Legume diversification in smallholder tobacco systems of Malawi : climate risk management and market opportunities; end of project report

Abstract

The project aimed to strengthen the technical capacity of the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) and the Meteorological Department in supporting smallholder farmers who wish to diversify their cash crop production out of tobacco with groundnut production. Groundnut field trials confirmed significant effects of agronomic practices in determining grain yield. Crop phenology trials assisted in calibration of a simulation model using five main groundnut cultivars. Demonstration of the value of combining field experimentation and modeling in generating recommendations for improving crop productivity and economic returns to investment emerged as another critical achievement of the project