Africa RISING R4D approach towards agricultural intensification and climate change adaptation in the Ethiopian highlands

Africa RISING R4D approach towards agricultural
intensification and climate change adaptation in
the Ethiopian highlands
ILRI,11 January 2016
Kindu Mekonnen
Presentation for University of Wisconsin delegates

Contents of the presentation
1. Introduction to Africa RISING R4D program
2. Systems understanding/diagnosis
2.1. Sites and research kebeles selection
2.2. Tools and methods
2.3. Major issues/constraints and challenges
3. Action research
3.3. Key thematic areas
3.2. Farm level R4D activities/ CC adaptation interventions
3.3. Landscape level R4D activities
3.3.1. Technologies and practices
3.3.2. Monitoring/assessment
3.3.3. Partners and their responsibilities
4. Capacity building
5. R4D innovation platforms
6. Digital stories on CC adaptation interventions
7. Conclusion

1. Introduction to Africa RISING R4D program
 Duration of the 1st phase (2012-2016)
 Funded by USAID’s through the US FtF initiative
 Principal focus – SI of mixed farming systems to contribute
to food security, income diversification, nutrition, gender
equity
 Operates– west Africa, E and S Africa and Eth highlands
 The Ethiopian AR project is implemented-8 research
kebeles in 4 regions (Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, S. Tigray)
 Partners in Eth – 9 CG centers, 4 local universities, 4
regional and 2 federal research institutions, 4 woreda
agriculture offices, NGOs, farmers and Innovation Labs
 Partnerships facilitated via multi-tier IPs

Africa RISING project research kebeles in Ethiopia

2) Systems understanding/diagnosis
2.2. Tools and methods
o Rapid Telephone Survey (RTS)
o Livelihood survey using SLATE
o Participatory Community Analysis (PCA)
o IMPACTlite survey: hhs detailed characterization
o Survey on Agro-ecological knowledge, community
knowledge groups – AKT5 tool
o FEAST and TECHfit
o Market/ Value chain studies
2.1. Sites and research kebeles selection
o Representativeness, AGP, cropping systems,
partners

o Climate variabilities (late onset and early cession of rain)
o Depletion of soil fertility (acidity, continuous cropping), soil erosion
and drainage problem + high fertilizer price.
• Soil loss on cultivated land without soil conservation = 40 t ha-1 yr-1
2.3. Major issues/constraints/challenges

o Low crop yield due to lack of improved varieties (< 1 t ha-1)
o Crop pests, weeds and diseases, poor access to agro-
chemicals and post harvest losses (30-40%).
o Lack of improved farm implements
o Shortage of animal feed (Av deficit in the past few years in Eth=
46 million t DM yr-1)
o Poor access to veterinary drugs and animal health services
o Water shortage during the dry periods for human and livestock
o Shortage of wood for fuel (projected demand for 2020= 92
million M3)
o Poor household nutrition (diets lacking protein + vitamins)t
o Farm-to-market links are weak l

1. Feed and forage development.
2. Field crop varietal selection and management.
3. Integration of high value products into mixed farming
systems.
4. Improved land and water management for sustainability.
5. Improving the efficiency of mixed farming systems through
more effective crop-livestock integration.
6. Cross-cutting problems and opportunities.
7. Knowledge management, exchange and capacity
development.
3.1. Key thematic areas
3. Action research

Irrigated/rain-fed fodder Crop residue management and utilization
Faba bean/forage intercropping Fodder and fertilizer trees/shrubs
3.2. Farm level R4D activities-CC adaptation interventions

Community based seed multiplicationPVS on major crops
Crop production and storageManagement of enset bacterial wilt

High value fruit trees
Soil-test based nutrient amendments
Raised bed/ ridges and furrow
Mechanized seeding

Tractor mounted motor pumps
Water harvesting, lifting and saving - ponds, rope and washer and solar pumps
Shallow well with a pulley system to
irrigate vegetables and avocado trees

3.3. Landscape/watershed level R4D activities
o Request from the extension to get support on capacity building
(technical and training) and technology demo
o AR sees working in watersheds as an opportunity of scaling its
farm level tested technologies, management practices and
approaches
o AR has discovered a number of researchable issues that might
bring quick solutions and attract farmers to realize immediate
benefits
o AR sees community mobilization and local administration
commitment and investment on SWC as an opportunity for cost
sharing and sustainability

