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Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important staple crops in Africa on which an estimated 300 million people depend. However, several challenges severely undermine maize production, including drought, diseases and insect pests such as the Fall Army Worm (FAW).
Fortunately, many proven technologies such as climate smart maize technologies, pest and disease tolerant varieties among others, have been developed by researchers worldwide to address some of these challenges.
Ensuring their delivery to farmers, at scale, still presents a challenge as many African farmers need to be facilitated to access agricultural credit in order to eliminate their capital constraints.
To address these challenges, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in 2018 launched Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme.
The programme is an integral part of its Feed Africa Strategy of 2016–2025.
TAAT’s overall objective is to harness high-impact, proven agricultural technologies to raise agricultural productivity in Africa; mitigate risks and promote diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight priority intervention areas.
The programme increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity value chains which include Maize, Rice, Wheat, High Iron Bean, Cassava, Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato, Sorghum/Millet, Livestock and Aquaculture.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
Climate smart maize technologies
As part of its mandate in the programme, the TAAT Maize Compact embarked on activities to increase uptake and use of high-yielding climate-smart maize hybrids by smallholder farmers; increase profit margins in the maize value chain through improved market linkages and agribusiness training; increase number of women and youth entrepreneurs and employment in the maize value chain; and increase maize productivity in Africa.
Led by African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the TAAT Maize Compact set in motion, the machinery to disseminate climate smart maize technologies such as the elite Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) varieties across 16 target countries in Africa.
Other technologies deployed at scale include Appropriate Fertilizer blends; Optimal Maize Planting Density; Efficient Pest and Weed Management; Post-harvest Management; Supportive Marketing; Mechanization and Good Agricultural Practices.
The benefiting countries are Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo DR, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Partnerships for technology dissemination
To meet its target of 2 million beneficiaries, the Compact established partnerships with all key stakeholders including governments, private sector, research institutes, commercial seed companies, farmer groups, commodity associations and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS).
With smallholder farmers constituting a huge chunk of primary beneficiaries of maize technology transfer efforts, the TAAT Maize Compact focalised on involving women and youths in the maize value chain, aiming at increasing their participation by 20% and 10%, respectively.
The Compact therefore identified and deployed 8 technology toolkits to increase maize productivity by 2t/ha across the target countries. Through its extensive partnership network, the TAAT Maize Compact, within 18 months of implementation, recorded 1,003,640 direct beneficiaries with climate smart maize hybrids!
This was made possible through field days, open days, hands-on training sessions and small seed packs distributions.
In partnership with 28 seed companies (4 in Kenya, 4 in Uganda, 6 in Tanzania, 8 in Zambia and 6 in Zimbabwe), the Maize Compact has so far facilitated the establishment of 4,256 demonstration plots, conducted 757 field days, distributed 84,321 free small pack seeds to boost the scale up of over 17,340 tons of climate smart maize seeds produced in partnership with the seed companies.
Following the need for a fair assessment of the implementation with a view to gaining insight of stakeholders’ participation and involvement in the compact’s activities while considering the variability of different agro-ecological zone conditions, the TAAT Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) System zeroed in on one of the target countries, Kenya.
Maize in Kenya
The choice of Kenya for the first evaluation mission cannot be oversimplified as Maize provides basic diet to millions of people in Kenya.
Total land area under maize production in the East-African country is about 1.5 million hectares, with an annual average production estimated at 3 million metric tons, giving a national mean yield of 2 metric tons per hectare.
Typically, yields range from 4 to 8 T/Ha in the high potential highlands of Kenya, representing only 50% (or less) of the genetic potentials of the hybrids. Highland maize varieties are grown on some 40-50% of the total maize area, representing 600,000 – 800,000 Ha.
Maize is the cheapest source of calories among the cereal grains, making up about 65% of total food calories consumed by households in Kenya.
To meet this demand, maize is produced on 40% of the total crop area – mainly by smallholders.
However, over the past decade, the average production has been well below 40 million bags, with the exception of 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. 2018 saw the highest production of 46 million bags.
Constraints for maize production in Kenya include drought, low soil fertility, pests and diseases. Foliar (leaf) and stalk/ear rot diseases and stem-borers cause great losses in maize production in the humid transitional and high tropics of Kenya.
