6 results
Accessible best agricultural practices for everyone The "Stepwise Approach" is a structured methodology developed by the IITA research team and its partners, particularly under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS). This approach is tailored to assist smallholder coffee farmers in Uganda in adopting Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. It functions by breaking down recommended, yet often unaffordable, best practices into smaller, more economically feasible packages that can be implemented gradually in phases. The Stepwise Approach takes into account specific agro-ecological variables and addresses the needs and aspirations of farmers to guide incremental investments in a systematic manner. It aims to inform and guide farmers on the most efficient investments required to enhance coffee yields, improve farmer livelihoods, and increase resilience to climate change effects. Additionally, it contributes to increasing awareness and knowledge about climate-smart agricultural practices among farmers and assists both the public and private sectors in effectively targeting extension support to smallholder coffee farmers.
Greenhouse Solutions for Thriving Sweet Potato Farms The tent-style greenhouse is an innovative, cost-effective solution designed for the multiplication of sweet potato vines and cuttings. It utilizes screen nets and locally available materials to create a pest-free environment optimal for growth. This technology ensures the availability of high-quality, pathogen-free planting material, thereby enhancing the yield and resilience of sweet potato crops. It’s a beneficial tool for both small-scale and commercial farmers.
Quality cassava cuttings close to the fields African farmers commonly use cassava stem cuttings for planting due to their accessibility and ability to cover large areas. However, distributing these cuttings poses challenges, as they lose viability during storage, leading to increased transportation costs. This limitation affects the supply of disease-resistant cassava planting material, particularly in remote areas with poor road connectivity. Seed-bulking farms, scattered across communities, offer a solution by multiplying planting materials closer to fields, reducing production and transport costs, and reducing reliance on limited-coverage seed companies. These farms accelerate the spread of improved cassava varieties, providing pest and disease-free planting materials and fostering community-based enterprise development, ultimately improving the income and productivity of farmers and processors.
Propagate Success with Clean Suckers The macro-propagation technique of "Propagation of Disease-Cleaned Suckers" addresses the challenge of contaminated planting materials in African banana and plantain farming. It involves using field and bed-based techniques to produce large quantities of disease- and pest-free seedlings at affordable prices. The technology is crucial for enhancing productivity, increasing farmers' income, and sustaining banana and plantain production.
A rapid quality seed delivery technology for cassava Semi Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) is a groundbreaking technology transforming cassava planting. It addresses the slow propagation of improved varieties and contamination issues in traditional methods. SAH enables rapid access to high-quality, disease-free cassava planting materials, benefiting all farmers. This system involves trays with modified soil, plant roots, and minimal water, creating an ideal environment for healthy root growth. With low infrastructure costs, SAH is easily implementable in dispersed farming communities. It significantly reduces production costs and increases yields, making it a game-changer for cassava farming in Africa.
Boost Your Yield and Cut Costs with Community-Sourced Sweet Potato Vines. The technology, "Community-based Multiplication of Sweet Potato Vines and Cuttings," aims to enhance the availability, quality, and accessibility of sweet potato planting material in rural communities. It employs a community-based approach to multiply vines and cuttings on a medium to large scale. This not only improves the quality control of planting materials but also reduces their retail prices. The approach is particularly beneficial for smallholder farmers with limited infrastructure and market access. By involving agricultural specialists and leveraging community investments, the technology enables better maintenance of hybrid and resistant crop varieties and offers protection against pests and diseases. Overall, it provides a more reliable and cost-effective supply chain for sweet potato planting materials, leading to increased crop yield and resilience.