Post on 16-Jul-2015
Progress and achievements of SIMLESA project in Amhara Region
Presentation on CASFESA Project Closing Workshop February 23, 2015
ARARI, Bahirdar
What is SIMLESA?
• Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA)
• A research program developed by African (ESA) and Australian stakeholders
• Funded by the ACIAR through CIMMYT
• Implemented by NARS
Target districts
Project site (S. Achefer and Jabihtenan )districts
Overall goal of the Project
• Increasing farm level food security and income through maize legume/forage integration
• Ensure productivity sustainability and profitability in the farming community
TARGET AREAS
SIMLESA project in Amhara (2012-2014)
SIMLESA supports crop livestock Integration through
Testing and promotion of maize legumes intercropping under CA
Improve access to adaptable and productive varieties of maize,
legume and forage (PVS)
Facilitate adoption and scaling
up of CA technologies (IP)
Strengthening the capacity of the research system
Maize Legume
Preliminary Results of on-farm demonstration of CA
No Treatment Description and combination
Treatment Cropping system Variety used
1 Conventional practice (CP) Sole maize BH540
2 Conservation Agriculture (CA) Sole maize BH540
3 Conservation Agriculture (CA) Maize with Haricot bean BH540and chorie
4 Conservation Agriculture(CA) Maize with Caw pea BH540 and AccNo12688
5 Conservation Agriculture(CA) Maize-Haricot bean Rotation BH540or chorie
Mean grain yield of maize in different tillage practice
based cropping system at South Achefer
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Sole maize-conventional
tillage
Sole maize-conservation
tillage
Maize @Haricotbean-
Conservationtillage
Maize@cowpea underconservation
tillage
Maize= Haricotbean Rotation-conservation
tillage
Mean
2.3 2.4
3.2
2.5 1.9
2.5
4.3
5.3 5.6
6.1
0
5.3
7.9 7.5
7.1 7.7
10.9
8.2
Gra
in Y
ield
(t/
ha)
Tillage practice based cropping system
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
Mean grain yield of maize in different tillage practice
based cropping system at Jabehtenan
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sole maize-conventional
tillage
Sole maize-conservation
tillage
Maize @Haricotbean-
Conservationtillage
Maize@ cowpeaunder
conservationtillage
Maize= Haricotbean Rotation-conservation
tillage
Mean
1.1 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.4
3.6
4.6
5.2 5.4
0
4.7
7.9 7.4
7.8 7.9 8.4
7.9
Gra
in Y
ield
(t/
ha)
Tillage practice based cropping system
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
Feedbacks from CA demonstration
Cowpea intercropping in maize reduce weed problem
Minimum tillage save family labor, reduce dependence on
oxen for land preparation (especially for women and poor
farmer)
Minimum tillage solve problem of logging on maize
Minimum tillage and legume intercropping save soil moisture
and reduce effect of terminal moisture stress on maize (the
case in 2012 and 2013)
Bacterial blight was main challenge on cowpea and HB
Maize PVS
• Set I. Includes 8 hybrid maize varieties and conducted during 2012 and 2013
• Set II. (5 hybrid varieties in 2013 and 2014)
• Set III. Six OPV in 2013 and 2014
•BHQPY-545, AMH-851 and BH-661 were the first, second and third preferences of farmers
respectively, for their better performance for disease tolerance, drought tolerance and high
yielding.
