110 research outputs found
Strategic Framework to Foster Grain Legume and Dryland Cereal Seed Systems Innovations Guidelines to Drive Seed Delivery Systems through Commodity Value Chains
Millions of smallholders in the drylands continue to use non-improved seed with lower productivity. About
half of these farmers live below the poverty line with only US $1.90 per day or less sustaining them. This
Grain Legume and Dryland Cereal (GLDC) crops seed systems strategy has been put together to deliver
realized genetic gains to these farmers’ fields
Current status of wilt/root rot diseases in major chickpea growing areas of Ethiopia
Wilt/root rot diseases are a major chickpea production
constraint in Ethiopia causing yield losses by reducing
the number of plants. To determine the current status of
disease incidence and distribution, surveys were conducted
in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 cropping seasons in major
chickpea growing zones of Ethiopia. Despite recent efforts in
dissemination of improved varieties, low to high incidence
of 0.0–83.4, 0.0–27.6, 1.3–19.8 and 0.0–16.3% and 1.0–81.9,
0.0–25.5, 3.0–13.9 and 1.0–21.5% in East Gojjam, Southwest
Shewa, North Shewa and West Shewa in 2013/2014
and 2014/2015, respectively. Therefore, integrated pest
management strategies should be developed and availed to
farmers
Incidence and within field dispersion pattern of pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in chickpea in Ethiopia
Podborer is a major pest of chickpea in Ethiopia. Field surveys were conducted in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in central and northwestern Ethiopia to assess the prevalence and within field distribution of the pest. Although podborer was prevalent throughout the surveyed areas, there was a significant difference in larval density (0.10–3.75 larvae per m2) among zones and districts within zones. This variation was attributed to cropping history, cropping patterns, chickpea-crop adjacency, and weather (rainfall and temperature) conditions before and during the season as well as control measures applied. The optimum sample size required for precision ranged from 98, when podborer density was 10/m2, to 1045, when podborer density was ≤1/m2. Within field distribution of the larvae fitted a negative binomial distribution indicating that the larvae had a clumped/aggregated dispersion pattern. These results will enable chickpea stakeholders to develop and apply appropriate integrated crop management techniques for the control of podborer
Better-off Women Boosting Groundnut Business in Ghana
Groundnut was one of the biggest breeding programs in Ghana in the mid-nineties,
but the production declined because of many factors including the rosette disease and
the fact that there was no dedicated breeder of groundnut for over 10 years. According
to Dr. Roger Kanton, Deputy Director of CSIR-SARI (Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research - Savanna Agricultural Research Institute), it was then, in 2015,
with the support of the Tropical Legumes Projects that the groundnut breeding program
was reinitiated. “Only a few local germplasms were available,” adds Dr. Richard
Oteng-Frimpong, a young groundnut breeder, who came along with the support of
the Tropical Legumes projects to start again the breeding program in 2015.
Groundnut production and processing in Nyankpala, Northern Ghana, is now
seen as a business. Umar Jibril, a fabricator of groundnut shellers, narrates, “In
2006, we could barely fabricate one or two groundnut shellers in the year. Now we
fabricate up to 4 groundnut shellers per month; the demand is very high to a point
that clients must place an order well in advance. Our clients used to be the villagers
but nowadays our clientele is made of small and medium enterprises.
Breakthroughs in Groundnut Production Communities in Nigeria
Ms. Hadja Talatu Idrissa (Fig. 6.1), a community women leader, is the chairperson
of the Bunkure women group that is active in groundnut production and oil processing.
The group which counts 25 members joined the TL projects’ family 4 years
ago. They started growing a small seed pack of 5 kg in their community farmland.
“It was the harvest of this seed pack that we revolved and planted in a bigger farm
plot in the following year,” reported. Hadja.
On 1 ha plot, the Bunkure women harvested a total 25 bags of the improved
variety SAMNUT 24 against 13 bags they got from 1 ha plot with the old variety.
In addition, the group made more money out of the haulms of the improved variety
SAMNUT 24. “We sold the haulms of the improved variety up to 30 000 Naira
against 12 000 Naira of the local variety,” says Idrissa (1USD equals 360 Nigerian
Naira during that period). “The improved variety, SAMNUT 24, has higher haulms
yield and is much appreciated for animal feeding because of its taste and digestibility
which is better,” she adds
Sowing Legume Seeds,Reaping Cash
The smallholder farmers’ access to the outputs of the breeding programs’ achievements
has been very weak and hence calls for effective, more coherent, and wellarticulated
design of technology and seed delivery systems of food legume crops.
The Tropical Legumes projects responded to this need.