Maize continues to be the most important staple food in Kenya as demand is growing, driven by population growth. The demand for maize currently stands at above 50 million bags and it has been projected to reach 60 million bags by 2025.
The widening gap between demand and domestic production has placed Kenya at the epicentre of the TAAT maize intervention.
With concurrent visits to multiple locations along the Western Kenya corridor namely, Nakuru, Vihiga Kisumu and Kakamega counties, the TAAT MEL team narrowed its focus to key value chain actors such as seed companies, millers and farmer groups.
These were strategically selected to rapidly fast-track scaling up of TAAT maize technologies through demo establishments, farmer field schools, processing of maize grain to sifted flour ready for marketing and consumption.
Additionally, a special attention was given to three outstanding developments namely the role of seed companies in scaling out the maize technologies; an out-grower scheme linked to an off-taker in one of the implementation sites to showcase a model of value chain analysis likely to be promoted; and the role of women and youth empowerment within the maize value chain as promoted by farmer groups.
Increasing access to quality seeds through seed companies
According to Dr. Jonga Munyaradzi, Leader of the TAAT Maize intervention, “the compact’s pathway to scaling up is visible in its work with private seed companies for impact.”
“This is hinged on its belief that that seed companies occupy a strategic position along the maize value chain, ensuring that farmers get high quality seed to increase productivity and improve on their livelihood mechanisms,” Jonga added.
Thus, aligning essentially with African Development Bank’s Feed Africa imperative on improving access to locally adapted, affordable and readily available quality certified seeds of high yielding varieties by smallholder farmers.
Through partnerships with Seed Co Ltd (on large-scale basis) in Nairobi and Faida Seed Company Ltd (on medium-scale basis) in Nakuru, the Compact successfully upscaled drought tolerant maize varieties through the establishment of 439 demos for 3 varieties (Sc Duma 43, Sungura 302 and Punda Milia 529)
It further organised 3 large field days in collaboration with other partners to reach 554 farmers with 300 of these being women.
Samuel Angwenyi, TAAT Maize Compact’s Technology Transfer Officer, disclosed that the compact equally held 973 small field days to demonstrate demo plots by creating awareness on the performance of the climate smart varieties. 15 radio episodes and 2 road shows were organised along this line.
Other actions taken by the compact, Samuel says, include “distribution of climate smart varieties small seed packs through 3 avenues including the local development organisations, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres and direct sales to reach many farmers.
“The sale of 4,500MT of climate smart varieties alongside technical support extended to 160 lead farmers caps the list of the compact’s achievements,” Samuel added.
The partnership between the Compact and Seed Co Ltd remains a great initiative and it is lubricated through field day activities announced via social media platforms and radio stations to advocate and activate the uptake of climate smart technologies.
The field days provided a platform that brings together different key players such as research institutions (national and international), financial institutions, fertilizer companies, NGOs, Government representatives, farmer group representatives to discuss the future of agriculture in Kenya; to fight against hunger and improve farmers’ livelihood.
To Wellington Wasike, Managing Director of Seed Co Ltd, “field days give more visibility to promising technologies. We at Seed Co Ltd provide technical advice to farmers from planting to post-harvest handling to increase yields and reduce losses. Farmers also learn crop management techniques. The respect of the cropping calendar is very instrumental to pass each stage of cropping system with no risks of pest evasion”
A Private-Public-Partnership model to scale up
On the other hand, in Nakuru, Faida Seed Company (FSC) Ltd has partnered with the Compact to promote drought tolerant hybrid KH500-31A. The company has the capacity to process 40MT of seeds.
FSC provide employment to 40 casual-seasonal labourers of which 80% are women for sorting, grading and packaging and 20% men for heavy lifting and treating the seeds.
Due to weather variability, the cropping season was not successful, causing shortages in seed availability.
To overcome this challenge, FSC Ltd was linked through the interface of AATF network to Ultravetis and Drylands Seed Companies to scale out KH500-31A and WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®).
