Four Seasons of Learning and Engaging Smallholder Farmers - icrisat

Rain-out shelter in CIAT-Colombia
To facilitate more detailed and controlled physiological studies, and confirm results under field
conditions where control of moisture is less precise, a rain out shelter was established at CIAT
headquarters.
Development of information tools: videos and training manuals
Several videos were also developed specifically to extend awareness of the use and possible impacts
of packing and marketing seed in small packs (from 100 g to 2 kg packages). These have been made
in different lengths for partners ( 3 minute 20) and possible TV use (30 second). Further, while a first
video centers on experience in the initial small pack test country, Kenya, another portrays experience
to include both TL II-linked and other PABRA countries (Ethiopia, plus Malawi, Congo and Tanzania).
Finally, small pack videos have been made in English and more recently in French. These videos, as
awareness-raising tools, have proven very powerful in stimulating NARS, private sector companies
NGOs, and other organizations to consider small seed pack marketing so as to scale up their business
and Training manuals also reach more clientele.
In the two countries, variety, seed-related information tools and booklets (on production and post
harvest handling) have also been developed in local languages, targeting farmers with various levels of
literacy, traders and extension staff. In Ethiopia, 7954 variety description leaflets, 2486 seed production
guides and 2790 varieties poster targeting mainly illiterate farmers were produced and supplied. In
Kenya, 1200 production guides (brochures) and 680 posters of varieties were supplied during seed fairs
and demos.
Vision
From the phase 1 research, it became clear that target strategies are required along the value chain
to address the problem of drought, declining soil fertility, constraints in seed and grain markets. Such
investments are inter-related and therefore all are required to achieve a combined effect. In other words,
germplasm improvement, management practices/ extension and marketing need to be addressed in
order to achieve maximum beneficial and equitable impacts.
Germplasm improvement to address drought
In the course of the phase 1, drought research has been firmly established as a research priority within
PABRA on all levels. Field testing is now practiced routinely. Improved lines are in the pipeline.
Equipment is in place for more detailed evaluations. In collaboration with TL-I, scientific capacity
has been enhanced through post-graduate training. For phase 2 we look to expand the reach of TL-II’s
impact by involving other partner countries within PABRA, and to focus on the enhanced capacity on
understanding G x E within drought trials, in conjunction with TL-I. Breeding will continue to address
both terminal and intermittent types of drought, while minimizing trade-offs between large harvests and
good culinary traits or marketability. Important culinary traits (e.g less cooking, low flatulence, keeping
quality or taste) and market preferences (e.g seed shape and color) in Ethiopia were indentified from
baseline studies. Currently, seed color and seed shape are the key attributes used in grading beans on
the market for export in Ethiopia and they are likely to become more important determinants of variety
choice by farmers in the near future while the existing varieties with flat shape or less brilliant color
could be dis-adopted.
Soil fertility
Soil fertility is clearly a major confounding factor in the evaluation of drought lines and we must attend to
this factor in complementary fashion – exploiting both genetic and crop management techniques – to assure
that drought tolerance is fully expressed. There is need in Phase 2 to expand beyond varietal introductions
— focus on fertilizer associated with specialized seed production. Simply, soil fertility improvement is key
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Engaging Smallholder Farmers | Tropical Legumes II Project