CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/117888
Part of the CGIAR Action Area on Resilient Agrifood Systems.
Primary CGIAR impact area: Poverty reduction, livelihoods and jobs
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Item Unpacking innovation demands for climate-resilient mixed farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: a case of northern Ghana(Journal Article, 2025-04) Ofosu, Abena; Minh, Thai Thi; Birhanu, Birhanu ZemadimAccording to the United Nations (n.d.), climate change is the long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns due to natural changes, such as the sun’s activity and significant volcanic eruptions, or human activities, such as burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. The effects of and challenges caused by climate change on farmers’ ability to manage mixed farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa are well documented in the literature. However, the synergies among mixed farming systems’ components and farmers’ innovation demands and responses to climate change impacts remain fragmented. Using a case of mixed crop-livestock-tree (MCLT) systems in northern Ghana, this paper examined farmers’ responses, their innovation needs, and how these innovations can be catalyzed to enable more farmers to adopt similar climate change adaptations. Our findings show that climate change impacts mixed farming systems in several domains, with these impacts being more visible in some domains. Significant productivity declines are observed in crops, livestock, and the whole mixed farming system. Productivity declines lead to decreased incomes, food availability, and household food security. Female farmers’ access to production factors, resource management, and market participation is reduced. Farmers make technical, managerial, and business changes in response to climate change impacts. Such changes are dominated by technical changes, including using highyielding, disease-resistant, and early-maturing crop varieties, crop and animal pest and disease management, agricultural water and land management, and wind and bush fire control. Interconnections between the MCLT system components include cross-component investments, additional income generation, animal feeding and healthcare improvement, nutrition exchanges, and family nutrition improvement. These interconnections generate income and cash flow and support food and nutrition security, enabling farmers’ adaptation. Climate-resilient innovation bundles to enable farmers’ adaptation include good agricultural practices, circular farming techniques, irrigation packages, information services, and value-chain linkages. Scaling climate-resilient innovations in northern Ghana and other sub-Saharan African contexts require multiple pathways, including innovation platforms, innovation bundling, multi-actor partnerships, inclusive finance, and multistakeholder dialogues to support farmers’ adaptation to climate change.Item Unlocking financial inclusion for cocoa farmers: catalyzing solar irrigation investment in Ghana(Brief, 2025-04-30) Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi; Quarmine, William; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Mitra, Archisman; Schmitter, Petra S.; Muzata, Barbra SehluleGhanaian cocoa farmers, who provide livelihoods for over 800,000 households, face significant threats from climate change, including erratic rainfall patterns and droughts lasting up to six months. These conditions jeopardize productivity and income stability. To address this, IWMI conducted research that informed innovative financial models now adopted by Access Bank through the Bridge-In Agric Loan. This loan program leverages IWMI’s financing framework to enable smallholder farmers to invest in solar-powered irrigation systems, fostering resilience against climate change, boosting cocoa yields, and improving economic stability. This brief captures the research process, outlines the Bridge-In Agric Loan’s impact, and offers actionable recommendations to scale the initiative for nationwide benefits.Item Implications of changes in water stress and precipitation extremes for cocoa production in Côte D’Ivoire and Ghana(Journal Article, 2025-04) Obahoundje, Salomon; Akpoti, Komlavi; Zwart, Sander J.; Tilahun, Seifu A.; Cofie, OlufunkeClimate change induces high variability in drought patterns and extreme precipitation indices in rainfed cocoa farming, impacting cocoa production. This study evaluated water stress, meteorological and agricultural drought conditions, and critical extreme precipitation indices in the world's two largest cocoa-producing nations from 1981 to 2022. The results revealed a significant reduction in total annual precipitation (PRCPTOT), in the last three decades, with the greatest decline in the 1991–2000 and 2011–2022 periods. Ghana experienced the most significant reduction up to 15% (200mm/year) in the last decade, attributed to a substantial