Four Seasons of Learning and Engaging Smallholder Farmers - icrisat

Background
The yield of groundnut in the region is limited by four major constraints. The first is the low yielding
potential of currently available varieties. In Malawi, for example, the local variety Chalimbana takes
six months to reach maturity and even under good agronomic practices it will not give more than 800
kg per ha compared to 1700- 2500 kg per ha possible from elite varieties. The situation is similar in
Mozambique where the local variety Bebiano Blanco and in Tanzania where Red Mwitunde are the
popular farmer varieties in large parts of the country. Biotic stresses are the other major constraint to
farmers achieving maximum yields. Rosette, ELS, aflatoxin, and rust are the major diseases contributing
to groundnut yield losses in the region. In seasons of rosette epidemic, the entire crop can be lost to
the disease though in the majority of years approximately 30% average yield loss from all diseases
combined is common. It has been estimated that in Malawi alone, approximately $12 million is
lost annually from the combined effect of ELS and rosette. Finally, drought due to the erratic nature
of rainfall in the groundnut production agro-ecological zones in the three target countries is a major
abiotic threat. We have production areas that can accommodate three, four, and five months of growing
season and varieties are targeted to these different agro-ecologies.
Socio-Economics/Targeting
Groundnut production trends in the three target countries
Groundnut production in the three countries presents an upward trend. For Malawi data from 1982/83
reveal an area growth from about 155,539 ha to 266,503 in 2006/07. This was accompanied by
a production growth from 57,282 metric tons to 267,077. There was also a significant growth in
production per unit area from an average yield of 368 kg per ha to 1002 kg per ha (Table 3-1).
This came at a time of heightened groundnut improvement program for Eastern and Southern Africa
based at the Chitedze Research Station in Malawi. Achieved grain yields across districts and agroecologies
in different parts of the country clearly demonstrated the need for targeting varieties to their
appropriate zones of adaptation. Whereas better endowed agro-ecologies like the Central plateau
(comprising Mchinji, Dowa, Dedza, Lilongwe) and the high altitude areas of Rumphi, Shire Highlands,
and Phalombe managed above 1 MT/ha on farmers fields and could utilize full season varieties like
CG7, and Nsinjiro to maximize production we realized the need for early maturing or short duration
varieties for the low altitude short season agro-ecologies normally found in Chitipa, Karonga, lower
Thyolo, Mangochi, Machinga, Balaka, Neno, Chikwawa and Nsanje (Table 3-2 less than 0.75 MT/ha).
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Engaging Smallholder Farmers | Tropical Legumes II Project