Few deliverables achieved through this interface include the establishment of 30 demo plots in the long rain seasons (March-May 2019); 2 large field days organised in Njoro and Nyahururu; 19 demo plots established in the short rain seasons (Oct- Dec 2019 ongoing); and 25,000 small packs of KH500-31A distributed to 10,000 farmers
The partnership of FSC Ltd is another model of Public-Private-Partnership with the leading role played by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) in facilitating the mapping of all drought tolerant, disease resistant and high yielding varieties across the country as well as licensing the most promising varieties and accompanying technologies.
George Njihia, FSC Ltd Operations Manager glowingly highlighted the fact that “farmers are willing to pay for good quality seeds if they are guaranteed to have a marginal return on harvest. Farmers do not consider much the cost of acquisition of seeds; they are rather concerned by the performance of the seeds.”
“At the FSC, one lesson we have learnt is that demo plots are the engine for technology adoption by farmers. Publicity on-farm is the best impactful avenue for technology uptake and adoption,” Njihia added.
The value chain model to scale up
The TAAT Maize Compact also brought to light a value chain model linked to farmer groups. The Compact promoted this model for scaling up technologies in in Nakuru county.
Registered as a sole proprietor company registered in 2011 and operating in Nakuru, the Food Chain Miller and the Compact partnered to provide a mechanism for farmers to link their produce to the readily available market.
The miller received 2 tons of WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®) seed through AATF which was distributed to selected 15 farmers for demonstration. The result showed that WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®) is 25% more productive than other varieties especially in mid-altitude areas.
The team observed that over a short timeframe, the partnership generated positive results and incentivized farmers for engagement.
Farmers producing volumes of DroughtTEGO® are provided with a transport subsidy in order to get their produce to the miller thereby removing a huge financial burden often hindering farmers.
With a capacity of processing 30 bags of 90 kg of maize per hour using a hammer milling machine, the TAAT Maize Compact’s efforts to engage farmers in post-harvest production became a promising pathway for scaling for impact.
Through the partnership, the miller also provided robust capacity building support to farmers regarding post-harvest handling techniques to be able to meet the requirements of the miller.
This knowledge sharing between private and public entities has helped to reduce post-harvest losses previously encountered by farmers and created incentives for better farming.
The TAAT Maize Compact is already moving swiftly with the scaling up of this model in other target countries.
By extending its tentacles in Nairobi, the miller has opened up to the Nairobi market with a current purchase order from Unga Limited to supply 15,000 bags of 90 kg maize grain worth KES 45Million (USD 450,000 ) of DroughtTEGO® and other climate smart maize grade 1 sifted flour with 13% moisture dated 10th December 2019.
The coming season, the miller expects to scale out WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®) variety to other counties in Kenya. Farmers have been identified and registered in Gilgil Ward – 30 farmers, in Mbaruk/Eburu Ward -22 farmers and Malewa West Ward -22 farmers among others.
The finished products (grade 2 sifted flour) is basically for low income people as well as butcheries, hotels and restaurants.
The miller is promoting e-payment system like Mpesa after supply to ensure that farmers are paid within 24hours after delivery of their grains and have cash at hand to meet other basic needs.
A pack of 2kg of sifted flour is sold at 100KES and 1kg at 50KES affordable to all. The by-product is sold as animal feeds whereby a bag of 90kg is sold at 300KES.
Women and Youth within the maize value chain
Margaret Awinja, a lead farmer in Kakamega county, Butere sub-country, brings to the fore the role of women and youth in the scale up of technologies using the value chain model.
“Approximately 200 farmers comprising women and youth have accessed and planted WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®) through their interface with me,” Margaret says.
“These beneficiaries are majorly vulnerable People Living with Disability (PLD) and other excluded groups like albinos and widows. They form about 15 youth groups and 20 women groups with a membership of approximately 10 members per group,” she said.
In the short rainy seasons in Kenya (October- December 2019) which were generally late and erratic with dry spells in most parts of the country, Ms. Awinja received 600kg from the Maize Compact which she equally distributed to 12 groups (50kg/group).
Each farmer received 4 kg sown on 0.5 acres expected to harvest about 5bags of 90 kg each by the end of January 2020.
