Knowledge Center Catalog

Biophysical or economic performance - which reflects farmer choice of legume 'best best' in Malawi?

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: Nairobi (Kenya) KARI|CIMMYT : 2002Description: p. 480-486ISBN:
  • 970-648-120-6
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 338.16 FRI
Summary: The ICRISAT Mother-Baby (MB) trial model has been used to test Malawi's 'Best-Bet' legume-based soil fertility management technologies since 1997. The purpose of the MB approach is to enhance farmer participation in coventional on-farm research and facilitate their evaluation of technologies. This paper reviews the agronomic and economic performance of the technologies under test and compares them with farmer assessments. Three seasons results show that the legume-intensified .Best-Bet' systems performed as expected, increasing yields from as little as O kg ha-1 in the 1997/98 season, to in excess of 3,000 kg ha-1 in 1999/2000 when compared to the unfertilized maize. Yet, farmers still expressed concerns about the marginal loss of maize production and labour implication. Farmers weighed the benefits of weed suppression and potential cash earnings, against input costs, problems of seed and fertiliser access, and problems of grain market delivery. Marginal rate of returns analysis identified mucuna-maize rotation, maize-pigeon pea intercrop, pigeon pea + groundnut intercrop-maize rotation, and maize + tephrosia as the techllologies that offer substantial benefits and a competitive rate of return to farmers' investments. The identification in Baby trials matched the technologies farmers identified best fit their circumstances and are likely to be selected first for adoption.
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The ICRISAT Mother-Baby (MB) trial model has been used to test Malawi's 'Best-Bet' legume-based soil fertility management technologies since 1997. The purpose of the MB approach is to enhance farmer participation in coventional on-farm research and facilitate their evaluation of technologies. This paper reviews the agronomic and economic performance of the technologies under test and compares them with farmer assessments. Three seasons results show that the legume-intensified .Best-Bet' systems performed as expected, increasing yields from as little as O kg ha-1 in the 1997/98 season, to in excess of 3,000 kg ha-1 in 1999/2000 when compared to the unfertilized maize. Yet, farmers still expressed concerns about the marginal loss of maize production and labour implication. Farmers weighed the benefits of weed suppression and potential cash earnings, against input costs, problems of seed and fertiliser access, and problems of grain market delivery. Marginal rate of returns analysis identified mucuna-maize rotation, maize-pigeon pea intercrop, pigeon pea + groundnut intercrop-maize rotation, and maize + tephrosia as the techllologies that offer substantial benefits and a competitive rate of return to farmers' investments. The identification in Baby trials matched the technologies farmers identified best fit their circumstances and are likely to be selected first for adoption.

English

0410|AGRIS 0401|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection


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