This document compares the typical farming practices of smallholder farmers in Malawi with sustainable intensification practices. Typically, farmers will intercrop just maize and beans on only 1/3 of their land, leaving 2/3 as fallow. This results in low yields due to poor soil quality and weed pressure. With sustainable intensification, farmers intercrop maize, beans, groundnuts and pigeon peas on their whole land. This improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and provides more crops for food and income. It allows farmers to produce more food while protecting the environment.

1. AfricaRISING
Afric
aRISING
Sustainable Intensification Typical Farmer Practice
INTERNATIONAL
LIVESTOCK RESEARCH
I N S T I T U T E
ILRI
VS
HOW DOES A FARM FAMILY IN MALAWI PRODUCE MORE FROM THEIR FARM?
OCTOBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUSTNOVEMBER SEPTEMBER
GROWTH PHASES FROM MONTH TO MONTH
OCTOBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUSTNOVEMBER SEPTEMBER
GROWTH PHASES FROM MONTH TO MONTH
PIGEONPEAGROUNDNUT
MAIZEBEAN
OF
THE
LAND
OF
THE
LAND
1/3
2/3
CROPS DISTRIBUTION
ON LAND
WHOLE OF THE LAND
CROPS DISTRIBUTION
ON LAND
ONLY
MAIZEBEAN
fertilizing Feeding and composting
ZOOM
INTERCROPPING (GROUNDNUT/PIGEONPEA AND
MAIZE/BEANS) PROVIDES A SCOPE TO ‘EXPAND’ THE
LIMITED LAND WHILE CONCURRENTLY MAKING IT
FEASIBLE TO PRODUCE MULTIPLE CROPS TO MEET
FARM PRODUCTION OBJECTIVES. IT HAS 'DOUBLE'
LEGUME GRAIN AND 'DOUBLE' SOIL FERTILITY
BENEFITS FROM BIOLOGICAL N2-FIXATION.
POST-HARVEST ACTIVITIESPOST-PLANTING ACTIVITIES
not enough food and fallow land
ZOOM
THE GERMINATION SUCCESS RATE IS LIMITED
DUE TO LOW N2 FIXATION BECAUSE BEANS IS
THE ONLY LEGUME.
THE GROWTH OF MAIZE IS STUNTED DUE TO
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY IN THE SOIL AND NO
FERTILIZER APPLICATION.
only weeding once: high weeds pressure Poor HArvestweeding twice Rich HArvest
FROM THE LIMITED LAND AVAILABLE, FARM FAMILIES THAT PRACTICE THE SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION HARVEST TWO EXTRA-LEGUMES (PIGEONPEA & GROUNDNUT)
IN ADDITION TO MAIZE AND BEANS. THIS ALLOWS THEM TO ENSURE BETTER PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION IN THEIR DIETS. THEY ALSO USE IMPROVED POST-HARVEST
STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES LIKE THE PICS BAGS THAT LIMIT THEIR LOSSES FROM INSECT PESTS THAT ATTACK STORED GRAINS. THEY CAN THEREFORE TAKE THEIR
PRODUCE TO THE MARKET AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN SUPPLY IS LOW AND MAKE A PROFIT. SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION ENSURES THAT EVERYBODY IN THE FARM
WINS, THE COWS AND GOATS HAVE THE MAIZE STOVER AND FODDER TREES TO FEED ON AND IN RETURN THEY GIVE THE FARMER MANURE FOR A HEALTHY SOIL!
HARVESTING STORING HARVEST
IN “PICS” BAGS
SELLING FARM PRODUCTSFERTILIZING WEEDING FEEDING LIVESTOCK AND
COMPOSTING RESIDUES
ONLY LIMITED FERTILIZER IS REQUIRED DUE TO THE ORGANIC NUTRIENT
RESOURCES LOCALLY GENERATED AND RECYCLED ON FARMS. THE TWO EXTRA
LEGUMES (PIGEONPEA & GROUNDNUT) ACT AS GREEN MANURE BY OFFERING
BIOLOGICAL N2 FIXATION THEREBY RAISING THE FUTURE PRODUCTION POTENTIAL
OF THE FARM. WEEDING IS DONE TWICE BY THE FARMERS.
TYPICAL SMALL HOLDER FARMER PRACTICE IS CHARACTERIZED BY: SOLE MAIZE AND BEANS INTERCROP, LOW PLANT POPULATION DUE TO SOILS WITH LOW ORGANIC MATTER, THE FARMERS SELDOM APPLY ANY
FERTILIZER, HIGH WEEDS PRESSURE BECAUSE THE FARMER ONLY WEEDS ONCE, LOW CROP YIELDS, STORAGE TECHNIQUES THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO PEST ATTACKS AND FALLOW LAND DURING THE OFF SEASON THEREBY
CULMINATING IN ANOTHER UNPRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR THE FARMER.
HARVESTING LAND BECOMES FALLOWSTORING HARVEST
IN GRANARY
WEEDS INFESTING
THE FARM
NOT ENOUGH CROP RESIDUES FOR FEEDING LIVESTOCK
21/03/2016