This document summarizes research being conducted in Tanzania to intensify maize-legume farming systems in semi-arid areas. The research aims to increase farm productivity and improve the farming landscape. Key findings include: 1) Improved varieties of crops like maize, groundnuts, and pigeonpeas have increased yields compared to local varieties. 2) Integrated soil fertility management including fertilizer application has increased maize yields but response to nitrogen was low, indicating other limiting factors. 3) Soil and water conservation techniques like deep tillage and in-situ water harvesting improved yields compared to traditional practices. 4) Aflatoxin contamination was found in many crops sampled, presenting food

1. Intensification of maize-legume based
systems in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania to
increase farm productivity and improve
farming natural resource base
Ganga Rao, NVRP, Kimaro, A, Makumbi, D, Mponda, O.,
Msangi, R., Rubanza, C.D., Seetha, A., Swai, E. and
Okori, P.
Africa RISING East and Southern Africa annual review and planning meeting,
Lilongwe, Malawi, 3-5 September 2013

2. Kongwa- Kiteto Consortium
ARI-Hombolo
PRC-Kongwa
Tuboreshe Chakula project
NAFAKA
Ministry of Agriculture, Food
Security and Cooperatives
ARI Naliendele
Dep. of Agric Kiteto &
Kongwa

3. Project Sites: Environment
Kongwa District is found in Dodoma
Region. We are working in Mlali ward
with a population of about 28,000
people
Kiteto district is found in the
Manyara region with an estimated
population of 152,757

4. Challenges to increased
production/productivity
1. Fragile farming environments
• Erosion prone farms
• Degraded land scapes
• Low soils fertility
2. Degradative farming (crop/livestock) pracices
• Overgrazing
• Limited integration
3. Low production potential varieties grown
4. Local demand for legumes (consumption) is low
Context of the Interventions

5. Project Theory of Change
SphereofinfluenceSphereof
interest
Novel & multidisciplinary approaches
used to improve agricultural
innovation
Strengthened M&E and
learning in place for team
Team operations is at
optimum and well
supported
High quality staff
motivated to work for
project success
Preconditions among project partners
Output 1
Introduce, & evaluate
improved varieties of
maize and grain legumes
Output 2
Deploy ISFT to improve plant
nutrition, yields and agro-
ecosystem resilience
Output 3
Validate & promote land
management options for
sustainable intensification
Output 4
Post-harvest processing
utilization and food safety for
improved nutrition outcomes
Project outputs
Smallholder farm households especially women and children move out of poverty, food and nutritional
insecurity while maintaining and/or improving ecosystem stability and overall agricultural productivity
Development Impact
Government policy is
supportive of investments
in agriculture
Opportunities for improved
access to seed and innovations
support intensification
Existing land tenure systems
support farm to landscape
level interventions
Farmer organizations are
functional & supportive of
the project
Preconditions amongst in action site
Outcome 1
Increased crop yields in maize-legume farming systems by up to
100% for cereals and 80% for legumes.
Outcome 2
Improved land productivity and agro-ecology robustness support
productive and sustainable agriculture
Project level outcomes
Outputsand
activities
OutcomesImpacts
Sphereofaction

6. Research approach• RO1 to inform
investment.
• Increased productivity
(new varieties- at scale),
land use for livestock and
poultry
• Increase land
productivity (nutrient
use, decrease
degradation)
• Address household
nutrition and food
security
• 560 FARMHOUSE
HOLDS ENGAGED IN
YEAR 1
Scaling up
and roll-out
Experiment
Scaling-up
Validate +
Scaling up
Increasingresilienceand
productivity
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Problem
identification
and targeting
Participatory
technology
evaluation
Adaptation
Scaling up
and or out.

7. Research output 1: Underpinning food
security and safety work
Average crop productivity (kg/ha) by crop and
district
Crop Kongwa Kiteto Total
Maize 782.3 623.4 753.3
Sunflower 391.3 555.2 433.4
Groundnut 608.9 450.8 529.9
Pigeonpea 200.3 117.3 158.8
Sorghum 323.5 207.2 314.6
Bambara 332.7 160.6 295.1
• Productivity at 50% of potential yield for above crops
• Farmers involved in extensive farming using mechanized agriculture

8. • 46% of farmers have adequate food to last 12 months (334
respondents)
• Jan (21%), Feb (22%) & March (17%) are the most lean months
• Cash purchases (62%), labour exchange for food (28%) are major
coping strategies for food insecurity
Village
% house holds with enough food to last
12 months
Yes No
Moleti 29.6 70.4
Mlali 46.8 53.2
Laikala 45.8 54.2
Chitego 54.7 45.3
Njoro 50.8 53.9
FOOD SECURITY
Food insecurity: Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods
or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.

