This document summarizes research being conducted in Babati, Tanzania on sustainable intensification of maize-based cropping systems. The research is led by various institutions (IITA, ILRI, CIMMYT, etc.) and has the following objectives: 1) Identify biophysical and socioeconomic constraints to crop and livestock production; 2) Introduce and evaluate improved crop varieties; and 3) Develop postharvest technologies to reduce losses. The status of research deliverables is provided, showing preliminary results on crop yields, variety selection, fertilizer response, and mycotoxin contamination. Lessons learned are discussed, along with proposed research opportunities for 2013/14, such as addressing low yields, maize lethal

1. Research in Sustainable Intensification in the sub-
humid maize-based cropping systems of Babati
Mateete Bekunda (IITA)
Ben Lukuyu (ILRI)
Danny Coyne (IITA
Dan Makumbi (CIMMYT)
Jean Claude Rubyogo (CIAT)
Job Kihara (CIAT)
Fen Beed (IITA)
Adebayo Abass (IITA)
Stephen Lyimo (SARI)
Victor Afari-Sefa (AVRDC)
Festo Ngulu (IITA)
Africa RISING East and Southern Africa annual review and planning meeting, Lilongwe, Malawi, 3-5
September 2013

2. Introduction: guide to our work; objectives
Methodology & players
Planned deliverables
Status on the deliverables
Lessons learned and 2013-14 Research
Presentation outline

3. Actions to address the AR
hypotheses (Integration,
Adoption, Trade-off,
Scalability) are summarized
in the Schematic
representation of the
Program’s Research
Framework, indicating:
- 4 Research Outputs (RO)
- various research tools,
- components of the M&E
framework, and
- themes that apply across
all ROs (red arrows)
Research guide

4. Objectives Relating to Research Output 1:
 Identify key biophysical and socio-economic constraints to crops and livestock production at
farm and landscape levels?
 Identify existing opportunities for enhancing productivity and resource use efficiencies
 Map mycotoxin contamination in on-farm food and feed products and along value chains
Objectives Relating to Research Output 2:
 Introduce and evaluate improved varieties of food and fodder crops to farm households in a
manner that complements their on-going farm enterprises, contributes to sustainable
agricultural resource management and offers nutritional and marketing advantages.
 Introduce and disseminate best-bet management packages around promising improved crop
varieties suited to widely representative agro-ecological zones.
 Introduce postharvest safety and nutrition technologies into the maize-based farming
systems as a potential driver to increased agricultural productivity
Babati: Purpose/objectives (2012-13)

5. Applied research tools
Activity Approach
General
approach
1. Work Package model was used as an
implementation strategy
2. Integration between and within the WPs
assured through joint planning and
implementation of activities on same action
sites and where possible, at same time.
RO1: Situation
analysis
Literature search, scoping studies, household
interviews, FEAST, focus group discussions,
physical soil and production characterization
RO2:
Integrated
systems
improvement
Research teams (WP), mother/baby trials,
multiple-site on-farm trials, on-station trials,
participatory farmer evaluation
RO3: Scaling &
delivery
actions
Field days, television, radio, training

6. By who: Partner engagement
Work Package WP Leader Partner research
institutions
♯Research
Farmers (%F)
♯Associate
Farmers* (%F)
Biophysical production
constraints
Job Kihara
CIAT
SARI, DAICOs 320
(sampled plots)
480
Improved food &feed
crop varieties
Dan Makumbi
CIMMYT
CIAT, SARI, IITA,
DAICOs
Maize: 8 (13)
Beans: 24 (54)
Maize: 272 (17)
Beans: 424 (41)
Fodder species for land
management
Ben Lukuyu
ILRI
CIAT, TALIRI, IITA,
DAICOs
6(50) selected for
on farm trials
117 (21)
Intercropping & micro
dosing with Minjingu PR
Stephen Lyimo,
Selian ARI
IITA, ICRISAT 28 (36) 634 (27)
20m thru TV & radio
Mycotoxin
contamination
Fen Beed
IITA
NM-AIST, MAFSIC,
SUA
Not applicable 545
Postharvest
technologies
Adebayo Abass,
IITA
SUA 8 428
Integration of
vegetables
Victor Afari-
Sefa, AVRDC
IITA, University of
Dodoma, DAICOs
Not applicable 300 (150 veggies &
150 non-veggies)
* Farmers reached through training, interviews, group discussions, field days, factsheets…