decrease in wet days number (RR1) up to 25days per year, a reduction in maximum consecutive wet days (CWD) up to 6days per year, and an increase in maximum consecutive dry days (CDD) up to 15days per year. Moreover, there was a notable decline in the Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), with reductions of up to 4mm/day in certain areas, contributing to increased drought frequency, severity, and duration. In the most recent decade (2011–2022), particularly during the extremely dry years of 2013 and 2015, cocoa-growing regions in Ghana (GHA) and eastern Côte d'Ivoire (CIV) experienced prolonged agricultural drought expressed by soil moisture deficit, typically extending from May to September. Additionally, large portions of central and eastern Ghana, as well as northeastern Côte d'Ivoire experienced sustained water stress, with over three consecutive months of total monthly precipitation falling below 100mm, negatively impacting cocoa productivity. The decrease in the yield in the range of 2.5% to 37% was noted in the dry years and the following years, varying according to the country depending on the severity of the drought. Sensitivity analysis highlights cocoa yield's responsiveness to drought and water stress, particularly in specific years when water stress occurred, such as 1984,1985, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2008. Considering the observed trends in precipitation patterns and their impact on cocoa production, it is crucial to acknowledge the inherent uncertainty of future precipitation patterns due to climate change. To address this challenge effectively, our study underscores the importance of identifying and closely monitoring regions currently facing water stress, as determined by precipitation and drought indicators. Over the analysed period (1981–2022), we have noted shifts in the distribution of water-stressed areas, highlighting the dynamic nature of this issue. Consequently, we advocate for a targeted approach to implement cocoa supplementary irrigation in consistently water-stressed regions.Item CGIAR Research Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy: Annual Technical Report 2024(Report, 2025-04-15) CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in AgronomyItem Climate-smart cropping arrangement and integrated soil fertility technologies for maize and cowpea to enhance soil health, yield, and income in Malawi(Report, 2025-04) Omondi, J.O.; Simwaka, P.; Kamwana, F.; Siyeni, D.; Alene, A.; Gbegbelegbe, S.; Kadwala, P.; Wupe, M.; Kyei-Boahen, S.; Chinwada, P.; Akinwale, G.Shrinking agricultural land size, declining soil health, poor site-specific crop varieties, and minimum cropping systems diversification to combat vagaries of climate are key factors that influence yields and production in Malawi. This study aimed to develop innovations that could improve farmers’ crop yields, while enhancing their soil health, income, climate resilience, and adaptation. A study on various nutrient combinations and crop arrangements (alternating a row of maize with a row of cowpeas) was conducted in various agro-ecologies in Malawi. The nutrient combinations ranged from 0 kg N ha-1, 100 kg N ha-1, and 200 kg N ha-1 applied to maize, while cowpea received either 30 kg N ha-1, plus or no inoculant. The application of these nutrients was split into two for 100 kg N ha-1 (two halves, at planting and at six weeks after planting) and thrice for 200 kg N ha-1—25% at planting, 37.5% at three weeks after planting, and 37.5 % at six weeks after planting. These led to a total of eleven treatments being tested across three agro-ecologies of Malawi for two seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) at Chitala, Mbawa and Makoka Research Stations in Salima, Mzimba and Zomba districts, respectively. Thereafter, five promising treatments with one control were subjected to on-farm trials in seven districts (Mulanje, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Salima, Mangochi, Nkhotakota, and Kasungu) across Malawi for two seasons (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). These were evaluated by farmers in terms of yields, and acceptability through participatory evaluations and economic evaluations. Altogether, the on-station, on-farm evaluations, farmer participatory evaluation, and economic analysis revealed that application of either 100 or 200 kg N ha-1 to maize with either inoculant or 30 kg N ha-1 to cowpea in an intercropping arrangement of alternating single rows of maize with cowpea were superior to current practices in terms of grain yield, land equivalent ratio, farmer perception, and net benefit returns. Therefore, we recommended the release of these technologies to combat declining soil health, climate change and improve smallholder farmers’ income, but only two were released by the Agricultural Technology Clearing Committee of Malawi. Those two were: application of 100 kg N ha-1 to maize with either: 1) inoculant or 2) 30 