Four Seasons of Learning and Engaging Smallholder Farmers - icrisat

Storm—from seed companies in Zambia and distributes it to farmers through the affiliate associations.
All the seed multiplied under this scheme is sold to IKURU after it has been thoroughly cleaned and
treated with actellic dust. The seed is later sold to agro-dealers, government projects, and NGOs at a
whole sale price while part of it is sold on the retail market through IKURU retail shops.
In a situation where most of the farmers rely on their own farm-saved, recycled seed, lack of effective
improved seed demand will continue to be a critical constraint to the development of the seed sector.
There is no premium price for improved seed and hence seed subsidies may need to form part of the
overall strategy to promote adoption of improved varieties. Seed credit or subsidies, coupled with
greater popularization activities, is thus needed to create awareness and market demand for improved
seed. Apart from lack of economic access, many farmers also have neither the information nor the
physical access to improved seed. Therefore, improved access to credit, extension, and information
and market infrastructure would be a key component of an overall strategy aimed at enhancing farmer
access to improved seed and other complementary inputs.
Human capacity building
Number of trained technicians and enumerators in West Africa
Countries Enumerators Technicians Total
Nigeria 60 6 66
Niger 20 2 22
Mali 20 2 22
Total 100 10 110
More than 40 enumerators in total or 20 enumerators per country were trained in baseline surveys
methodology and questionnaires-seed systems analysis and early adoption of improved varieties.
Major lessons learned
The majors lessons learnt from the implementation of TL II –Objective 1 are:
• Capacity building of scientists in socio-economic tools and methodologies needs to be
strengthened;
• Strengthening NARS partners in economic analysis, and related novel methodologies;
• More focus on value chain approach which is well integrate both varieties/seeds; crop
management; IPM; benefits and costs; and impacts ;
• Strengthen the capital of knowledge and information for on-going countries and train actors from
other countries on these experiences.
Fast-Track Testing of Soybean Elite Lines
PVS has been carried out in five project countries (Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania)
using available varieties and elite lines of soybean to fast track the release and availability of varieties
with the shortest possible time.
In Malawi PVS trials started in 2007/08 with three released varieties in the country. Of the three varieties,
Ocepara-4 gave the highest grain and fodder yields (Table 11-3). In the second year, PVS trials were
carried out using new lines from fast-tracking. Among the new test lines, TGx 1740-2F gave the highest
on-farm yield of 1415 kg per ha across three districts of Malawi (Table 11-4). The widely grown check
variety (Magoye) gave 733 kg per ha in the same trial. In the third year PVS trial, differences among
genotypes were significant in all districts of Malawi (Table 11-5). On average, high on-farm yield was
obtained from Dowa (2364 kg per ha) followed by Lilongwe (2216 kg per ha) and Dedza (1652 kg per
ha). Similar to the previous year trial, TGx 1740-2F gave a consistently high grain yield in all districts.
Progress of Phase 1
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