Session 1 1 acai overview and progress with project implementation

An overview and progress with
project implementation
www.iita.org | www.cgiar.org | www.acai-project.org

The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative
Purpose and objectives of ACAI
ACAI works around priority use cases identified by development partners, and has developed
decision support tools, supplying tailored or site-specific recommendations on fertilizer use,
fertilizer blend formulations, tillage practices, intercropping, and scheduled planting and harvest.
The knowledge needed to develop these decision support tools is generated by applying the
principles of “Agronomy at Scale”.
The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative aims at delivering agronomic technologies that
improve cassava root yield and quality, and cassava supply to the processing sector,
engaging 120,000 farming households through effective partnerships with development
partners in Nigeria and Tanzania, supported by the National Agricultural Research Systems,
and in collaboration with strategic research institutes.

General approach
Develop and facilitate use of site-specific agronomy recommendations at scale…
Understanding of A × E interactions
(Agronomy × Environment)
Extrapolate recommendations
across target intervention area
Supply recommendations
Practical field tool
Model processes
Build prediction models
Scale the use of the tools
within partner networks

The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative
Project outcomes
Target:
+2,500 tonnes
new cassava
fertilizer blends
+8 t/ha
additional cassava
root yield
+2 t/ha
additional cassava
root yield, and
+500 kg/ha
additional intercrop
yield
+4 t/ha
additional cassava
root yield (or
equivalent cost
saving)
+10 tonnes
additional supply
of cassava roots to
the processing
industry
+5 tonnes
additional supply
of cassava starch
to the processing
industry
Number of households impacted:
NA 28,200 42,900 35,100 6,563 7,700
Value generated [M USD]:
2.3 2.2 3.9 2.1 3.3 2.9

ACAI – 6 work streams (WS)
WS1: Research on cassava growth dynamics, nutrient and water requirements,
and responsiveness to inputs
WS2: Development of a geo-spatial cassava agronomy information base
WS3: Production and validation of demand-driven decision support tools for
cassava agronomy
WS4: Facilitation of the use of decision support tools to primary and other
development initiatives
WS5: Capacity development of national institutions to engage in transformative
cassava agronomy R4D
WS6: Project governance, management, coordination, and M&E

WS4
Yr 1
Yr 2
Yr 3
Yr 4
Yr 5
V0
V1
V2
WS3WS2WS1
Lit
Rev
>200
FR
trials
QUEFTSmodelling
Cassavaclusterscoping/planning/campaigns
Demos
dissemination
Training/communication
>200
FR
trials
VF
Geospatiallayers
Samplingframes
Nutrientnorms
>160
NOm
trials
>160
NOm
trials
Spatialanalysis
Recommendationdomains
Yieldgapmaps
Work flow use case
Site-specific fertilizer recommendations
>100EAs
>200EAs

WS1 – Agronomy research
OP1: Literature review
OP2: Fertilizer response curves
OP3: Nutrient norms
OP4: Growth models
OP5: QUEFTS
OP6: Agronomy and starch

OP3: Nutrient norms
OP4: Growth models
OP5: QUEFTS
1,455 field trial locations
2,326 trials
1,449 399 229 249
28,371 yield assessments

OP3: Nutrient norms
OP4: Growth models
OP5: QUEFTS
Nutrient norms developed

OP3: Nutrient norms
OP4: Growth models
OP5: QUEFTS
OP6: Agronomy and starch LINTUL

OP3: Nutrient norms
OP4: Growth models
OP5: QUEFTS
3,775 starch measurements

WS2 – Geospatial information base
OP1: Sampling frames
OP2: GIS layers
OP3: Yield gap maps / baseline
OP4: Recommendation domains
OP5: Database infrastructure

OP2: GIS layers
Rigid, GIS-assisted sampling frame SOP,
maximizing representativeness

OP2: GIS layers
Crop mask + current & attainable yield
and crop calendars based on crop models

OP2: GIS layers
NG TZ
‘Treated’ HHs 1260 800
Control HHs 550 440
Baseline stage 1-2 completed,
stage 3 60% completed

OP2: GIS layers
ODK / ONA / ENKETO / R / R-Shiny

WS3 – DST development
OP1: Use cases identified
OP2: Fertilizer blending application
OP3: Site-specific fertilizer app
OP4: Best planting practices app
OP5: Intercropping app
OP6: Scheduled planting app
OP7: High starch app
OP8: Apps for tier 2 countries

V2 developed for each use case

V2: validated tools
In different formats

WS4 – Facilitating use of DSTs
OP1: Grassroot events
OP2: Training videos
OP3: Capacity development of EAs
OP4: Awareness campaigns
OP5: Cassava clusters

WS4 – Facilitating use of DSTs
OP1: Grassroot events
OP2: Training videos
OP3: Capacity development of EAs
OP4: Awareness campaigns
OP5: Cassava clusters
ACAI @ AGRA-Innovate

WS5 – Capacity building
OP1: Agronomy research capacity
OP2: Database management
OP3: GIS / geospatial analyses
OP4: Project management
OP5: Soil and plant analyses

WS6 – Project management
OP1: Project staff
OP2: reporting framework
OP3: ME&L framework
OP4: Planning meetings
OP5: Communication

OP1: Project staff
OP3: ME&L framework
OP5: Communication
Tracking project progress against milestones

OP1: Project staff
OP3: ME&L framework
OP5: Communication
www.acai-project.org

Thank you very much !!!
Questions and discussion

Session 1 1 acai overview and progress with project implementation

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