This book shares impact stories and testimonies from various value chain actors
who were part of the Tropical Legumes (TL) projects over the past 12 years. It presents
the experiences of a diversity of actors within the grain legume value chains,
with a focus on groundnut and common beans in Tanzania and Uganda, groundnut
and cowpea in Nigeria, and groundnut in Ghana. All actors involved shared their
feeling of being part of decade-long development project families. National agricultural
research institutes, knowledge brokering organizations, NGOs, public seed
companies, private seed companies, agro-dealers, individual seed entrepreneurs,
farm implement makers, farmer cooperatives, farmer groups, individual farmers,
women farmers, middlemen, processors, traders, and consumers were all involved
in this experience. This book provides learning opportunities for development workers,
technical staff, and project managers. It will also inspire development workers
and project managers to share their own experiences for others to learn from
Impact Stories and Testimonies from Diverse Actors in Groundnut Value Chain in Tanzania
Adamu, a groundnut farmer from Maugura village, Masasi, shared his success story
for being involved in TL projects (Figs. 2.1 and 2.2). “I was taught how to grow the
seeds, carry out diagnosis, how to store them, among other things. This year, there
are some seeds that I have begun putting on the ground so that I can continue conducting
research about them. Naliendele Institute gave me about 20 lines and I am
working on all of them. In fact, they have not yet been named. I’ve just planted them
in plots; from plot number one to plot number twenty.”
Nyirenda is reaping big from his seed production business. “Last year, I got 90
bags of groundnut from 4 acres, and I sold 47 bags through Naliendele. I sold to
other farmers the remaining 43 bags” he said. One bag equals to 42 kg.
Nyirenda does not regret his decision to venture into groundnut seed production.
“First, I have six children; two are in secondary school and two are in primary
school. I pay their fees from the money I earn in the groundnut business. I have built
a good house and bought more land to expand the planting area from the proceeds
of the groundnut business as well. Generally, I would say, for me this a self-sufficient
business.”
Nyirenda, however, appeals to the government to purchase planters on behalf of
the farmers as this will reduce the cost of production and increase profits. He also
thinks that if a factory is set up for groundnut value addition, farmers like him will
not struggle any longer with lack of market
Empowered Communities Tell Their Own Stories from Common Bean Production in Uganda
Most smallholder farmers in Uganda often opt to farm the more popular crops
which include coffee, plantain, cassava, sweet potatoes, and maize. Smallholder
bean farming in Uganda is however overtaking the crops as farmers are seeing the
potential that bean farming possesses. Women in the traditional Ugandan setting are
considered as care givers and are tasked with ensuring food security. In Northern
Uganda for instance, women are not entitled to inheriting land. When it comes to
land sharing, women are only allowed to endorse the sharing. They are however
given a portion where they can plant crops they can utilize in the household. The
Tropical Legumes projects however strived to eradicate the stereotype that exists
with the position of women in production for commercial purpose
Common Bean Value Chain Actors Share Their Feeling About TL Projects in Tanzania
Ms. Shida Nestory (Fig. 3.1), an experienced agricultural research officer and common
been breeder at Selian, presented the projects’ achievements for common bean
breeding program in different areas. For accessibility of the new germplasm, new
materials can be accessed sufficiently through the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture (CIAT), the local collections (landraces), and other national stations
(Uyole, Maruku). “Thanks to TL projects we are now able to advance six generations
of bean varieties each year. The new breeds that we are developing have traits
like better resistance to diseases, a higher nutritional value (iron), early maturity,
and ability to survive drought periods. We have 8 old varieties of beans that are aged
more than 10 years since the time they were registered; we also have 7 new registered
varieties which gained registration in 2018, also underway is an additional 8 lines
that are under multi-location trials. Through TL III, we have been able to release a
total of 15 varieties up to date. Of the 15 varieties, five are climbing bean types. The
15 varieties have reached farmers across the Tanzanian farming regions. Currently, we can produce about 7 tons of breeder seeds on an annual basis. TL Project can be
said to have played a dominant role in our breeding process, 60% of the resources
that we own and use have come from the TL Program. The new varieties are very
superior in that they have higher yields; they mature much faster and have a higher
nutritional value in comparison with the old ones,” Shida ended
Women at the Center of Cowpea Value Chain Development in Nigeria
Ms. Hadja Salame Shaibu (Fig. 7.1) is a cowpea producer and processor in the Local
Government Area of Dawakin Tofa. She grew up in a farming community where
crop- livestock integration is a tradition. When she got married few decades ago,
Salame continued farming and keeping livestock to support her new family, mainly
in sorghum and cowpea production.
Few years ago, Salame also started processing cowpea into local dishes (Moi-moi,
Accra, Danwake, and many other products). She also cooked and sold a special
dish made from a combination of pasta and cowpea which was well appreciated by
the consumers and made her successful
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