Mateete Bekunda

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture | IITA · Africa RISING

This policy brief recommends three strategies for more effectively investing in smallholder-centred research and innovation that advance climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture. https://unfoundation.org/what-we-do/issues/climate-and-energy/empower-climate-resilient-smallholder-agriculture-by-investing-in-african-research-and-innovation/

Soil and water conservation technologies are critical in reducing drought and soil erosion risks and increasing crop yields and incomes. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on the extent and impacts of adopting soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania. The study’s objective is to evaluate the adoption (as well as the duration of ad...

Agriculture in Sub‐Saharan Africa is primarily smallholder‐based, employing up to 60% of the workforce and accounting for 14%–23% of GDP. The smallholders grow crops for domestic and off‐farm markets, necessitating crop variety attributes for which trait mismatches may limit adoption. Indeed, improved variety adoption is varied and limited, especia...

During the last decade, post-harvest losses (PHL) reduction has been topping the agenda of governments as a pathway for addressing food security, poverty, and nutrition challenges in Africa. Using survey data from 579 households, we investigated the factors that affect farmers’ decisions to adopt post-harvest technologies: mechanized shelling, dryi...

Erratic rainfall, high evapotranspiration rates and droughts are major factors limiting crop production in semi-arid areas. Tied ridges that have crossed ties within the furrow are among the physical soil and water conservation measures. During the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, we examined the efficacy of repaired tied ridges for maize crop (Zea may...

CONTEXT Cereal-legume intercropping, a common practice among farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is important for crop diversification, soil fertility improvement, household nutrition and climate adaptation. However, cereals often outcompete the intercropped legumes for growth resources resulting in low legume yields. OBJECTIVE The objectives of...

CONTEXT The implementation of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) varies widely among farmers, from no ISFM to multiple computations of ISFM components (i.e., improved germplasm, organic resources, fertilizers, and local adaptations e.g., soil and water conservation (SWC)). There is no comprehensive report on farmers' use of ISFM components...

This book presents some of the improved agricultural technologies that were validated by the Africa RISING Project in East and Southern Africa (ESA), focusing on smallholder farmers in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, and working in partnership with development (scaling) institutions. It consists of 11 chapters. Chapter 1 shows how gender concerns mus...

Background: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and iron deficiencies (ID) are of major public health concern in Tanzania including among school-aged children. PEM and ID in early childhood have serious, long-term consequences because they impede motor, sensory, social and emotional development, growth retardation, poor cognitive development, learnin...

Smallholder farming systems in East and Southern Africa (ESA) are influenced by a wide range of ecological, social, economic, food security, and nutritional factors, as well as the prevailing political and institutional contexts. These farmers therefore produce an array of different crops and livestock. Local production challenges include unreliabl...

Poor soil fertility is a major problem constraining crop productivity in smallholder farms of sub-Saharan Africa due to inadequate nutrient replenishment. Differential management of nutrients creates areas of accumulation and depletion of nutrients within farms with the latter increasing in spatial coverage. Nutrient additions are required to incre...

Effective extension systems are vital to smallholder agriculture. Education on sustainable management involves complex interactions and communication flows among information providers and practitioners. Farmer practice is often overlooked within extension knowledge systems, resulting in incompatible recommendations and barriers to sustainable agric...

Background: Iron and zinc deficiency are common public health problems in low-income countries largely due to poor consumption of iron and zinc rich foods. It has previously been observed that 57% of school aged children (SAC) in Tanzania suffer from anemia. In addition, estimates indicate that over 25% of the population have inadequate zinc intake...

Sustainable agricultural technologies have impacted positively on staple crop yields in Asia and some parts of Sub-Sahara Africa. However, the adoption of similar technologies in vegetable subsector is still low among small-scale farmers in Tanzania. Several efforts aimed at promoting the adoption of the technologies such as improved vegetable vari...

