farm-level issues (beyond the plot and field) Focus on staple foods within major farming systems but with links to nutrition and diversification Integrate multiple stakeholders

Project purpose Provide pathways out of hunger and poverty for small holder families through sustainably intensified farming systems that sufficiently improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base.

Community Farmers diverse

Nsipe

What we know…. Soils are the base resource for agriculture Genotype x Environment x Management Farming systems underperforming -operating well below their potential

Alarming yield gaps Crop Actual yields (t/ha) Attainable yields (t/ha) Maize 1 4+ Soyabean 0.6 1.8+ Groundnut 1.5+

Participation and co-learning mode A key philosophy of the work .. .....to learn with farmers and refine technical options that provide robust intensification trajectories, best fitting local framer circumstances in the face of a degrading natural resource base climate change and variability

Ingredients that lead to success… Integration of local, conventional, and emerging knowledge on superior agricultural innovations promotion or farm level adaptive testing of innovations to address local-level problems active participation of an alliance of researchers, service providers, including extension agencies and farmers

Labour productivity…soil fertility

Legumes to harness N2 to organic form

Yield-determining factors

Yield-determining factors

Responding to different farm/socioeconomic circumstances … Interrogating circumstances for Intensified mineral fertilizer use Rotational systems Intercropping systems Doubled-up legume systems

The legume story…. Grown for food-cash Reinforcing farming systems –an ecological perspective

Some serious biochemistry happening here…

Root nodules

Biological N2-fixation

G x E x M G = genotype (crop, rhizobia strain) E=environment M= management (agronomy)

Nodulation Nod D genes

X X X

When land is too constraining.. Increasing land productivity is a must We have to go an extra mile with our innovations Beyond the ‘low hanging fruits’

The doubled-up legume technology Intercropping two grain legumes Legume –legume intercrops (double legume) based on different crop growth habits /architecture one of the crops starts growth slowly Both crops planted at their optimum spacing (as in sole cropping – additive intercropping design) two grain crops harvested soil fertility benefits larger The pigeonpea/groundnut doubled up system the best

Doubled-up legumes – intercropping two legumes that have little inter-specific competition for resources

When groundnut is almost mature, pigeonpea begins vigorous growth

Then flowers and pods form

Sole and doubled-up legumes are highly beneficial to maize in sequence!

Africa RISING – Sustainable Intensification and building resilience

Drip irrigation

Drop for grain..

Thank You