Abstract
SUMMARYAgricultural development projects frequently promote new crop production technologies for adoption at scale on the basis of research and pilot studies in a limited number of contexts. The performance of these production technologies is often variable and dependent on context. Using an example from the Agroforestry for Food Security Project in Malawi, that promoted agroforestry technologies for soil fertility enhancement, we explore the nature and implications of variation in performance across farmers. Mean effects of these technologies, measured by differences in maize yield between agroforestry and sole maize plots, were modest but positive. However, there was large variation in those differences, some explained by altitude, plot management and fertilizer use but with much unexplained. This represents risk to farmers. Those communicating with farmers need to be honest and clear about this risk. It can be reduced by explanation in terms of contextual factors. This should be an aim of research that can often be embedded in scaling up the promotion of agronomic innovations.
Highlights
Despite average African cereal yields having risen from about 1.2 t ha−1 in 1993 to over 1.6 t ha−1 in 2013, they remain very low in comparison to those in other continents and over 200 million people in Africa are undernourished (FAOSTAT, 2015)
Cereal yields in Malawi consistently averaged around 2 t ha−1 from 2009 to 2013 (FAOSTAT, 2015) while attainable maize yield was estimated at 5.4 t ha−1 (Mueller et al, 2012)
Sole maize yields were slightly higher than average yields reported for Malawi (Snapp et al, 2014)
Summary
Despite average African cereal yields having risen from about 1.2 t ha−1 in 1993 to over 1.6 t ha−1 in 2013, they remain very low in comparison to those in other continents and over 200 million people in Africa are undernourished (FAOSTAT, 2015). African smallholders can improve and sustain soil fertility (Glover et al, 2012). This is based on biological fixation of nitrogen from leguminous trees and the tightening of nutrient and water cycling, together with growing evidence of higher abundance and activity of beneficial soil organisms associated with trees in crop fields enhancing soil health (Barrios et al, 2012). There remains a large gap between the potential yield gains with fertiliser trees realised on research stations (Akinnifesi et al, 2010) and the uptake of agroforestry practices by farmers across the country.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