Traditionally, these farmers were planting traditional varieties and OPVs which gave them a yield of 2-3bags for 5kgs sown on 0.5 acres. This wasn’t successful because it was not drought-tolerant and generally low yielding.
The intervention of the TAAT Maize Compact has led to increased yields for farmers and this has in turn, led to stronger linkage with local millers to sell their produce. Compared to maize landraces, farmers are also expecting to sell a bag of 90Kg of grains for 3,000KES giving them a marginal benefit of 1,000KES.
This expected high price is due to the current maize shortages.
Stephen Okalla, a member of the Western Kenyan Farmers Network in Kisumu confirms that the WE1101 (DroughtTEGO®) seed he received from Margaret Awincha gave him a harvest that was remarkably different from the traditional varieties he was used to.
“I sold the maize I harvested from my farm in 2019 and for the first time, the proceed was able to provide more food for my household and settle my children’s school fees at the same time.”
“Because of the demand for the WE1101 maize variety and the profit margin, I will never plant any other variety of maize again,” Stephen added.
A case for outreach actors
Rural Outreach Program (ROP) is a local NGO operating in Western Kenya since 1992.
With the objective of driving community empowerment through agriculture and livestock activities, ROP collaborated with the TAAT Maize Compact to strengthen existing partnerships and scale out climate smart and water efficient varieties.
Doris Anjawa who heads ROP affirmed that “through this collaboration, ROP worked with 523 groups in Vihiga and 830 groups in Kakamega with a membership of approximately 20 members per group.”
“During the 2018 short rainy season (March – May), ROP, with support from TAAT Maize Compact, established 20 demo plots for 8 varieties, namely: WE6108, KATEH16-02, WE7117, WE3106, WE6110, WH505, WE3205 and WE1101,” Doris added.
Findings reveal that similar record was achieved during the 2019 long rainy season with 20 demo plots established and massive field days organised with the participation of 7,117 farmers from different counties in Kenya.
Through the involvement of these outreach actors, the 2019 short rainy season (October-December) witnessed the establishment of 20 demo plots established and 3 field days organised with 909 participants among which 585 were women and 324 men.
Sustaining technology delivery at scale
In spite of these recorded successes in achieving technology scale up through partnerships, impressive field days, and outreaches, climate change still constitute the biggest challenge.
In addition to the variable rainfall patterns, Kenyan farmers have to deal with issues relating to timely accessibility and affordability of fertilizers – because of their physical locations. They mainly rely on farmyard manure because fertilisers are not readily available in their respective communities.
Where they are available, fertilizer leaching occurs, washing away all nutrients when it rains heavily.
However, farmers are ready to uptake the drought tolerant varieties due to intermittent drought periods during the cropping season affecting productivity.
With numerous technologies on the shelf for small-scale farmers in Africa amidst lack of sustainable access to these technologies, efforts to facilitate technology delivery at scale through programmes such as TAAT should be supported and promoted at all levels.
Win-win partnerships with the public and private sectors have become necessary in order to ensure that farmers adopt and use these technologies correctly and consistently.
Sorghum is the fifth most produced grain globally.
This two-meter tall plant from the grass family is often grown in regions that have high temperatures and lower rainfall. In wetter regions, its production is lower than that of more lucrative crops such as rice and maize.
Sorghum is a particularly essential crop in Africa, second to maize, as the staple grain for millions of people.
Although it is mainly consumed as a grain, sorghum is also prepared into a wide variety of other food products such as porridge, bread, lactic and alcoholic beverages, and weaning meals.
Africa’s third top producer of sorghum
Sorghum is the main cereal crop grown in Burkina Faso, with more than 1.5 million hectares. Along with pearl millet, it is the staple diet of rural populations in the Sub-Sahelian regions.
Burkina Faso is the continent’s third top producer of sorghum (after Nigeria and Sudan)
In spite of various interventions, its productivity remains low, with an average yield of approximately one tonne per hectare. Many factors have contributed to the decreased productivity, including demographic pressure, ecological degradation, loss of soil fertility, and water erosion.
Other factors include negative effect of dry spells on crop growth and yield, negative effect of end of season drought, scarcity of organic amendment, improved seed and other farm inputs and output.