A relatively large body of literature has documented the welfare effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in single-commodity output markets. However, limited empirical evidence is available when smallholder farmers participate in multiple-commodities output markets. We tried to fill this gap in the literature by estimating the impacts of smal...

Addressing the problem of low crop productivity and food insecurity can be accelerated through community-centered implementation of good agricultural management practices. This study was conducted in Babati,Northern Tanzania. The objective of the study was to determine nitrogen (N)and phosphorus (P)application requirements for maize,and demonstrate...

International conferences are hotspots of food wastage and release of reactive nitrogen (Nr) into the environment, but there is limited data about extent of food wastage and food product-specific Nitrogen (N) Footprints of consumers from such conferences. This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of pre-information and pre-adjusted menu on food...

Grain sorghum is an important staple food crop for smallholder farmers in Uganda, but the yields remain low due to the decline in soil fertility, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). A study was conducted on an Acric Ferralsol and Calcic Andosol in contrasting agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Uganda to evaluate the value of soil organic car...

Following discussions at the 6th International Nitrogen Conference, Kampala (24th–27th November 2013), the delegates agreed the Kampala Statement-for-Action on Reactive Nitrogen in Africa and Globally. The Statement-for-Action highlights the global challenge of aiming for just enough nitrogen: enough to meet human needs for food, fuel and fibre, wh...

The International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) aims at optimizing nitrogen (N) use in food and energy production, while minimizing environmental risks. In Africa, nitrogen management must address the ‘too little’ and ‘too much’ paradox. Too little nitrogen is used in food production, which has led to chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. Conversel...

Fertilizer use in African agriculture is extremely low—just 4% of global fertilizer use, with an annual average of only 8 kg nutrients ha⁻¹ in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A major focus of a new African Green Revolution is increasing inputs of nitrogen (N) to help restore soil fertility to soils that have experienced decades of nutrient depletion. The...

Food production and power generation have increased to feed growing populations and to keep pace with economic development, leading to major human alteration of the global nitrogen (N) cycle. The result is a global challenge, with many regions having ‘too much’ or ‘too little’ nitrogen. As di-nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere, nitrogen is one of the...

This document presents a compendium of maps detailing the biophysical and socioeconomic conditions that influence the adoption of integrated technologies in the Feed the Future (FtF) Zone of Influence (ZoI) in Tanzania. Maps on the suitability of selected integrated agronomic technologies are also presented. The primary aim of the maps presented is...

Incessant interactions between biotic and abiotic factors affect the physical quality of harvested, stored, and marketed beans. We investigated the interactions between variety and method of storage on the quality of harvested and stored beans in four contrasting agro-locations. Focus group discussions identified three varieties-a local speckled pu...

This forum paper provides a synthesis and discussion of 14 categories of lessons learned from experiences for achieving farm‐level impact with smallholder farmers in Africa. These lessons were reported in a symposium hosted by the Agronomy in Africa community of the American Society of Agronomy. The lessons, listed in order of frequency of reportin...

Various environmental challenges are rapidly threatening ecosystems and societies globally. Major interventions and a strategic approach are required to minimize harm and to avoid reaching catastrophic tipping points. Setting evidence-based priorities aids maximizing the impact of the limited resources available for environmental interventions. Foc...

Declining soil fertility is one of the major problems facing producers of field crops in most dryland areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. In response to the declining soil fertility, extensive participatory research has been undertaken by the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) and smallholder farmers in Dodoma region, Tanzania. The research has, amongst others, l...

This volume provides a unique collection of contributions addressing both the ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ sides of the nitrogen story. Building on analyses started at the 6th International Nitrogen Conference, Kampala, the book explores the idea of ‘just enough nitrogen’: sufficient for sustainable food production, but not so much as to lead to uns...

The study aimed to quantify the immediate effects of dietary diversification, food safety, and hygiene interventions on child undernutrition in four rural villages in Kongwa district of central Tanzania. One hundred mothers with their children of less than 24 months old were recruited for this study. The difference-in-difference (DID) method was us...