8. Research Outputs: Status by July 31.
Deliverable Status
Map showing key biophysical constraints to crop production in Babati Oct 2013
Map of key degradation hotspots within Babati and possible interventions Oct 2013
Agronomic practices limiting production in Babati identified Done
Two adapted varieties of maize identified for target areas Sept 2014
Three adapted and preferred bean varieties identified for each site
Two adapted species for both forage and erosion control identified for each site Sept 2014
Most preferred P fertilizer micro-dosing source for intercrops identified Done
Two factors that increase each of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination in maize &
bean food and feed, and along value chains identified
Dec 2013
10 sites targeted for application of Aflasafe in year 2 identified Dec 2013
Factors contributing to high postharvest losses, the effect on productivity gain,
income and food security of farm households identified
Oct 2013
New strategies for reducing postharvest losses developed Sept 2014
Suitable vegetable varieties identified & best bet production practices developed Oct 2013

9. Fields ordered byincreasing maize grainyield
Maizegrainyield(t/ha)
0246810
SC 513
SC 627 and DK 8031
H 614 and Pannar 691
H 628
Agronomic practices limiting
production (physical data):
• Great management variability
between replicates in the same
field, e.g.
• Spacing between rows 55-110
cm
• Nutrient mining in 65% of farms
(2.5% farmers used mineral
fertilizers; 85% used improved
crop varieties)
• Inherent field variations
Results: RO1

10. Results: RO1
Map of livestock production
systems for Babati District:
a precursor to the feed
recommendation map
(literature data).
Livestock feed availability:
Farmers meet up to a
maximum of 65% of feed
during wet season (mainly
grazing); only 12 - 30% during
the dry season (mainly crop
residues)

11. Results: RO2
Maize variety selection: Note site differences in yield & similarity with local check.
Some hybrids with superior yields (e.g. SH 208 in Sabilo) are not necessarily
selected by farmers.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Grainyield(t/ha)
Entries
Sabilo (ns) Seloto (LSD = 0.9) Across (LSD = 0.6)
Entry 1 2 3 4
SAH 538 12 7 2 8
SAH 536 14 8 9 5
MH 616 5 1 9 3
SH 208 11 3 4 13
SH 308 2 5 9 19
CKH10717 3 9 8 8
CKH101795 4 14 9 13
CKH10038 6 23 19 16
CKH08051 0 4 12 5
SC 627 -local 37 10 14 8
Total 94 84 95 98
Participatory variety Selection Chart

12. Results: RO2
0.00
500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
2500.00
3000.00
3500.00
4000.00
4500.00
Yield(Kg/ha)
Bean varieties Bean varieties
Yield performance of bean varieties against different fertilizers (control – blue;
Minjingu mazao – purple; Diammonium phosphate – yellow) at Long and Seloto
villages
Long Seloto
Observations:
1. Responses to fertilizer was site specific; Mazao better at Long and Seloto;
DAP better at Sabilo (not shown here)
2. Only Selian 06 just about reached its yield potential (4-6.5 t ha-1) at Long.
Other varieties barely reached half of their potential.

