A::: Ro ::J C «C Intemationallnstitute of Tropical Agriculture I Institut Intemational D'agriculture Tropicale ~ Contents
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Proiect E Enhancing livelihoods in the humid and subhumid zones of West and Central Africa through profitable and sustainable intensification of diverse agricultural systems oM o N +-' ~ \\TA o Research to Nourish Africa c.. Q) a::: ro ::J C «C Intemationallnstitute of Tropical Agriculture I Institut intemational d'agriculture tropicale ~ Contents Preface Project goal ......................................................................................................... 1 Project purpose .................................................................................................... 1 Project rationale .................................................................................................. 1 Outputs 1 Production to consumption needs, constraints, and opportunities for sustainable and competitive production of diverse crop systems in rural and peri·urban landscapes identified and prioritized ....................................................................... 2 2 Prototype options for sustainable and competitive crop production, postharvest, and peri.urban crop-livestock systems developed and verified ................................ .43 3 Management interventions for sustainable and competitive crop production, postharvest, and peri·urban crop-livestock systems disseminated and promoted ...................................................................................................... 76 4 Promoting agroenterprise development and market linkages ............................... 82 5 Dissemination and adaptation of improved management interventions monitored and evaluation of their impact on farmers'livelihoods and institutional capacity ............................................................................................................. 94 Completed studies ............................................................................................ 101 Staff scientists ................................................................................................. 108 Publications 2003 ............................................................................................. 116 Preface IITA's research-for-development agenda is divided into six project themes, around which these project annual reports are prepared. These projects themes address different aspects of attaining sustainable increases in productivity of dominant farming systems and utili zation practices in the various agroecologies of sub-Saharan Mrica (SSA). Research and training activities carried out in the six projects are being implemented together with national program partners in order to increase the well-being of resource-poor people in SSA through higher levels offood production, better income, nutritional status, and reduced drudgery particularly for women. Project E Enhancing livelihoods in the humid and subhumid zones of West and Central Africa through profitable and sustainable intensification of diverse agricul tural systems by K. Amegbeto (K.A), R. Asiedu (RA), R Bandyopadhyay (RB.), R Carsky (R. C.), A Cherry (AC.), D. Chikoye (D.Ch.), D. Cornet (D.Cor), D. Coyne (D. Coy.), A.G.O. Dixon (A.G.O.D.), S. DuTY (S.D.), J. Gockowski (J.G.), L. Halos·Kim (L.H.K.), R. Hanna (R.H.), S.Hauser (S.H.), J.d'A. Hughes (J.d'A.H.), M. Koleshnikova·Allen (M.KA), P. Kormawa, C. Legg (C.L.), J. Legg (J.Lg.), J. Lemchi (J.Lm), NG. Maroya (NG.M.), B. Maziya· Dixon (B.MD.), F. Moonan (F.M.), P. Neuenschwander (P.N.), G.B. Nkamleu (G.B.N), C. Nolte (C.N), L. Norgrove (L.N.), S. Ofrei (S.O.), F. Ogbe (F.O.), J. Rueda (J.R.), H. Shiwachi (H.S.), A. Tenkouano (AT., Project Coordinator), M. Tindo (MTi.), M. Toko (M.To.), S. Weise (S. W.), and J. Whyte (J. W.) Project goal Productivity and profitability of diverse agricultural systems increased and environmental services and sustainable management of natural resources improved, contributing to enhanced livelihoods in the humid and subhumid zones of West and Central Mrica. Project purpose Productive and sustainable food (banana and plantain, cassava, and yams) and tree crop systems, as well as market·oriented peri-urban crop and livestock systems developed in partnership with farmers, NGOs, NARES, and advanced research institutions are adopted and adapted by farmers and agribusiness. Project rationale The landscape in the humid and subhumid zones of West and Central Mrica is a mosaic of agricultural land use and forest fragments. Agriculture is dominated by traditional mixed cropping patterns that are stratified spatially (niche· specific patterns) and hierarchically (gradients in labor and input use intensity). The dominant features are starchy crops (plantain, cassava, yam) and tree crops (cocoa, coffee, cashew). The starchy crops are produced as both staple and cash crops and are often cultivated in various combinations with leguminous crops such as groundnut and cowpea or other short season crops such as maize. As one moves closer to urban settlements, vegetable crops and livestock become important market·oriented elements ofthe production systems. The tree crops are essentially produced as cash crops with various levels of intensification. Tree crops account for a large share of agricultural trade in the region and can contribute substantially to sustaining biodiversity and natural resources. Starchy crop production systems experience declines in yield due to reduced soil fertility and greater pest and disease pressures. Options for sustainable intensification based on -1- deploying improved varieties and pest and disease control methods that enhance yield while preventing decline in the natural resource base will be developed. Post maturity losses occur in the handling of starchy crops before and after harvest, which affect the marketability of the products. Options for reducing losses, extending shelf life, and adding value through postharvest processing will be promoted to enhance and diversify income-generating opportunities for the farmers and the rural community. Tree crops have traditionally been planted into fully or partially cleared forests in West and Central Africa. Options for rehabilitation or establishment of tree crop farms will be developed for fallow land to reduce pressure on forestland. Also, options for improving access to production inputs and enhancing trade opportunities for smallholder tree crop farmers, including support structures and policy environment, will be developed. Peri-urban farming is relatively intensive with significant use of fertilizers and pesticides under short or no fallow systems where high-value horticultural crops, indigenous leafy vegetables, green maize, and other crops are frequently rotated with staple food crops and integrated with livestock production. Options for sustainable and profitable management of such systems will be developed while addressing resource use efficiency, as well as reducing environmental and health hazards associated with uninformed use of pesticides. Thus, Project E aims to maintain and optimize the ecological and socioeconomic functions of this mosaic of agricultural land use and forest fragments, following an integrated producer to-user approach across commodity chains, in order to enhance and sustain livelihoods by improving opportunities for smallholder farmers. The project is subdivided into five intervention areas or outputs: (1) Production to consumption needs, constraints, and opportunities for sustainable and competitive production of diverse crop systems in rural and peri-urban landscapes identified and prioritized. (2) Prototype options for sustainable and competitive crop production, postharvest, and peri-urban crop-livestock systems developed and verified. (3) Management interventions for sustainable and competitive crop production, posthar vest, and peri-urban crop-livestock systems disseminated and promoted. (4) Agroenterprise development and market linkages promoted. (5) Dissemination and adaptation of improved management interventions monitored and their impact on farmers'livelihoods and institutional capacity evaluated. Outputs 1 Production to consumption needs, constraints, and opportu nities for sustainable and competitive production of diverse crop systems in rural and peri-urban landscapes identified and prioritized Ongoing and future activities 1.1 Analyze production to consumption systems to identify constraints and opportunities along the continuum -2- 1.1.1 Production constraints and opportunities 1.1.1.1 Distribution of plant parasitic nematodes on Musa in Nigeria by D. Coyne and A. Tenkouano This remains an ongoing activity to establish the geographical distribution of nematodes on Musa in Nigeria, and how this relates to previous studies. In neighboring countries, a shift in the community structure of nematode populations on Musa shows Pratylenchus correae to be more prevalent than previously, resulting in more damage to plantain by this specie. In Nigeria, results to date indicated that P. correae was present but with a relatively low prevalence in comparison to Helicotylenchus multicinctus the most prevalent which occurs in great densities. The species currently identified as the most common occurring on Musa are P. correae, H. multicinctus, Meloidogyne spp., Radopholus similis, and Hoplolaimus pararobustus. 1.1.1.2 Studies on the comparative importance of different plant parasitic nematode species of Musa in West Mrica by D. Coyne in collaboration with A. Tenkouano In a plantain field experiment at Ibadan, Nigeria, the differential pathogenicity of the plant parasitic