Final version of Tropical Legumes II Project Report for Phase 1 - icrisat

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.
Across districts, TGx 1740-2F out-yielded the rest of the materials grown with an average yield of 2248
kg per ha. This yield figure across all districts is significantly higher than the check varieties Nasoko
and Magoye. It surpassed Nasoko and Magoye by 15% and 38%, respectively. Farmers ranked the test
genotypes for various crop growth and post-crop growth traits. For each trait scores of 1-10 were given,
where 1= not liked and 10= most liked by farmers. Overall results showed that TGx 1740-2F had the
highest scores in many growth traits like earliness, vigor, biomass, pod filling, pod health, seed size
followed by Nasoko (Table 11-6).
Progress of Phase 1
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