Africa RISING West Africa: 2012 report on Sustainable Intensification of

Cereal-Based Farming Systems in the Sudan and Guinea Savanna Zones in

Mali E. Weltzien (ICRISAT-Mali)

Africa RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting Tamale,

Ghana, 23-25 October 2012

Outline and Contributors to Mali presentation

1. Moving toward sustainable increases in on-farm productivity: fodder production (ILRI/ICRAF/ICRISAT)

2. Moving toward sustainable increases in on-farm productivity: Food crop diversity (ICRISAT, AVRDC/ICRAF)

3. Improved natural resource management and reduced vulnerability (ICRAF/ILRI/ICRISAT)

4. Child Nutrition: Enhancing mothers’ opportunities for preventing malnutrition (ICRISAT/AVRDC)

2Africa RISING , WCA work planning and review , Tamale 23-26 October 2012

Choice of priority activities in Mali Stakeholder workshops in the two target districts identified

opportunities for SI Quick win options & implementation capacity available in Mali

Targeted output/ Entry Point Target area Implementation partners

Intensified livestock production – fodder, grazing

BougouniKoutiala

ILRI, ICRISAT, Mobiom, AMEDD, WU

Increased Crop Diversity – access to seed

Koutiala,Bougouni

AMASSA, Mobiom, ICRISAT, AVRDC, ICRAF

Food and Nutrition Training of mothers

Koutiala AMEDD, MSF, ICRISAT, AVRDC

Transversal: Soil fertility and Land Use issues

Koutiala, Bougouni

AMEDD, Mobiom, ILRI, ICRAF, ICRISAT, Rural Radio stations

Diagnostics of on-farm productivity from a livestock production perspective

Testing fodder crops and trees in cereal based systems (all partners)

Quantify biomass productivity in farmer managed experiments and in surrounding areas (Tom, Gatien)

Options for modeling (Gatien)

Moving toward sustainable increases in on-farm productivity: fodder production (ILRI, ICRAF, ICRISAT)

Community surveys using PRA techniques and Household surveys (250 households, 25 villages, Koutiala and Bougouni districts)

Diagnostic survey of organizational and institutional issues: land-use, NRM including forest, livestock and crop production systems

Population pyramid of Garalo “commune” in Koutiala in 2009/2010

]0 - 5]

]5 - 10]

]10 - 15]

]15 - 20]

]20 - 25]

]25 - 30]

]30 - 35]

]35 - 40]

]40 - 45]

]45 - 50]

]50 - 55]

]55 - 60]

]60 - 65]

]65 - 70]

]70 - 75]

]75 - 80]

> 80

0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15

Female Male

Proportion of the Total Population Age Class

Principal Sources of household income in Koutiala and Bougouni (% of households )Income source Koutiala (% of household

interviewed)Bougouni (% of household interviewed)

Sale of crops 60 65

Sale of animals 18 11

Off-farm activities (small-scale commerce, remittances, salaried work)

15 10

Vegetable production 5 2Forest products 2 9Others (e.g. fishing) 0 3

Use of crop produced by the households in Koutiala and Bougouni

Crop Household consumption (%)

Sale (%)

Koutiala Bougouni Koutiala BougouniMillet 79 75 12 23Maize 76 72 16 22Sorghum 77 77 14 16Rice 75 60 20 29Cotton 9 0 91 100Groundnut 49 41 40 52Cowpea 84 55 16 40

Access to agricultural implements and inputs, credit Risk mitigation to cope with climate variability, and

market shocks Information systems and training on improved

agronomy, quality control of drugs and pesticides Value addition particularly cereals and livestock value chains Adequate feed for traction animals

Key issues for Sustainable Intensification from survey results

Testing fodder crops and trees in cereal based systems (No of coops, tests and women/men)

Type test District No. Coops

No. tests

No. women

No. men

Comparing fodder crops

Bougouni 4 28 6 22

Intercropping Koutiala 4 12 0 12Installation of fodder banks

Bougouni 7 26 3 23

Installation of fodderbanks

Koutiala 16 64 31 33

Historical ground measurements of ligneous biomass procured from Univ. Edinburgh on Ghana-Burkina-Mali transect for calibration of automatic ligneous biomass estimates from radar satellite (L-band)

12-meter resolution ALOS/PALSAR imagery acquired and received for 2006, 2011 covering 4,900 km2 in each of Koutiala, Bougouni districts for testing of automatic ligneous biomass estimates from satellite (ordered for Ghana sites as well)

WorldView2 imagery ordered for peak biomass (late September) over 4 communities in Koutiala, Bougouni (more over CRP1.1 in Mali, Ghana)

Regional protocols meeting in Niamey 17-20 September (CRP1.1)

Quantify total biomass in selected farms and possibly surrounding areas

Options for modelling (Mc Knight project) :

