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

https://www.cgiar.org/initiative/11-excellence-in-agronomy-eia-solutions-for-agricultural-transformation/

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Contaminacion cruzado en cacao
(Video, 2025-06-01) Atkinson, Rachel; Yovera Espinoza, Fredy Franco
A video explaining the risk of cross contamination by pesticides in organic cacao farms, and how to reduce the risk
Hybridization of process-based models, remote sensing, and machine learning for enhanced spatial predictions of wheat yield and quality
(Journal Article, 2025-03-23) Kheir, Ahmed M.S.; Govind, Ajit; Nangia, Vinay; El-Maghraby, Maher A.; Elnashar, Abdelrazek; Ahmed, Mukhtar; Aboelsoud, Hesham; Mostafa, Rania; Feike, Til
Ensuring accurate predictions of wheat yield and nutritional content is vital for enhancing agricultural pro ductivity and food security. This study aims to improve wheat yield prediction by integrating process-based models (PBM), machine learning (ML), and remote sensing (RS) techniques. Three Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) wheat models were calibrated and evaluated using field data from three wheat cultivars grown over three seasons in diverse environments. We developed a hybrid PBM-ML-RS approach using polynomial regression to generate iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content from nitrogen predictions. The DSSAT wheat models slightly overestimated wheat yield but accurately predicted nitrogen content. The hybrid PBM-ML- RS approach closely estimated Fe and Zn content with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.42 t/ha for yield and 0.89 % for nitrogen content. The integration of ML and RS improved the prediction accuracy for Fe and Zn, achieving RMSE values of 0.35 % and 0.28 % respectively. Spatial simulations provided detailed geographic estimations of wheat yield and nutrient content, supporting site-specific management practices. This study demonstrates the potential of combining PBM, ML, and RS for comprehensive yield and nutrition prediction. The f indings indicate a modest decrease in protein, Fe, and Zn concentrations with increasing grain yield, exhibiting high variability across different sites and cultivars. Future research should integrate additional data sources to enhance model robustness and applicability to other crops and regions, contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security.
Effets du semis direct et de l'irrigation d'appoint sur le rendement du blé dur et la fertilité du sol à la station expérimentale de Marchouch (Zaer-Maroc).
(Thesis, 2022-09-23) Rharbaje, Meryem
In Morocco, available water resources have diminished, which represents a major risk for food security. Hence the need to adopt an innovative and sustainable system (no tillage system). In this context, the main objective assigned to this work is to determine the effect of no tillage in interaction with different water regimes. To do this, we installed our trial at the Marchouch experimental station of ICARDA. The study focused on monitoring the effects of tillage mode (CT: Conventionnal tillage; NT: No tillage), and three water regimes (Rainfed ; 1IR : One irrigation ; 2IR : Two irrigations). With the aim of evaluating, on the one hand, the effect of these factors and their interactions on the yield of durum wheat and its components (number of ears/m², number of grains/ears and TGW, grain and straw yield ) as well as nutrient and water use efficiency. On the other hand, their effect on the chemical properties of the soil (rate of organic matter, phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen) in two soil horizons (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) and on two similar, homogeneous plots which have not only undergone the same technical itinerary but also have the same cultural precedents in recent years. The results of this study have in particular made it possible to demonstrate that the mode of tillage affects grain yield and straw yield. Let us add that the NT acts favorably on the normalized vegetation index (NDVI). Through the analysis of the results obtained, it seems that irrigation is essential in the context of drought in 2021/2022 for improving the yield of durum wheat, its growth and has a significant effect on the water use efficiency. It can be said that a second irrigation supply acts favorably and has a positive effect on yields under NT (3157.76 kg/ha) and on yield components in particular (the highest values are recorded under this amount of irrigation supply for: the number of grains/ear 29.28 grains/ear and TWG 45.98g). The water regime also acts on the chemical properties of the soil, in particular the nitrogen content (42.56 mg/kg). In conclusion, no-till systems have promising effects on yield in the context of the drought experienced by Morocco this year.