•BHQPY-545, AMH-851 PHB-3253 (Jabi) and BH-661 were recommended for the area in
2013
Hybrids
Yield (t/ ha-1)
Days to
maturity
BH-542 5.67 154.0
BH-545 7.14 156.0
BH660 6.69 174.0
BH661 7.43 178.7
BH-673 7.07 174.7
PHB-3253 7.42 149.3
AMH-850 7.35 169.1
AMH-851 7.80 171.6
Farmers selection criteria and selected hybrid maize
Variety Selection criteria with their weight Total Rank
Cob length (3)
Cob No. (1)
Husk
cover (4) Yield (2)
AMH 760Q 3 2 4 4 13 2
Shone 3 2 4 2 11 1
BH 540 9 3 12 6 30 3
BH 140 12 4 12 8 34 4
BH800 6 5 16 10 37 5
Recommended maize varieties in 2014
• Shone was the best hybrid
maize variety selected by both
farmers and researchers and
recommended for the areas in
2014
• Gibe-1 had better preference by
farmers in both districts
• Gibe -1 was the highest
yielding in south Achefer
(4.8t/ha) and recommended as
an option
Gibe -1
Shone
Legume PVS
• Set I. Fababean 8 varieties
• Set II. Haricot bean 8 varieties
• Set III. Soya bean 8 varieties
Preliminary results of 2013 under maize
Fababean Yield
(kg/ha)
HB Yield
(kg/ha)
HB Yield
(kg/h
a)
Holeta-2 695 Dimitu Poor Gizo 1128
Degaga 567 Tinkine Poor Wogayen 912.5
Gebelcho 453 Naser Poor Belesa-95 1378
Moti 769 Dinknesh Poor Awas-95 1009
Wolkie 900.5 Gabisa Poor Gishama 1070
Dosha 970.5 Anger Poor Afgat 833.5
Tumsa 616.5 Awash Melka Poor Jalale 951.5
Obse 312.5 Loko Poor Ethio- yigozlavia 981.5
Recommendation from lupin PVS under maize
• Inter cropping of sweet lupine cultivars in to maize did not cause any yield penalty on maize
• Sanabor (5.44 q/ha) followed by Bora (5.43q/ha) under maize
• Where as these cultivars gave 32 and 28 quintal/ha planted as sole
• Sanabor and Bora recommended for intercropping under maize
• Out of four candidate sweet lupin variety two Sanabor and Vitabor were registered by NVRC
Combined analysis for two years in Jabitehnan showed that kenkety, 9334, TVU and bekur gave better dry matter yield without affecting maize grain yield in maize cowpea intercropping.
However, 9334, TVU and bekur were given medium to low rank by farmers due to poor ground cover and resistance to disease
Based on biological data and farmers preference ranking kenkety recommended as compatible cowpea variety for intercropping with maize for Jabitehnan and others with similar agro ecology.
Recommendation from cowpea PVS under maize
Yield of cowpea in different intercropping date with maize
Treatments South Achefer
DMY t/ha
Jabitehnan
DMY t/ha
Cowpea simultaneously with maize (T1) 1.06a 1.78a
Cowpea 10 days after maize sowing (T2) 0.84b 0.77b
Cowpea 20 days after maize sowing (T3) 0.66c 0.45bc
Cowpea 30 days after maize sowing (T4) 0.43d 0.31c
Mean 0.75 0.83
SL *** **
Means with different superscript in columns are significantly different (P<0.001)
Innovation platforms and scaling up
Joint planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and support
Roles and responsibilities shared
Trainings organized to farmers and partners on IP and SIMLESA
technologies
Newly recommended varieties supplied to seed producers for production
Awareness creation, technology deliveries/scaling out efforts were led by
Two IP established
IP members Zone & district office of agricultures Farmer Cooperatives Public Seed Enterprises Farmers Local Administrators Local input suppliers Research centers
Scaling up of identified maize and forage under minimum tillage
• Participant farmers 40
• Each on quarter of ha
• Maize (BHQPY 545) with cowpea intercropping in Jabihetenan
• Maize (Jabi) with sweet lupin in South Achefer
SIMLESA findings communicated to public using different media
• EBC
• AMMA
• ARARI news letter
• ARARI Proceedings
• Journal article on progress
• Leaflets
• Poster
Capacity building
• One PhD student partially supported
• One Master student thesis research supported
• Various short term training in country and abroad
• Exchange visit for farmers
• Exchange visit and experience sharing on CA abroad
• One double gabin Toyota car
• Various office and field equipments purchased