The Sahel as a bread basket
To address these constraints, and with a view to transforming the Sahel into a bread basket, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in 2018, launched the Sorghum and Millet Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT).
The compact, according to the bank, spearheads the bold plan to transform Sorghum and Millet in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The programme increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include sorghum and millet.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
With sustainable intensification, improved profitability of sorghum and millet; and the scaling up of proven technologies as areas of focal emphasis, the TAAT sorghum and millet compact set out to work on contributing to food and nutrition security in a region where low agricultural productivity and lack of value added are among the main causes of malnutrition, unemployment and poverty on the continent.
Led by the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with National Research and Extension Systems, the sorghum and millet compact targets about 40 to 50% of African farmers with technologies relevant to boosting agricultural productivity and self-sufficiency by 2025.
During the 2019 rainy season, the compact, in collaboration with the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) selected Burkina Faso and Mali to host the demonstration of climate smart technologies.
The TAAT-WEC is led by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
Zai, Half-moon and CLT Technologies
The technologies identified for the demonstration are Zai, Half-moons and Contour Lines Technique. These are mainly soil and water conservation technologies.
Zai refers to planting pit dug in degraded land, amended with organic manure which is meant to collect run-off water and restore the productivity of the soil.
Sorghum or millet seeds are planted in the pits.
Half-moons on the other hand, form structure made in degraded land and amended with organic manure which collects run-off water and is planted with sorghum or millet.
Zai pits and half-moon ditches can increase yields even in the first year. The farmer does not need to wait for the land to fully regenerate before sowing.
The soil remains bare between Zai pits, but inside the hole the earth is damp and fertile. The pit collects and retains moisture and prevents the rich soil and seeds from being washed away by the rain.
These technologies were displayed in Burkina Faso using the famer field school approach, while the contour lines technique (CLT) was presented to farmers in Mali using the demonstration plot approach.
Contour lines technique refers to lines of stones installed on degraded land following the contour lines. They are meant to reduce run-off and spread run-off water in the field.
In both countries, abandoned bare lands, which traditional famers believe are not suitable for cultivation, were used with the compact selecting the sites and the relevant crop varieties in both cases.
According to Dr Dougbeji Fatondji, TAAT Sorghum and Millet Compact Leader, “the objective of this activity is to demonstrate to the farmers, technologies that can help them produce and increase crop productivity under the current weather variability and climate change conditions.
Farmer field school approach in Burkina Faso
Kapelga, a sorghum variety (white grain and early maturing) was used in the district of Toma. It is a variety that is under promotion in the province and beyond by Federation des Professionnels Agricole du Burkina (FEPAB).
In the district of Boussoma, ICSV1049 a variety promoted in the Sanmentenga province was used.
Both varieties were grown in half-hectare of half-moon and half-hectare of Zai. The half hectare planted with the same varieties was used as control using the farmer’s practice.
The two sorghum varieties were selected based on the agro-ecological characteristics. Planting was done on the same day at each site.
In Toma, the field was managed by FEPAB (25 farmers with 9 of them being females) and in Boussouma it was managed by 30 farmers – 13 females and 17 males.
Two field days were organized in each site, during heading and during maturity stages.
The second day of the farmer field school presented an opportunity to harvest and estimate with farmers, the yield of the different technologies.
Demonstration plot approach in Mali
In Sorofing, one of the selected villages, the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) trained farmers on how to design the contour lines by automatic reading method.
Mr Dramane Male, a farmer applied the CLT on 2.0 hectare of Fadda. Despite the end of season’s drought, the plants remained green with good soil moisture.
Dramane said that the CLT stopped the runoffs.
“If this were to be the traditional method in a similar rainy season, I would have lost all my crops because of drought,” he added. He promised to apply the CLT in all the areas of his fields with pronounced slopes.
On the 0.5-hectare, Yaya Male, another farmer, applied the CLT, the plants are well developed with big stems and green leaves.
A field day was organized at Foh to showcase the performance of the demonstrated technology to farmers.
About 10 research and development institutions including a private seed company and many farmers were represented at the event which was covered by Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Mali (ORTM), the country’s national television station.
During the visit to the plot of Pierre Diarra in Kourouma, Dr. Kalifa Traore, from the Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), explained the methodology deployed – from farmers’ sensitization to training and practical exercises on the CLT.