Many households in East and Southern Africa thrive on maize-based farming systems. Diets are predominantly rich in starch but low in protein and micronutrients. Low knowledge and inadequate skills to prepare safe and nutritious food are the underlying causes of poor nutrition. This poster shows how, through research, Africa RISING is introducing nu...

Maize shelling is one of the labor-intensive and arduous activities among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. There are possibilities to mechanize maize shelling. This study explores farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for small-scale maize shelling machines and identifies factors affecting their WTP.

Understanding the impact of post-harvest operations on grain quality within the contexts of farming environments should guide farmers on the choice of better intervention steps, if necessary, to decrease spoilage and post-harvest losses, and ultimately contribute to food security and safety. This presentation highlights findings on the kinds and le...

Soil degradation is a widespread problem in Africa resulting in decreased agricultural productivity while demand for food continues to increase. Degradation is caused by accelerated erosion, acidification, contamination, depletion of soil organic matter and plant nutrients, and salinization. The major cause of soil degradation in Africa is uncontro...

This study investigates the spatial-temporal trends and variability of rainfall within East and South Africa (ESA) region. The newly available Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS-v2) gridded data spanning 37 years (1981 to 2017) was validated against gauge observations (N = 4243) and utilised to map zones experiencing...

Agricultural techniques and technologies that could foster sustainable intensification of farming (hereafter: SI practices) can originate from existing farm practices, from the adoption of externally suggested new practices, or from an adaptation of existing or new practices. The rate at which farmers use SI practices is often low and influenced by...

This study assesses the profitability of selected improved grain storage technologies and the potential impact of their adoption on food security and income of smallholder maize producers in Tanzania. We used on-farm experiment data, time series maize price data, and household survey data to address the objectives. For the improved technologies, we...

A study was conducted to evaluate maize response to leguminous biomass composted with phosphate rocks (PRs) in a split plot design. Field experiments were conducted at Wang’waray Farmers Training Center (F.T.C) located in Babati District of Manyara region in the Northern zone of Tanzania between December 2013 and June 2015. Three leguminous (Crotal...

One of the widely suggested approaches to meet the increasing food demand of a substantially growing world population is sustainable intensification. We present a unique agricultural research and scaling programme in Tanzania, focusing on the key elements necessary for results related to: gender analysis; private sector engagement; social capital;...

Sustainable intensification (SI) has been regarded as the basis for environmentally sound and equitable agricultural development. Field based assessment of technologies needs to move beyond production and economic performance to include environment, social and human condition. In this study we systematically consider all five domains of SI based on...

Sustainable Intensification (SI) in agriculture is fronted as apromising approach to increase agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa countries. Technologies that can lead to realization of the SI goal are available but one of the key challenges is the low reach among smallholder farmers due to, among others, ineffective training and co-learn...

This paper generates an extrapolation suitability index (ESI) to guide scaling-out of improved maize varieties and inorganic fertilizers. The best-bet technology packages were selected based on yield gap data from trial sites in Tanzania. A modified extrapolation detection algorithm was used to generate maps on two types of dissimilarities between...

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a viable pathway to increase agricultural production and improve ecosystem health. Scaling SI technologies in locations with similar biophysical conditions enhance adoption. This paper employs novel extrapolation detection (ExeDet) algorithm and gridded bioclimatic layers to delineate extrapolation domains for im...

Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the Internationa...

Background Maize is the most important staple crop for food security and livelihood of smallholder farmers in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, but it alone cannot ensure food security. Cropping patterns must be diversified to ensure an adequate supply and economic access to greater variety of foods for smallholder farm households. This study measu...

Food security entails having sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet dietary needs. The need to optimise nitrogen (N) use for nutrition security while minimising environmental risks in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is overdue. Challenges related to managing N use in SSA can be associated with both insufficient use and excessive loss, and thus the...

Low adoption of sustainable intensification technologies hinders achievement of their potential impacts on increasing agricultural productivity. Proper targeting of locations to scale-out particular technologies is a key determinant of the rate of adoption. Targeting locations with similar biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics significantly...