kg N ha-1 to cowpea in an intercropping arrangement of alternating single rows of maize with cowpea.Item The fungal and protist community as affected by tillage, crop residue burning and N fertilizer application(Journal Article, 2025) Dendooven, Luc; Pérez‑Hernández, Valentín; Gómez-Acata, Selene; Verhulst, Nele; Govaerts, Bram; Luna-Guido, Marco; Navarro–Noya, Yendi E.The bacterial community in soil is often affected by agricultural practices, but how they affect protists and fungi is less documented. Soil from treatments that combined different N fertilizer application rates, tillage and crop residue management was sampled from a field trial started by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) at the ‘Campo Experimental Norman E. Borlaug’ (CENEB) in the Yaqui Valley in the northwest of Mexico in the early 1990s, and the fungal and protist community determined. Tillage, residue burning, and N fertilizer application had no significant effect on the fungal and protists alpha diversity expressed as Hill numbers and no significant effect on the fungal and protist community structure considering all species. The relative abundance of plant pathogens and undefined saprotrophs as determined with FUNGuildR increased significantly with tillage, while that of dung-plant and dung-soil saprotroph, and plant pathogens by burning (P < 0.05). It was found that the protists and fungal community structures were not altered by different agricultural practices, but some fungal guilds were, i.e., plant pathogens and saprotrophs, which might affect soil organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and crop growth.Item Enhancing farmer learning and adoption of digital extension: A case study report of sorghum and millet farmers in western Kenya(Report, 2025) Rickards, Chima Benita; Otieno, Wycliffe; Marenya, PaswelAgricultural extension services remain critical for bridging the gap between agronomic research and on-farm adoption, yet systemic inefficiencies such as low farmer-to-agent ratios, fragmented knowledge dissemination, and limited accessibility of traditional methods of learning hinder progress. Digital tools offer transformative potential through scalability, real-time interaction, and tailored content delivery. However, their impact is often constrained by poor usability, lack of farmer-centric design, and uneven technological access. In 2023, we piloted a case study in Western Kenya’s Siaya and Busia counties, focusing on sorghum and millet cultivation. The initiative tested a hybrid extension model integrating GeoFarmer, a digital platform, with existing farmer networks. We explored the following research questions: 1. What insights can be drawn from the integration of peer-to-peer learning and two-way knowledge exchange in digital extension platforms? What specific mechanisms and interactions appear to facilitate or hinder knowledge sharing within the examined agricultural community? 2. How do farmers with varying technological backgrounds engage with a Human-Centred Design (HCD) digital platform? Which design elements ease adoption, and what challenges persist in the studied communities? 3. What emerging patterns suggest how digital extension networks can complement traditional in person demonstration methods to support the wider adoption of improved agronomic practices?Item Empowering farmers through a human-centered advisory approach: Enhanced support yields tangible benefits(Case Study, 2025-03-25) Desta, Lulseged Tamene; Mesfin, Tewodros; Degefie, Tibebe; Ebrahim, Mohammed; Abera, Wuletawu; Endrias, AbrhameA human-centered, socially inclusive approach to advisory services combines financial support with tailored agronomic advice. Partnering the private sector, LERSHA , we developed integrated solutions that link credit and insurance with advisory services, fostering evidence-based practices. This approach encouraged financial institutions to offer customized agricultural financing, addressing resource-limited farmers’ needs. Collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (the Alliance) enabled data-driven credit scoring for 8,608 farmers across five regions, with 1,450 farmers securing microloans. These efforts empower farmers to adopt improved practices while ensuring financial inclusion.Item Transforming Ethiopia’s agroadvisory: Harmonizing two agronomy use-cases for tailored, site-specific agronomic solutions(Case Study, 2025-03-26) Desta, Lulseged Tamene; Mesfin, Tewodros; Degefie, Tibebe; Chernet, Meklit; Abera, Wuletawu; Tilaye, Asmalu; Ebrahim, Mohammed; Yitaferu, Birru; Abera, DejeneThe Alliance- and ICRISAT-led Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) Initiative use cases are transforming Ethiopia's agroadvisory services with tailored, site-specific agronomic solutions. By harmonizing the Alliance’s NextGen agroadvisory and ICRISAT’s landscape-based Decision Support Tools (DSTs) into a unified platform, the Initiative is enhancing advisory precision, reducing