In addition to the proposed variety (Tiandougou Coura), the farmer used his own local variety to see if the crop performance was not linked to the varietal differences.
The results were self-explanatory and amazing. The plot under CLT produced good plants with large panicles compared to the control (low plant stand due to runoffs).
“I usually abandon this particular field because of the runoffs,” Pierre Diarra said.
“With this exposure to the CLT now, I promise to apply the CLT in all problematic soils for all crops,” Pierre aded.
The local authorities led by the Deputy Mayor, Michel Traore, thanked the team for the technology deployed in his community. He equally called for continuous support aimed at taking the technology beyond borders.
On his part, he promised to include the CLT technique in their local Development Plan (PDSEC).
Participants from other communities also requested for similar training on CLT. This elicited a positive response from farmers organizations Platform (AOPP) and the local Chamber of Agriculture (CRA) who pledged to organise more training sessions in collaboration with the TAAT programme.
Sorghum is the fifth most produced grain globally.
This two-meter tall plant from the grass family is often grown in regions that have high temperatures and lower rainfall. In wetter regions, its production is lower than that of more lucrative crops such as rice and maize.
Sorghum is a particularly essential crop in Africa, second to maize, as the staple grain for millions of people.
Although it is mainly consumed as a grain, sorghum is also prepared into a wide variety of other food products such as porridge, bread, lactic and alcoholic beverages, and weaning meals.
Africa’s third top producer of sorghum
Sorghum is the main cereal crop grown in Burkina Faso, with more than 1.5 million hectares. Along with pearl millet, it is the staple diet of rural populations in the Sub-Sahelian regions.
Burkina Faso is the continent’s third top producer of sorghum (after Nigeria and Sudan)
In spite of various interventions, its productivity remains low, with an average yield of approximately one tonne per hectare. Many factors have contributed to the decreased productivity, including demographic pressure, ecological degradation, loss of soil fertility, and water erosion.
Other factors include negative effect of dry spells on crop growth and yield, negative effect of end of season drought, scarcity of organic amendment, improved seed and other farm inputs and output.
The Sahel as a bread basket
To address these constraints, and with a view to transforming the Sahel into a bread basket, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in 2018, launched the Sorghum and Millet Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT).
The compact, according to the bank, spearheads the bold plan to transform Sorghum and Millet in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The programme increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include sorghum and millet.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
With sustainable intensification, improved profitability of sorghum and millet; and the scaling up of proven technologies as areas of focal emphasis, the TAAT sorghum and millet compact set out to work on contributing to food and nutrition security in a region where low agricultural productivity and lack of value added are among the main causes of malnutrition, unemployment and poverty on the continent.
Led by the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with National Research and Extension Systems, the sorghum and millet compact targets about 40 to 50% of African farmers with technologies relevant to boosting agricultural productivity and self-sufficiency by 2025.
During the 2019 rainy season, the compact, in collaboration with the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) selected Burkina Faso and Mali to host the demonstration of climate smart technologies.
The TAAT-WEC is led by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
Zai, Half-moon and CLT Technologies
The technologies identified for the demonstration are Zai, Half-moons and Contour Lines Technique. These are mainly soil and water conservation technologies.
Zai refers to planting pit dug in degraded land, amended with organic manure which is meant to collect run-off water and restore the productivity of the soil.
Sorghum or millet seeds are planted in the pits.
Half-moons on the other hand, form structure made in degraded land and amended with organic manure which collects run-off water and is planted with sorghum or millet.
Zai pits and half-moon ditches can increase yields even in the first year. The farmer does not need to wait for the land to fully regenerate before sowing.
The soil remains bare between Zai pits, but inside the hole the earth is damp and fertile. The pit collects and retains moisture and prevents the rich soil and seeds from being washed away by the rain.
These technologies were displayed in Burkina Faso using the famer field school approach, while the contour lines technique (CLT) was presented to farmers in Mali using the demonstration plot approach.
Contour lines technique refers to lines of stones installed on degraded land following the contour lines. They are meant to reduce run-off and spread run-off water in the field.
