This project aimed to increase incomes of sorghum and pearl millet producers in Mali by raising productivity and profitability through disseminating improved technologies. The objective was achieved by enhancing farmers' knowledge of productivity-enhancing technologies like improved seeds, soil fertility management, and pest control through farmer field schools and demonstrations. As a result, adopting farmers realized a 51% yield increase for sorghum and 72% for pearl millet. Over 260,000 farmers were trained through this multi-year project funded by USAID and implemented in partnership with local organizations.

1. Scaling Up Sorghum and Millet Technologies
To increase productivity, improve nutrition and better incomes
To increase the incomes of sorghum and pearl
millet producers in targeted intervention areas
by raising productivity and profitability of these
cereals.
Goal
To improve sorghum and pearl millet-
based production systems in Mopti,
Sikasso and Timbuktu regions of
Mali through strengthened research-
development partnerships for large-scale
utilization of priority proven technologies.
In order to achieve the above objective,
the project had two sub objectives:
1. Enhancing farmers’ knowledge of
available productivity enhancing
technologies
2. Enhancing farmers’ access to improved
technologies by strengthening linkages
and trust between suppliers of key
inputs and the producers.
Open-pollinated varieties and hybrids of sorghum
and millet, seed treatment, integrated soil fertility
and Striga management, and biological control of
the millet head miner.
Farmers who adopted these improved technologies
for sorghum and pearl millet production in their
field have increased their yield by 51 percent for
sorghum and 72 percent for Pearl Millet.
Objective
Technologies
Adoption
Project Period
May 1, 2014 – April 30, 2019
Budget
US$18,275,782
Contact
j.nzungize@cgiar.org
a.diama@cgiar.org
Project Name: Africa RISING’s Large-scale Diffusion of Technologies for Sorghum and Millet Systems (ARDT_SMS).

2. Improved seed
A total of 48 tons of certified seeds was distributed
among project beneficiaries in order to disseminate
improved varieties through Farmer Field Schools and
demonstration plots. Seed multipliers under project
supervision have produced more than 403 tons of
certified seeds:
Main achievements
Enhancing women and men farmers’ knowledge of new
sorghum and millet production technologies:
Under objective 1
Under objective 2
29,852 Farmer Field Schools (FFS) facilitators (including
10,448 women facilitators) trained on best agriculture
practices including; integrated Striga and soil fertility
management, seed treatment and biological control of millet
head miner among others.
261,197 farmers (among them 91,419 women) trained by
476 extensionists (including 165 women extensionists) trained
in agriculture best practices for both millet and sorghum.
1,082 seed producers (including 378 women seed
producers) trained on seed production techniques and
post-harvest handling.
A total of 68,299 hectares covered by above improved
technologies.
Facilitating the adoption of new hybrids and Open-Pollinated
Varieties (OPV) of sorghum.
Grain yield has
increased by
Yield has
increased by
51%
Sorghum
51%
Sorghum
72%
Pearl millet
72%
Pearl millet
Agronomics practices
10,799demonstration plots established in Sikasso region.
285 villages covered for 1500 beneficiaries.
34 Innovation Platforms initiated (Sikasso 29 and Mopti 5).
85% Soil fertility management and access to inputs for 15%.
3 IPs introduced to warrantage approach.
Sustainability
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach is appropriate for
dissemination of improved Millet and Sorghum
varieties. Innovation Platforms (IPs) initiated will
contribute to overcome constraints occurring at all
levels of the value chain for the sustainability of the
achieved results. They will gather all involved actors,
and exchange information on different opportunities
related to the entire sorghum-millet value chain when
the project phases out. The first IPs have been are
operational since 2018 cropping season.
Sorghum hybrid
270 tons 314 tons
156 tons
Improved sorghum variety (OPV)
Improved sorghum variety (OPV)
ICRISAT-India (Headquarters)
Patancheru, Telangana, India
icrisat@cgiar.org
ICRISAT appreciates the support of CGIAR investors to help overcome poverty, malnutrition and environmental degradation
in the harshest dryland regions of the world. See http://www.icrisat.org/icrisat-donors.htm for full list of donors.
About ICRISAT:
ICRISAT’s scientific information:
We believe all people have a right to nutritious food and a better livelihood.
June 2019
ICRISAT-Mali (Regional hub WCA)
Bamako, Mali
icrisat-w-mali@cgiar.org
Partners
Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Association des
Organisations Professionnelles Paysannes (AOPP),
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Compagnie Malienne pour
le Développement des Textiles Nord- Est, Compagnie
Malienne pour le Développement des Textiles, Sud,
European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD),
Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), SPROXIL, myAgro,
MALIMARK.
exploreit.icrisat.org/
www.icrisat.org/