We present the first nitrogen footprint model for a developing country: Tanzania. Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element for agriculture and human nutrition, but in excess it can cause serious environmental damage. The Sub-Saharan African nation of Tanzania faces a two-sided nitrogen problem: while there is not enough soil nitrogen to produce adequate f...

One of the 'grand challenges' of this age is the anthropogenic impact exerted on the nitrogen cycle. Issues of concern range from an excess of fixed nitrogen resulting in environmental pressures for some regions, while for other regions insufficient fixed nitrogen affects food security and may lead to health risks. To address these issues, nitrogen...

Agro-ecosystem productivity is highly dependent on soil moisture fluxes yet climate change induces unpredictable dynamic interactions on water and nutrient resources. This study assessed on-farm seasonal productivity, runoff and soil moisture storage estimates within forage grass and forage legume intercrops at the Long site in Babati District of N...

Utility of the legacy product-Working with development partners enables reaching more smallholder farmers than if research operated on its own (Figure 1)-It creates an opportunity for mainstreaming into wider rural development programs, beyond operational research areas Introducing the legacy product • The Africa RISING program has developed, valid...

Sustainable intensification (SI) is at the forefront of food security discussions as a means to meet the growing demand for agricultural production while conserving land and other resources. A broader definition of SI is emerging that takes into account the human condition, nutrition and social equity. Next steps require identification of indicator...

A survey was conducted in 2013 to establish total aflatoxin and total fumonisin in maize, as well as farmers' practices relating to maize cultivation and awareness of mycotoxins, in three villages of Babati District, northern Tanzania. Quantification of total aflatoxin and fumonisin was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Reveal AccuScan®...

Smallholder farming in much of Sub-Saharan Africa is rain-fed and thus exposed to rainfall variability. Among the climate variables, rainfall is projected to decline and have an overriding effect on crop productivity. With little opportunity for supplementary irrigation for the majority of farmers, a plausible strategy to maintain crop production u...

Use of legume species that biologically fix nitrogen, provide high protein grain, and recycle nutrients through deep capture is one approach that has shown promise for sustainable intensification of cropping systems in Malawi. However, empirical data on root and shoot biomass additions through shrubby legumes has largely remained scarce. Field expe...

Smallholder farming in much of Sub-Saharan Africa is rain-fed and thus exposed to rainfall variability. Among the climate variables, rainfall is projected to decline and have an overriding effect on crop productivity. With little opportunity for supplementary irrigation for the majority of farmers, a plausible strategy to maintain crop production u...

We propose a novel indicator measuring one dimension of the sustainability of an entity in modern societies: Nitrogen-neutrality. N-neutrality strives to offset Nr releases an entity exerts on the environment from the release of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to the environment by reducing it and by offsetting the Nr releases elsewhere. N-neutrality also a...

Improved agronomic management is important to reduce yield gaps and enhance food security in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was undertaken to understand contributing factors to observed yield gaps for maize in farmer fields and to demonstrate appropriate agronomic survey methods. The study aimed to (1) demonstrate an approach for farm-level agronom...

The success of agroforestry in semi-arid areas depends on efficient use of available water and effective strategies to limit tree/crop competition and maximise productivity. On hillsides, planting improved tree fallows on the degraded upper section of bench terraces is a recommended practice to improve soil fertility while cropping continues on the...

An assessment of post-harvest handling practices and food losses in a maize-based farming system in semi-arid areas of Central and Northern Tanzania was carried out in 2012. Seventeen crops were mostly cultivated by the farmers in the surveyed areas; maize (32%), sunflower (16%) and pigeon peas (12%) were the most cultivated while maize was the mos...

The message of this overview is that everyone stands to benefit from nutrients and that everyone can make a contribution to promote sustainable production and use of nutrients. Whether we live in a part of the world with too much or too little nutrients, our daily decisions can make a difference. Without swift and collective action, the next genera...