In both countries, abandoned bare lands, which traditional famers believe are not suitable for cultivation, were used with the compact selecting the sites and the relevant crop varieties in both cases.
According to Dr Dougbeji Fatondji, TAAT Sorghum and Millet Compact Leader, “the objective of this activity is to demonstrate to the farmers, technologies that can help them produce and increase crop productivity under the current weather variability and climate change conditions.
Farmer field school approach in Burkina Faso
Kapelga, a sorghum variety (white grain and early maturing) was used in the district of Toma. It is a variety that is under promotion in the province and beyond by Federation des Professionnels Agricole du Burkina (FEPAB).
In the district of Boussoma, ICSV1049 a variety promoted in the Sanmentenga province was used.
Both varieties were grown in half-hectare of half-moon and half-hectare of Zai. The half hectare planted with the same varieties was used as control using the farmer’s practice.
The two sorghum varieties were selected based on the agro-ecological characteristics. Planting was done on the same day at each site.
In Toma, the field was managed by FEPAB (25 farmers with 9 of them being females) and in Boussouma it was managed by 30 farmers – 13 females and 17 males.
Two field days were organized in each site, during heading and during maturity stages.
The second day of the farmer field school presented an opportunity to harvest and estimate with farmers, the yield of the different technologies.
Demonstration plot approach in Mali
In Sorofing, one of the selected villages, the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) trained farmers on how to design the contour lines by automatic reading method.
Mr Dramane Male, a farmer applied the CLT on 2.0 hectare of Fadda. Despite the end of season’s drought, the plants remained green with good soil moisture.
Dramane said that the CLT stopped the runoffs.
“If this were to be the traditional method in a similar rainy season, I would have lost all my crops because of drought,” he added. He promised to apply the CLT in all the areas of his fields with pronounced slopes.
On the 0.5-hectare, Yaya Male, another farmer, applied the CLT, the plants are well developed with big stems and green leaves.
A field day was organized at Foh to showcase the performance of the demonstrated technology to farmers.
About 10 research and development institutions including a private seed company and many farmers were represented at the event which was covered by Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Mali (ORTM), the country’s national television station.
During the visit to the plot of Pierre Diarra in Kourouma, Dr. Kalifa Traore, from the Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), explained the methodology deployed – from farmers’ sensitization to training and practical exercises on the CLT.
In addition to the proposed variety (Tiandougou Coura), the farmer used his own local variety to see if the crop performance was not linked to the varietal differences.
The results were self-explanatory and amazing. The plot under CLT produced good plants with large panicles compared to the control (low plant stand due to runoffs).
“I usually abandon this particular field because of the runoffs,” Pierre Diarra said.
“With this exposure to the CLT now, I promise to apply the CLT in all problematic soils for all crops,” Pierre aded.
The local authorities led by the Deputy Mayor, Michel Traore, thanked the team for the technology deployed in his community. He equally called for continuous support aimed at taking the technology beyond borders.
On his part, he promised to include the CLT technique in their local Development Plan (PDSEC).
Participants from other communities also requested for similar training on CLT. This elicited a positive response from farmers organizations Platform (AOPP) and the local Chamber of Agriculture (CRA) who pledged to organise more training sessions in collaboration with the TAAT programme.
“These are very interesting and amazing technologies – with these, we will overcome many of the challenges we face now.”
Organized by the Water Enabler Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the field day brought together over 200 stakeholders from across the densely populated state in northern Nigeria.
These include the representative of Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the state’s Deputy Governor who also heads the state ministry of agriculture, the Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim who participated alongside 15 directors and Zonal Managers of his agency.
In attendance also were Directors of Engineering, Agricultural Services, Planning, and Veterinary departments of the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (KMANR), members of the Wheat Farmers Association, women, and youth groups.
Wheat in Nigeria
With a production of 60,000 tons annually, wheat remains the least cereal produced locally in Nigeria, although widely consumed.
In 2013, the country’s wheat consumption was estimated at 4.1 million tons creating a huge market potential for wheat supply gap.
According to a December 2018 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), wheat importation to Nigeria in 2018-19 is estimated to increase by 4%.
This adds to the 5.4 million tonnes imported in 2017 thus indicating an increasing local demand for the cereal.