9. Food safety and knowledge access
• Food safety: Aflatoxins
1. 19% of households are aware of aflatoxin with 28% in groundnut
& 26% in maize
2. Use of gradeout grain
– 15% throw away
– 45% eat roasted & as groundnut flour
– 30% make flour (maize)
• Farm credit. (12%) in Kongwa and (25%) in Kiteto
• Extension: 40% received extension services on general crop
production with 4% on groundnuts
• Farmer organisation: 9% of respondents were members of
farmers clubs
Research Output 2Research Output 2

10. Biophysical characterisation
• A sentinel block of 10 km2 established in
Kongwa for landscape assessment of soil and
vegetation using the land degradation
surveillance framework
• Infiltration measurement in one of the plots
• Soil sampling and analysis is ongoing

11. WP 1: On-farm evaluation of improved
legume & cereals varieties
PVS on groundnuts
• Best bet varieties for semi-arid
areas of central Tanzania identified
• Seed production on-going
Varieties Yield (tons/ha)
1. ICGV-SM 99568 0.55 0.44
2. ICGV-SM 02724 1.50 1.28
3. MANGAKA 0.73 0.35
4. PENDO 0.61 0.28
5.MNANJE 0.87 0.77
6. LOCAL LANDRACES 0.27 0.17

12. WP 1: On-farm evaluation of improved
legume & cereals varieties
• ICEAP0557, ICEAP 554 selected early
medium maturity group
• Seed production: community seed systems
groundnuts and pigeonpea piloted
• Maize evaluations slated for 2013-2014
• 2012-2013 used to promoted released
materials

13. Research output 2: WP 2. ISFT
c
cb
a
cb
b
0.0
1.5
3.0
4.5
0 15 30 45 60
Phosphorus application rate (kg P ha-1)
(b)
b
ba
a a
b
0.0
1.5
3.0
4.5
6.0
0 15 30 45 60Maizegrain(Mgha-1)
Phosphorus application rate (kg P ha-1)
(a)• Optimum P rate for maize
is 30 kg P ha-1 (Fig. a, b)
• Farmers, may apply 15 kg P
ha-1 without losing maize
yield.
• Maize response to N
fertilizer was poor,
suggesting other
compounding factors
factors, (Fig. 1c, d).
Njoro in Kiteto Mlali Village Kiteto

14. Research output 2: WP 3. Land management (soil
and water conservation)
• Soil moisture challenge: Insitu water harvesting
technologies tested and show yield advantage
• Deep tillage improved yields
• Ox-ripper and ox-ridger tillage increased
yield by 25% % and 30 % respectively.
• Higher yields with tractor drawn implements
(mainly in Kiteto)
• Scope to improve insitu water harvesting and
better targeting

15. Res. Output 2: WP 4. Processing, utilization & nutrition
Aflatoxtin detected in
most crops - bambara
Crop Number of
samples
Aflatoxin (ppb)-
incidence & levels
Groundnut 163 70% up to 4000 ppb
Maize 366 20% up to 340 ppb
Bambara 78 43.5 % 1ppb to 411ppb
Pigeonpea 29 0 %
Beans 4 0 %
P. Millet 35 0 %
Sorghum 64 11% (>10 ppb)
Sunflower 143 13% upto 293 ppb
Groundnut:Mrk 28 100% up to 504 ppb
Maize: Mkt 23 26 % (>10ppb)
Safety: < 4 ppb or 20 ppb

16. Res. Output 2: WP 5. Crop/livestock/poultry integration
• Typology of livestock management
systems for semi- arid agro-ecologies
• Feed resource quality –fodder quality
of promising tree/shrub plant species
– Explorations to collect plant
samples for analysis for-
biomass and nutrient quality of
pastures and crop residues
– Characterizing the grazing
systems.

17. Research deliverables
1. Products
1. Evaluated 6 new and or novel
varieties/ lines selected best 2 for
each crop
2. Fodder / fertilizer tree and shrub
species for target propagation
2. Technologies/ processes
transferred…
1. Pest management p. pea
(farmers)
2. Agronomy groundnuts. P. pea

18. Research deliverables
1. Capacity building
– Field days and training- 560
farmers
– ARI Hombolo PVS, Diagnostic
surveys
2. Links with other projects/partners
…
– Tuboreshe Chakula
– Nafaka
– IITA – Aflatoxin work

19. Lessons learned/projections/challenges
1. Partnerships convergence & complementarity: Complement of
partners is fluid. Pre-season engagement is critical for buy-in….. Can be
costly
2. Benchmarks are critical: Targeting within investment domains easily
compounded by fluidity/complexity of subsistent agriculture especially
resource endowments (12% can access credit). This may affect scaling
up and out..one size fits all
1. Champions for change: Alternative models for diffusion. 9% of farmers
engaged are member of farmer organisations. Champions at
community level are essential. This may compound design of
evaluations because such people are usually targeted by others.

20. If we open a quarrel between the past
and the present, we shall find that we
have lost the future
Sir Winston Churchill

21. 2013-2014 Planning
1. High
yielding
and
nutrient
rich crops
varieties
2. ISFM land
& water
management
Increased
productivit
y
3. Improved
crop
managemen
t
Improved agricultural
productivity and nutrition
outcomes
• Confirmation/ evaluations all
technologies
• Design validation
• Community Contexts
• Emergent issues (food
supply- vegetables)
• Scale issues: seed increase, FO
support -limited extension
• Integration:- Livestock/poultry
systems
• Capacity strengthening
• Seed production
• Agronomy
• Aflatoxin
• S&T strengthening