Presented To: ToT Workshop, Horn Relief
September 30th – October 2nd 2009
FILSAN / PHOSPHORUS SUCCESS STORIES IN THE DRY LAND FARMING OF THE BAY REGION-SOMALIA
Introduction Bay region (population, crops, cropping systems,
rainfall) Pre-war research findings on:
Filsan mungbean Phosphorous
Post-war interventions Filsan mungbean Phosphorous
Overview
Human population 400,000– 45% farmers– 33% nomadic– 20% non agricultural
Animal population 1.1M– 29% camels– 34% cattle– 33% goats– 04% sheep
Introduction
Crops– Sorghum 95%
• Grain - human consumption• Stover – Livestock consumption
– Other Crops 5%• Cowpeas, mungbeans and peanuts
Introduction
Arid to semi arid Annual rainfall 500-700mm-Bimodal
– GU: 250-350mm– Der: 200 –250mm
80% of the grain is produced during the Gu season Average temperature 26oC
Introduction
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
J M M J S N
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Max temp Min temp
Subsistence farming Farm size 1-8 ha Monocropping system Inputs
• Seed• Labor
Grain Yield (sorghum) 300-800 kg/ha
Introduction
Pre-Emergency Research Findings
1970 091980 1990 00
BIG BANG
Emergency and post Emergency context
Research andAcademic inst.
Somtux
Filsan seed releasePhosphorus
I. FILSAN SEED: PRE-EMERGENCY RESEARCH RESULTS (1981-1986)
Pre-emergency (1981-1986)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Local Filsan0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Local Filsan
Days to maturity Seeds/pod
Pre-emergency (1981-1986)1000 Seed wt Yield (kg/ha)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Local Filsan300
320
340
360
380
400
420
440
460
480
Local Filsan
Agronomic Data (1981-1986) Bonka
Variety Days to maturity
Seeds/pod
Seed wt.
Yield (Kg/ha)
% Ashy Stem Blight
Filsan 60 7 60 470 23
Local 76 12 42 458 6
V3474 59 8 57 453 18
V1945 58 8 63 447 52
V1560 60 7 62 418 41
V1177 60 6 62 380 -
Filsan seed was recommended for release in 1987
Filsan seed multiplication was initiated in 1988 and 1989
Civil war 1990 Filsan seed along with all other institutional
memories were vanished
Pre-emergency(1981-1986)
I. FILSAN SEED: PRE-EMERGENCY RESEARCH RESULTS (1981-1986)
2002- Breeders Seed (FILSAN) was obtained from AVRDC-Taiwan
2002 & 2003 seed increased in Minnesota
March 2004-11kg of seed shipped to ICRISAT-Kenya for further seed increase
2005, 110 kg Filsan seed produced with the help of ICRISAT-Nairobi
Filsan: Post-emergency recovery
110 kg Filsan seed repatriated to Somalia and distributed to farmers by SAGRA
Post-emergency recovery
Post-emergency recovery
CEFA conducted 9 demonstration plots using both
FILSAN and a local variety in the Bay region. Filsan
yielded 558 Kg/ha, 37% higher yield than the local
that averaged 407 Kg/ha
Post-War Filsan
I-Limitation Lack of institutional support for
– Evaluation of new potential varieties– Technology transfer support services– Seed support institutions– Small-scale seed multiplication, distribution and marketing
systems– Human resources development
II-Opportunities Emergence of new support services
– INGO and local NGO
Limitations and Opportunities
II- PHOSPHOROUS: PRE-EMERGENCY RESEARCH RESULTS (1981-1986)
Pre-emergency: Response to P
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Control 50N 100N N+P N+P
Gu1986-Sorghum
Gra
in Y
ield
(kg
/ha)
N+P = 50N + 17.5P; N+P = 100N + 35P
Pre-emergency: Response to P
Gu1987-Sorghum
Gra
in Y
ield
(kg
/ha)
0
200
400
600
800
Control 50N 100N N+P N+P
Pre-emergency: Response to Animal Manure
Gu1986-Sorghum
Gra
in Y
ield
(kg
/ha)
T1=5T/ha Camel T2=5T/ha Goat T3=5T/ha CattleT4= 10T/ha Goat T5=10T/ha Cattle
100
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
Control T1 T2 T3 T4 T5
Pre-emergency: Response to Animal Manure
Gu1987-Sorghum
Gra
in Y
ield
(kg
/ha)
100
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
Control T1 T2 T3 T4 T5
T1=5T/ha Camel T2=5T/ha Goat T3=5T/ha CattleT4= 10T/ha Goat T5=10T/ha Cattle
Pre-emergency: Response to Animal Manure
Response to P on Filsan mungbean
Similar Experience in the Sahelian Region
44 to 120% yield increase for sorghum and millet- ICRISAT
Why P is not available to plants in the Bay Region soils?
High soil pH
8.0 to 8.3
Why P is not available to plants in the Bay Region soils?
The soil pH range at which maximum P availability occurs is between 6.0
and 7.0
In the Bay Region, the soils are alkaline and have a pH ranging from of 8.0
to 8.5
Soils with a pH of 7.5 and higher typically have a high calcium concentration
that binds P as calcium-phosphate creating an insoluble compound that is
not available to plants
Therefore, it is necessary to amend agricultural soils in the Bay Region with
available forms of P at the correct agronomic rate
Relationship between soil PH and Phosphorous availability
Reccomendations
Would P-Aid be a potential solution?It is an established fact that P is a yield limiting factor in the
Bay Region
The data clearly show that P-application can double/triple
yield
P application establishes a good root system which is
important for the dryland crops
Thank You
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