Presented by Endalkachew Wolde-meskel (ILRI) and Galfato Gabiso (Hawassa University), at the N2Africa Ethiopia Launch Workshop, Addis Ababa, 27-28 February 2014

1. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
N2Africa bridging year progress
in SNNPRS, Ethiopia (2013)
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Endalkachew Wolde-meskel (ILRI)
Galfato Gabiso (Hawassa University)
N2Africa Ethiopia Launch Workshop, ILRI
27-28 February 2014

2. Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የ
ጋር በመ
HAWASSA U
DIRECTO
• Project locations and Target legumes
• Project Activities & achievements, 2013
1. CB Diss/Demo, Input & Variety Trials
2. CP Diss/Demo, Input & Variety Trials (?)
• Challenges encountered
• Lssons learnt
• Way feorward into 2014
Presentation Outline

3. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
• Project locations and Target legumes
Damot-GaleWoreda-
Chickpea 3 K; 15 on
farm diss/demo,input
&variety trails (FTC)
Boricha Woreda- Common
bean 3 K; 15 on farm
diss/demo,input &variety
trails (FTC)

4. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Farmers selection, land prep. & sowing
Awerness creation, project objectives and expected outcomes

5. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Training of researchers, Tech. & DAs

6. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – On farm 10m x10m Diss/Demo plots
+P+I
+P+I +P+I
+P+I
+P+I

7. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Results
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
-P - I +P+I -P - I +P+I
Nasir Ibado
MeanYield(tha-1)
Treatments, in Baby trail
19 % 23%
Mean grain yield response of Nasir and Ibado varieties to P applicationR inoculation

8. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Nasir
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Yieldwith+P+I(t/ha)
Grain yield of control plot (t/ha)
CONTROL
+DAP,+I
80% of the farmersbenefited
Ibado
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Yieldwith+P+I(t/ha)
Grain Yield of control plot (t/ha)
Cont
+P+I
80% of the farmersbenefited
Project Activities – Results
Grain yield response of Nasir and Ibado varieties to P applicationR inoculation

9. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Variety trials (all +P+I)
Dimtu
Argene

10. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Variety trial
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Noofnodulesperplants
Common bean Varieties
Nodule
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
H.Dume
Nasir
Ibado
Dimitu
Awash1
A.Melka
Arigen
Dinkinesh
SARI
Yield(tha-1)
Commonbean varieties
Grain
Dry Biomass
Nodulenumber, grain and biomass yield of varieties (Inoculatedand P supplied)

11. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Chickpea – Damot Gale
Chickpea variety Adaptationtrial at Gacheno, Wolyta, 2013 growing season (all supplied with P +I

12. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Chickpea variety trial

13. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Farmers Field days
Damot-Gale (90) +
Boricha (80) = 170
(30 women)

14. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Farmers Field day -Boricha
ያለሕያውማዳበሪያአንዘራም ፤
ምርቱምእንደየዜግነቱይለያያል

15. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Project Activities – Farmers Field day -Boricha
-We are sure we will have goodharvest, but where is the market?
- No stomach ache with the new chickpea verities, Habru and Natoli are best
- we need more training on inoculationtechnology
- More spacing for chick pea, yieldis less when narrow

16. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Major challenges
• Shortage of Vehicle – Critical
• Delays in training and budget release
• Lack of knowledge/training ( on site selection, inoculant
technology, protocols….)
• Poor germination for some variety, eg. Habru
• Lack of market for produce
• Variability in soil fertility among farmers plots

17. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
• Generally, +P +I increases beans yield
• Higher yield variability among farmers, thus need focus
to fill gap (management and soil fertility)
• Some soils are non responsive to +P+I (even with good
management), thus soils research
• Variety screening is useful, some varieties are low yielding
and susceptible to disease
• Varieties differ in nodulation- can be explored to improve
BNF
Lessons Learnt

18. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የም
ጋር በመተ
HAWASSA UN
DIRECTOR
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
The Way Forward
• Further Training at all levels (Farmers, DA, Researchers)
• Extend the Demo/Diss. To more Woredas
• Practice Input and Variety trials at wider scale
• Consider alley cropping/intercropping (MAIZE is main
crop!)
• New legume niches (introduce chickpea to new sites)
• Support output market and value chain activities