Sustainable Intensification and Diversification of Maize-based Farming

Systems in Malawi

Dan TerAvestWashington State University

Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Research Review and Planning

Meeting, Arusha, Tanzania, 1-5 October 2012

Project Goals• Incorporate crop rotations and legume intercropping into maize-

based farming systems in Malawi in order to:• Increase Food Production• Improve household nutrition and reduce protein and

micronutrient deficiencies • Enhance soil fertility and quality• Improve resilience to drought and climate variability/change• Increase household income

• Evaluate the sustainability of 3 farming systems; continuous no-till maize (NT), conservation agriculture rotation (CA), and conventional rotation (CVR)

Experimental Design and Year 1 Activities

• 8 smallholder farms: 4 each in Dowa and Nkhotakota districts • 3 plots on each farm:

• NT and CA plots have been managed as continuous no-till maize plots, by farmers, for the 2 years prior to study establishment

• CVR plots have been managed using the conventional practice of clearing residues and ridging for the previous 2+ years

Dowa Nkhotakota NT CA CVR NT CA CVRYear 1 Maiz

eSweet Potato +

pigeonpeaSweet Potato Maize Cassava +

pigeonpeaCassava

Year 2 Maize

Groundnut + pigeonpea

Groundnut Maize Soybean + pigeonpea

Soybean

Year 3 Maize

Maize Maize Maize Maize Maize

Food ProductionDistrict Treatment Crop Yield

Dowa NT Maize 3,641 kg ha-1

  CA Sweet potato 6,864 kg ha-1

    Sweet potato leaves 38 kg ha-1

    Pigeon pea 27 kg ha-1

  CVR Sweet potato 9,131 kg ha-1

    Sweet potato leaves 38 kg ha-1

Nkhotakota NT Maize 4,136 kg ha-1

  CA Pigeon pea 93 kg ha-1

       

Human Nutritional Output

Crop nutritional output data from the USDA National Nutrient Database (http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964)

 Dowa District NT CA CVR

  Nutrient

  

Unit ha-1

Maize Sweet potatoSP leaves

Pigeon Pea

Sweet potatoSP leaves

Energy Mj 46,160 28,530 37,419

Protein kg 285 130 164

Sugars kg 19 326 434

Minerals        

Calcium g 211 2,389 3,127

Iron g 82 49 64

Potassium g 8,669 26,858 35,165

Vitamins        

Vitamin A g 0 55 74

Vitamin C g 0 191 253

Soil Fertility and Quality

District Treatment pH

CaCl2

Bulk DensityMg m-3

Organic Cg kg-1

Available Pmg kg-1

Inorganic Nmg kg-1

Dowa NTz 5.2 1.35ay 15.4 31 187a

  CA 5.0 1.35a 16.1 71 121ab

  CVR 5.0 1.28b 17.1 41 74b

             

Nkhotakota NT 4.6 1.42 11.2 72 41

  CA 4.6 1.44 9.3 80 35

  CVR 4.6 1.40 7.7 95 41zSampling depth: 0-10 cmyValues within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P ≤ 0.05)

Soil/Crop Moisture Dynamics

40 cm

Economic Analysis US $ Daily Wage Opportunity CostTreatment/District

Outputs TotalRevenue

Variable Costs: Labour, fertilizer,

seed, etc

Net Returns

Variable Costs: Labour, fertilizer,

seed, etc

Net Returns

No-TillNkhotakota

Maize 961.92 605.06 356.86 1,194.19 -232.27

No-TillDowa

Maize 762.12 546.87 215.25 637.22 124.91

CADowa

Sweet potato SP LeavesCuttingsPigeon pea

716.15 711.55 4.60 814.43 -98.28

CVRDowa

Sweet potatoSP LeavesCuttings

868.27 669.17 199.10 718.95 149.32

Successes and Challenges Successes ChallengesCooperation with farmers

Good cooperation and communication with participating farmers

Farmers sometimes slow to inform us of management issues (e.g. insect damage to crops)

Crop management

Maize (both districts) and cassava and pigeonpea (Nkhotakota) were planted in timely fashion. Collected all target data in a timely manner

Late planting of sweet potato and pigeon pea in Dowa: -Sporadic rainfall -Logistics of arranging vegetative materials for planting

Sample analysis

Bunda College of Agriculture laboratory staff were knowledgeable and capable

Sample analysis delayed: -Frequent water and power shortages -Poor analytical capabilities delayed sample analysis

Thank you!

Bunda Collegeof Agriculture