13. Results: RO2
Fertilizer micro dosing of a maize/pigeon pea intercrop increased
maize yield by more than 5 times at Sabilo. Pigeon peas are still in
the field. Minjingu mazao was best ranked by the farmers.
Treatment Yield (t/ha)
DAP 4.618 a
Minjingu Mazao 4.149 ab
Minjingu PR -Granular 3.853 b
Farmer’s Practice 0.71 c
LSD (n=9) 0.62
CV % 19.3

14. A map of key degradation hotspots within Babati and
possible interventions, after…
On-going lab and data analysis for:
- Physical, chemical, mineralogical characteristics of soil samples from 640
sampling points, 32 cumulative mass sampling sites
- Infiltration measurements at 32 points
- Erosion prevalence using satellite imagery
Expected Results: RO1

15. Collected448maizeand390beangeo-referencedsamplesatharvestandrecentlystoredand
collatedquestionnairestolinkagronomicpracticestomycotoxinlevels andduetocollect;
Analysis of these data will identify:
1. Evaluated novel serological diagnostics for aflatoxin and fumonisin
2. Database of mycotoxin prevalence to justify strategy for awareness raising campaign
3. Geographical hotspots and vulnerable sectors of value chain for interventions including
application of biocontrol; aflasafe TZ
Mycotoxins in food and feed value chain for maize and beans
Expected results: RO1

16. Quantified factors contributing to high postharvest losses,
the effect on productivity gain, income and food security of
farm households
Expected results: RO1

17. Bulked forage materials (over 20 varieties) ready for
on-farm and farmer suitability experimentation.
Expected Results: RO2
Forage multiplication plots in Tengeru

18. Other deliverables
Item Indicator
Products CD on fertilizer management in maize
CD on Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease
Publications Post-harvest food losses…under review
Journal of Stored Products Research
Graduate
students
2 Msc in collaboration with iAGRI at SUA
1 PhD in collaboration with Tuskegee University

19. Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14
Lesson/Opportunity Suggested research/activity
Closing the yield gaps
(maize, beans)
-Identify soil related biophysical production constraints
-Evaluate staking value in the maize/climbing bean intercrops
-Increased campaigns on better farm management methods
including efficient fertilizer use and water harvesting
Maize lethal necrosis
disease
Evaluate tolerant hybrids (in Kenya) and local varieties against
MLN
Impact of profitability on
adoption of technologies
and intensification
Design a joint private sector – researcher value chain based
research, driven by a commercial crop.
Unprocessed crop
residues are a major
livestock feed source
Improved storage, processing and utilization of these crop
residues, …and subsequent manure recycling
Low awareness of
mycotoxins, their health
impacts and control
-Targeted awareness and training campaigns
-Deployment of crop varieties resistant to fungal attacks
-Research with Aflasafe

20. Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14
Lesson/opportunity Suggested research/activity
Increasing farm-level
profitability requires the use of
postharvest interventions that
reduce food losses, increase the
shelf life and market value of
farm produce
Introduce and test mechanized shelling of maize,
threshing of sorghum, and use of simple oxygen
impermeable storage technologies (super grain
bags or hermitic metal containers) introduced and
tested with farmers
Communicating information is
variable (demos, field days,
training TV/radio)
Compare and determine most effective
communication approaches within and outside
study areas.
96% Tz rural households own
free-range indigenous chickens;
have potential to improve
nutrition & livelihoods
Research to improve productivity of indigenous
chicken through supplementary nutrition with
crop products, and better management

21. Lessons learned & research opportunities for 2013/14
Lesson/opportunity Suggested research/activity
Vegetables, especially
traditional ones, are rich in
micronutrients and other
health-promoting
phytochemicals
Integrate vegetables within maize-based farming
systems to complement staples for better
smallholder nutrition and increased household
incomes
Partnerships within and
external to Research Teams
How should partners interact and solve
problems more effectively?
Indicators of intensification Define indicators of intensification beyond those
expressed at basic (e.g. agronomy) level

22. 1. PANNAR, SUBA-AGRO, MERU-AGRO Seed companies
2. Minjingu Mines and Fertilizer Company
3. Babati Local Government Leaders (policy) & Extension services
4. NAFAKA Staples Value Chain Activity
5. iAGRI – Innovative Agricultural Research Initiative
Acknowledging research-support partners

23. Thank
you