The document outlines the 2012 updates on maize-based systems work in West Africa, highlighting key crop and livestock production constraints, and community action plans aimed at improving agricultural practices. It details various strategies for crop and livestock management, capacity building, and improved nutrition through technology adoption and community engagement. Collaborative efforts among partners like IITA, SARI, and others focus on addressing challenges such as soil fertility, credit access, and veterinary services.

1. Africa RISING West Africa update on
maize-based systems work in 2012
Asamoah Larbi (IITA)
Africa RISING West Africa Review and Planning
Meeting, Tamale, Ghana, 23-25 October 2012
Partners
IITA, SARI, ARI, UDS, ILRI, MoFA, SeedPAG,IWMI, KNUST, WIUC, SRI

2. Africa RISING - West Africa : IITA – Led
Ghana Mali
Maize/rice-legume Sorghum/millet-legume
NARS NGOs AfricaRice AVRDC ILRI IWMI
SARI, MoFA, Farmers, Input dealers, USAID-funded & Other projects

3. Stakeholder’s workshop -28-29 March

4. Quick-win sites

5. Community analysis – 60 communities

6. Community analysis – 60 communities

7. Key crops

8. Key crops

9. Key crops

10. Key crops

11. Key crops

12. Crop Production Constraints
1. Credit- limited access
2. Land preparation – inadequate equipment
3. Soil fertility – low
4. Seed – quality
5. Water - erratic rainfall and drought
6. Striga
7. Pest and diseases
8. Storage – facilities and technologies
9. Markets – access (some communities)
10. Processing – equipment and technologies

13. Animal production

14. Animal production

15. Animal production

16. Livestock - production constraints
1. Veterinary services - poor
2. Diseases – high prevalence
3. Parasites – internal and external
4. Management – in appropriate housing, feeding
5. Seed – quality
6. Water points - inadequate
7. Theft
8. Breeds – improved…??
9. Feeding – dry season (wet season??)
10. Markets – access (some communities)
11. Processing – equipment and technologies

17. Community Action Plans
1. Crop production – on-station and on-farm
• Varietal trials
• Soil fertility management
• Cropping dates/spraying regimes
• Striga management
• Community-based seed production
2. Livestock – poultry, sheep/goats
• Disease and pest management
• Feeding management
3. Capacity building
• Farmers
• Research and extension staff

18. Outputs: 2012 Work-plans
Outcome 1 Outcome 2
Improved Crop- Improved Nutrient
Feed
Livestock Cycling
production
Production
Output 5:
Partnerships and
Capacity Building
Outcome 3 Outcome 4
Improved Water Improved Nutrition
Management of Women and
Children

19. Crop production - implemented work
1. Technology generation – on-station
2. On-farm demonstrations
3. Community seed production
4. Integrated soil and water management
5. Capacity building – researchers and farmers

20. Sobean - inoculation & P fertilizer

21. On-farm demonstrations – improved varieties

22. On-farm Demonstration – Maize

23. On-farm demonstrations - legumes

24. On-farm Demonstrations – Binaba

25. On-farm demonstration: Extra-early maize

26. On-farm demonstration – field day

27. Community seed production

28. Soil & water: implemented work
1. Scale out and up proven small-scale irrigation
technologies.
2. Estimate water productivity
3. Build capacity of partners

29. Soil and water conservation - training

30. Livestock: implemented work
1. Workshop – constraints and opportunities
2. Strengthened livestock value chains
3. Tested feed & health options to increase
output
4. Disseminated improved milk processing options
5. Short-course on crop-livestock production

31. Guinea fowl – intensive production

32. Pito mash: Cheaper guinea fowl feed

33. Better feeding and health: reduces sheep/goat
mortality
T1: Farmers’ feeding practice (F)
T2: F + Improved health care (H)
T4: H + Supplementation

34. Improving nutrition- implemented work
1. Review on nutritional status
2. Review of food safety issues.
3. Study existing processors & their needs
assessment
4. Educate and train households on processing and
use of cereals and legumes.

35. Milk processing: education

36. Milk processing training

37. Nutritional education - food groups

38. Improving nutrition – soybean uses

39. Capacity Building – Research Staff
Short-course/Training Lead Institute
Integrated crop-livestock production ILRI
Experimental design and data analysis WIUC
Household cereal and legume processing UDS/MOFA/MOH
Food safety – marketers, processors UDS/MOFA/MOH
Irrigation techniques IWMI
Crop production – extension agents SARI

40. Capacity Building – Researchers