The NUANCES crop model « FIELD » is being calibrated for cotton, maize, sorghum, millet, groundnut and cowpea, using various existing datasets. The FIELD crop model is being coupled with the NUANCES Livestock model LIVSIM (already calibrated for Malian cattle breeds), to obtain a model operating at farm scale

Training facilitators for trial implementation (All partners)

Diversify seed enterprise and tree nursery options (ICRISAT, ICRAF, AVRDC)

Information campaign on Integrated Striga and Soil fertility management

Moving toward sustainable increases in on-farm productivity: Food crop diversity

1. NGO’s recruit 1 technical facilitator each, regular coaching and mentoring by scientists

2. NGO’s train coop ‘animateurs’, trainers with mentoring from NGO technicians and scientists (20 coops)

3. Additional training for seed production, fruit tree grafting, farmer managed regeneration, best practices for fuel wood production, composting, video visualizations

Training facilitators for trial implementation

Capacity bldg for seed sale for coops: sale of minipacks of 100g (100 F CFA)

Creating Union of seed cooperatives Seed production skills, norms for certification Capacity to conduct variety trials for choosing

new varieties for seed production, and creating demand for seed

Grafting and other tree nursery techniques

Diversify seed enterprise and tree nursery options (ICRISAT, ICRAF, AVRDC)

No. of variety tests sown:Crop # coops

(B)# test #

women# coops (K)

# test # women

Sorghum 6 21 10 7 32 4

Millet (pops) 7 21 1 6 26

Cowpea 4 28 9 4 14 14

Groundnut 8 26 18

Soybean 6 17 9

Maize 4 14

Vegetables (4) 8 67 51

“Fighting Striga” DVDs distributed Second level distribution of DVDs monitored Field agents, technicians and lead farmers trained Fighting Striga videos shown in to approx 3700

farmers, (30% youth and children)

Information campaign on Integrated Striga and soil fertility management using videos

Overview over land-use and NRM issues in the Sikasso region, and specifically Koutiala and Bougouni cercles

Validation of local land-use plans Establishment of innovation platforms, and rural

resource centers Supporting networks of farmer cattle breeders

and sorghum breeding

Improved natural resource management and reduced vulnerability

Transhumance, crops and forest use Conservation of forests and water resources Forests and resilience Maintenance of roads and passageways Land use by women Firewood production

Land use and NRM

1. Natural resources management issues; 2. Maintenance of passageways for transhumance,

and local roads3. Managing local fishery resources.

Types of land use conventions analysed in detail

Limited awareness and adoption of improved technologies Land degradation, inadequate supply of crop and livestock inputs Market-related constraints including limited access to credit, low farm-

gate prices, high cost and low quality of inputs, weak linkages between producers, and many other actors along the 2 value chains

Policy-related constraints such as conflicts arising from access to community resources and utilization especially between farmers and pastoralists

Institutional-related constraints such as lack of grazing areas and livestock watering points

Ineffective extension and other technical support systems, as well as lack of policy incentives,

Are serious constraints to the intensification of farming systems in southern Mali

Objectives of innovation platform in Bougouni (Yoroubougoula) :

Activities carried out Coalition of IP actors set up Stakeholders analysis to determine project

partners and their roles in the IP Need assessment and priority setting Preferred communication tools and strategies for

mobilization of actors defined for the official lunching of the IP

Set up of IP management team (members and their roles)

Establishment of innovation platforms

Roles of the IP management team Follow-up the implementation of the recommendations on IP activities Monitor, evaluate and orient the IP activities Sensitize the IP actors Prepare the agenda and convene

the IP meetings Contribute to activities retained by the IP actors Facilitate the interactions among the various IP actors

Establishment of innovation platforms

4.2.1 Develop and test options for introducing communication tools for preventing child malnutrition, into community health care system Nutrition activities based on the first 1000 days of life concept 4 training modules prepared based on the 7 Essential

Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework Intervention areas: 6 communes in Koutiala; 6 villages per

commune (36 villages in all)

24Africa RISING M&E expert meeting - Addis Ababa

4.2.1 communication tools for preventing child malnutrition, into community health care system (cont.)

2 levels of training: Commune level: a total of 30 trainers per commune (5

trainers per village) at the health centres. Village level: 25 mothers trained by the 5 trainers per

village who received training at the commune level Cross-cutting issues of training modules:

Exclusive breastfeeding; hygiene; processing methods for improved nutrient retention; dietary diversification; utilization of maternal and child health services; prevention of malaria and culinary demonstrations

25Africa RISING M&E expert meeting - Addis Ababa

4.4.1 Dietary diversity, nutritional performance of existing dietary options

6 health centers supplied with seeds for improved availability and access: Cereals: sorghum, millet, maize Legumes: cowpea, soybean Vegetables/trees: amaranth, hibiscus (sorrel), moringa,

baobab

Aflatoxin management activities in groundnuts in progress

26Africa RISING M&E expert meeting - Addis Ababa

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation

africa-rising.net