Geda Collaborative Model Watershed in Basona Worena

3.3.1. Technologies and practices
Typical slope model for the watershed in Basona

Plantation
Fruit trees
Gully plugging
WHS
Seepage tank
Irrigation,
forage,
livestock, crop
…
Possible site-specific and ‘problem oriented’ interventions for
landscapes in AR sites

Partial view of the watershed in Basona
Worena
Partial view of trench structures for SWC and
water retention at the watershed in Basona
Gabions and gully shaping at the
model watershed in Basona
Land reclamation through biological and
physical means at the watershed in Basona

Percolation pits for water storage and
irrigation use in Basona Worena
Shallow wells for small-scale irrigation
at the watershed in Lemo
SWC activities at the watershed in Basona
Desho grass on SWC structures at
the watershed in Lemo

o Soil erosion assessment at plot and watershed level
o From 16 runoff events the highest average runoff (60m3) was observed on
grazing land.
o During these runoff events the terrace together with the trench reduced the
soil loss by 44 % in comparison with unmanaged cultivation.
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00 5.25
2.96
0.24
2.71 2.79
MeanSoilLoss(ton/ha)
3.3.2. Monitoring/assessment

o Water and sediment yield study at mini watershed scale
0.0
50.0
100.0
150.0
200.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
WeeklytotalDischarge
andRainfall(mm)
Weeks (first week is from August 17 to 23, 2014)
Watershed With SWC (33.83 ha) Without (22.08 ha) Rainfall
Parameters Watersheds
With
SWC
Without
SWC
Area (Ha) 33.83 22.08
Rainfall (mm) 479.8 479.8
Discharge
(m3/watershed)
134682 105933
Discharge
(m3/ha)
3981 4798
Sediment Yield
(ton/watershed)
31.03 102.05
Sediment Yield
(ton/ha) 0.92 4.62

3.3.3. Partners and their responsibilities
o CGIAR centers: CIAT, ILRI, ICRAF, ICRISAT, IWMI, CIP,
ICARDA and CIMMYT (test technologies, generate
evidences and fill capacity building gaps)
o Local Universities: DBU, MU, WU (training and research)
o Research Centers: DBARC, Areka ARC, Worabe ARC
(technologies and demonstration)
o Farmers both in Basona and Lemo (implementation)
o NGOs and private entrepreneurs (extension)
o Extension: Basona Worena woreda office of agri, Lemo
woreda office of agri. (Mass mobilization and extension)

Mass
mobilization
for SWC
in Basona

4. Capacity building
o Research attachment – 30 MSc and PhD students generating
evidences and information on various topics
o Training and experience sharing visits
Africa RISING
local partners
from Lemo and
Basona - Cross
learning visit in
Abrha
WaAtsbha,
Tigray

5. R4D innovation platforms- 4 sites and 8 research kebeles
Zonal, regional
and federal?

6. Digital stories on CC adaption interventions- examples
from ILRI-UNEP-WU and Africa RISING projects
1. Collective action on communal grazing land management
2. Improved field pea intervention
3. Water harvesting
4. Strengthening cooperatives

7) Conclusion
o Balancing short and long term benefits to the communities
is a must
o Tailoring technologies to the local farm and landscape
situation is necessary
o Stepwise approach for watershed management is very
important
o Partnership is key to move forward and bring the desired
impact

Africa RISING CGIAR partners in Ethiopia

 Academic institutions:
 Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities; Maichew
Agricultural College
 Regional research organizations:
 Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural Research
Institute, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research
Institute
 Federal research organizations:
 Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Public Health Institute
 Offices of Agriculture:
 Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana (Oromia)
 Private entrepreneurs
 NGOs: GRAD, Hundie, SOS Sahel, Sunarma
 Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)
 Innovation laboratories: ILSSI, IPM IL, Power Africa
Localpartners - Ethiopia

 Website: http://africa-rising.net/
 Wiki space: http://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/events
 Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/africa-rising/sets
 Presentation : http://www.slideshare.net/africa-rising
 Documents and out puts :
http://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/16498
Africa RISING program communication tools:

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
The presentation has a Creative Commons license. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.

Africa RISING R4D approach towards agricultural intensification and climate change adaptation in the Ethiopian highlands

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