duplication, and minimizing stakeholder confusion. The National Agricultural Research System validated the harmonized DST on 2,500 crop farms, confirming its effectiveness. The Ministry of Agriculture aims to scale this technology to reach 4 million farmers by 2030, driving sustainable agricultural transformation nationwide.Item Sustainable cocoa sourcing under the EUDR. Maximizing benefits for planet and people – research dialogue results, WCC Brussels, Belgium(Brief, 2025-03) Schmidt, Paul Gunter; Bunn, ChristianItem Making water pivotal in the design of food systems(Journal Article, 2024-12) Hellegers, P.; Schmitter, Petra; Talbi, A.; van Iwaarden, C.Water plays a crucial role in our food systems and food security. However, the essential role of water for a functioning food system and the impacts of food systems on water availability and quality have not yet been adequately recognized. Due to a lack of coordination among water and food systems actors, there are siloed water, food security, and nutrition strategies. This paper presents the case to make water pivotal in designing food systems, laying out action perspectives for different actors to move toward what we call “water-responsible food systems”. This paper is based on input from many participants during workshops and existing literature. A food systems approach provides an excellent entry point to link food with water considering climate change and energy. Moreover, collective and cross-cutting actions between actors in food systems are essential to make decisive progress, as well as a common language and insight into the trade-offs of the multiple values of water for a clear prioritization of water use and allocation.Item Transitioning to soil health and carbon sequestration with agroforestry and perennial crop systems(Journal Article, 2024-11-20) Oelbermann, M.; Chang, S.X.; Pulleman, Mirjam; Whalen, J.K.Item Integrating seasonal forecast information with crop models to inform decision making in small-scale farming under climate variability(Journal Article, 2025) Mkuhlani, S.; Rusere, F.; Zinyengere, N.; Crespo, O.Integrating seasonal forecast information and crop models has the potential to inform farm management decisions under climate variability. The study assessed the feasibility of integrating seasonal forecast information into crop models for decision making in small-scale farming conditions in South Africa. Seasonal forecast outputs from the GCM, CFSv2, were coupled into the DSSAT v4.7 crop model to evaluate the impact of farm management decisions in Limpopo, South Africa. Historical weather and seasonal forecast data for the 2011–2017 and 2017/2018 seasons were utilised to set up and validate decision scenarios. The analysis of maize yield data under different combinations of management practices and seasonal forecasts yielded a range of decision scenarios. Overall, there were no notable differences in farm management decision scenarios among different farmer types. Integrating seasonal forecast information into crop models offers valuable insights in cases where decision capacity is low and climate sensitivity is high, as well as where decision capacity is high and climate sensitivity is weak. The decision support system proved more effective for cereal and vegetable crops than for legumes. In conclusion, integrating seasonal forecast information into crop models is a feasible approach for enhancing farm management decision making in South African small-scale farming systems.Item Evaluation of safe planting window predictions for maize in Kano Nigeria-AKILIMO-SAA use case(Presentation, 2024-12) Tofa, A.I.; Peter, H.; Aliyu, K.T.; Kamara, A.; Kreye, C.Item UX for the safe planting window maize DST Nigeria AKILIMO SAA use case(Presentation, 2024-12) Kreye, C.; Peter, H.; Tofa, A.I.Item AgriTech4Kenya Consultation Workshop and Launch: Live Session Recording(Video, 2024-04) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact PlatformItem AgriTech4Kenya Bootcamp Pitch Event: Live Session Recording(Video, 2024-12-10) CGIAR Accelerate for Impact PlatformFrom November 25th to 29th, 2024, 25 selected teams converged in Limuru, Kenya, for a dynamic and interactive Bootcamp experience. This intensive four-day event provided participants with tailored technical mentorship, business strategy sessions, a field visit, and invaluable networking opportunities. The highlight of the Bootcamp was the Pitch Event on November 29th, held during Kenya Innovation Week. Here, innovators showcased their groundbreaking solutions to a distinguished panel of industry leaders, investors, and strategic partners.Item Analyzing Farmers’ Behavior in the Adoption of Paid Digital Extension Service: Experimental Evidence of Rice Advice in Nigeria(Journal Article, 2024) Amoussouhoui, R.; Arouna, A.; Cerjak, M.; Yergo, W.G.; Banout, J.Item AgriTech4Kenya: Bootcamp Innovators Booklet(Brochure, 2024-12) Loiseau, Camille; Khader, Taija; Sanchez, Hannah; Bhansali, M.