Wheat requires very well-drained soil, making it difficult to be grown in salty or acidic soil. The region of the country that supports wheat production includes Northern states such as Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Jigawa and Gombe.
However, local wheat production in Nigeria is fraught with challenges.
The variety of wheat cultivated in Nigeria is hard while the most popular types imported can’t grow in Nigeria as a result of the country’s soil and climatic condition.
Salim Mohammed, national president, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, identifies lack of policy framework aimed at ensuring consistent supply of high yielding varieties of modified seeds to farmers and appropriate irrigation technologies as major concerns militating against massive production of wheat across the country.
Technology as a way out
It is against this background that the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018, launched the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The program increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include wheat.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
Smarting from the success stories recorded in Sudan where the TAAT Wheat Compact deployed a number of high yielding heat tolerant wheat varieties at scale (Imam, Goumria, Zakia, Elnielain and Bohaine) with a production potential of 5-8 t / ha and more than 26,000 tons of certified seeds produced and distributed to more than 260,000 wheat farmers, TAAT is already poised to transform Nigeria’s wheat sector.
Dr Solomon Assefa, the TAAT wheat compact leader identifies the lack of improved wheat seed in sufficient quantity and quality at affordable price as a key factor contributing to the poor adoption and weak performance of wheat in Nigeria.
These and many more prompted the scaling up of heat-tolerant wheat technologies to farmers in Nigeria.
“The technologies comprised many new wheat varieties with heat and drought tolerance, and stem rust resistance. These traits allow for expansion of wheat production in Nigeria, Assefa said.
“TAAT is fast-tracking this next generation variety release through national programs, offering expertise in land preparation including raised beds, furrow and deficit irrigation, and sprinkler systems, and promoting low-cost mechanized planting within conservation agriculture,” he added.
The TAAT Wheat Compact is led by International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) while International Water Management Institute (IWMI) leads the TAAT Water Enabler Compact.
The TAAT Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
The water-wheat nexus
Henry Igbadun who coordinates the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) in Nigeria disclosed during the Field Day that the program is currently training 30 farmers and 10 extension workers in Kano State on proven water management technologies.
“Our target here is to scale up proven tools, technological solutions and innovations in irrigation and agricultural water management to increase productivity and production of wheat, rice and Sorghum,” Igbadun said.
“It is also to build the capacity of trainers, including innovation platform facilitators, extension agents, champion farmers and youths in the proper use of irrigation and water management technologies and implementation of good irrigation management practice.”
According to Igbadun, the initiative is also aimed at attracting investment from public and private sources into irrigated agricultural production of wheat, rice and sorghum through the demonstration of viability and profitability of irrigation technologies.
He added that, “traditionally, water is lifted from the tube well using centrifugal pumps and allowed to run by gravity on soil surfaces to the crop field.
“This method, he continued, is not only tedious, but it takes a longer time to irrigate the fields, more hours of running the irrigation pumps, higher water conveyance losses, and of fields.
The PVC conveyance and distribution technology is therefore appropriate to overcome these challenges. It saves time / hours of irrigation, which in turn reduces the cost of production and increases yield, “he said.
Prof Igadun displayed several irrigation facilities at the field day and he mentioned some of them as “Impact Sprinklers, Gun Sprinklers, Weirs, Flumes, Spiles, and Orifices.”
On the Wheat field, the Gun Sprinklers, Impact Sprinklers are used to irrigate the field. These are in addition to the irrigation system known as “Improved surface irrigation using PVC pipes.
Shehu, the Kano Wheat Farmers leader, on his part, pledged to mobilize members of his association to adopt the technologies.
“Some of us have tested these technologies and it yielded good results. We are therefore calling on the government to come to our aid by continuing with the program even after TAAT is gone, ”Shehu added.
Engr. Rabiu Abdulkadir, the Director of Engineering and Service at the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture, in his closing remarks, commended TAAT for bringing such technologies to their doorstep during the Alkamawa field day.
Since these technologies, he continued, “will assist our farmers in curtailing the waste of water, thereby increasing the production of wheat, we are left with no choice as government, than to support this program in order to ensure its sustainability,” Abdulkadir added .