The cost of soil erosion in sub-Saharan Africa: Insights for policy
(Brief, 2025-06-13) Bolo, Peter; Kinyua, Michael; Waswa, Boaz; Kihara, Job
Soil erosion is an urgent environmental concern. Nearly 494 million hectares in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are experiencing some form of land degradation. Of these, about 227.4 million hectares (i.e., 46%) are affected by water erosion, wind erosion (186.5 million; 38%), loss of nutrients via chemical degradation (12 %), and physical deterioration (4%). With losses of about 50 kg of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) per hectare per year, and 50–66% of yield – costing SSA approximately USD 68 billion annually – soil erosion impacts the socio-economic wellbeing of millions of households across SSA. Regenerating degraded soils and building soil health is critical for sustainable food systems transformation. Across Africa, agriculture needs to aim for zero erosion and runoffs by embracing complementary soil management practices (e.g., combined conservation agriculture and integrated soil fertility management -ISFM), and structural measures (e.g., contour farming, terracing, and zai pits). Policy efforts should focus on provisioning incentives for long-term sustainable management efforts against soil erosion through complementary soil management interventions and supporting farmers and other stakeholders with enabling conditions for implementing appropriate agriculture practice bundles (see section on Policy Intervention Areas).
A crop-specific and time-variant spatial framework for characterizing rainfed wheat production environments in Ethiopia
(Journal Article, 2025-06) Gelagay, Habtamu S.; Leroux, Louise; Tamene, Lulseged; Chernet, Meklit T.; Blasch, Gerald; Tibebe, Degefie; Wuletawu Abera; Sida, Tesfaye S.; Fantaye, Kindie Tesfaye; Corbeels, Marc; Silva, João Vasco
Context: Characterizing crop production environments is essential for targeted interventions, resource allocation, scaling localized findings, and agricultural decision-making. However, existing methods lack the spatial and temporal rigor required to capture spatial and temporal variability in crop production environments. Objective: This study aimed to introduce a data-driven and dynamic spatial framework that integrates crop area mapping with the delineation of agro-ecological spatial units (ASUs) to characterize Ethiopia's rainfed wheat crop production environments. Methods: Annual rainfed wheat areas for the 2021 and 2022 Meher growing seasons were mapped using an ensemble machine-learning approach, leveraging time-series satellite images and environmental data. Dynamic ASUs were delineated using pixel- and object-based clustering methods, considering short-term changes (annual ASUs for 2021 and 2022) and longer-term trends (ASUs developed using data aggregated over the period 2016-2022). Clustering was based on key biophysical variables, including climatic, soil, topographic, and vegetation indices derived from satellite images that capture crop growth and development over space and time. Results and conclusions: The framework captured the spatial and temporal variability of wheat production environments, demonstrating its scalability across space and time. Rainfed wheat area mapping across two growing seasons revealed an expansion in rainfed wheat areas, highlighting the evolving nature of rainfed wheat cultivation in Ethiopia. The integration of rainfed wheat area mapping with dynamic ASU delineation identified five main production environments for wheat in Ethiopia, allowing to better target future research and development activities toward increasing wheat productivity in the country. Significance: The developed framework can facilitate agronomic assessments and inform the targeting of agricultural interventions, with potential applications that extend beyond this case study of rainfed wheat in Ethiopia.
Prospects for cereal self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa
(Journal Article, 2025-06-17) Ittersum, Martin K. van; Alimagham, Seyyedmajid; Silva, João Vasco; Adjei-Nsiah, Samuel; Baijukya, Frederick P.; Bala, Abdullahi; Chikowo, Regis; Grassini, Patricio; de Groot, Hugo L.E.; Nshizirungu, Aphrodis; Mahamane Soulé, Abdelkader; Sulser, Timothy B.; Taulya, Godfrey; Amor Tenorio, Fatima; Tesfaye, Kindie; Yuan, Shen; van Loon, Marloes P.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the world’s largest projected increase in demand for food. Increased dependence on imports makes SSA vulnerable to geopolitical and economic risks, while further expansion of agricultural land is environmentally harmful. Cereals, in particular, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, and wheat, take nearly 50% of the cropland and 43% of the calories and proteins consumed in the region. Demand is projected to double until 2050. Here, we assess recent developments in cereal self-sufficiency and provide outlooks until 2050 under different intensification, area expansion, and climate change scenarios. We use detailed data for ten countries. Cereal self-sufficiency increased between 2010 and 2020 from 84 to 92% despite the 29% population increase. The production increase was achieved by increased yields per hectare (44%), area expansion (34%), and a shift from millet to the higher yielding maize (22%). Outlooks for 2050 are less pessimistic than earlier assessments because of the larger 2020 baseline area, higher shares of maize and somewhat less steep projected population increase. Yet, to halt further area expansion, a drastic trend change in annual yield increase from the present 20 to 58 kg ha−1 y−1 is needed to achieve cereal self-sufficiency. While such yield increases have been achieved elsewhere and are feasible given the yield potentials in SSA, they require structural changes and substantial agronomic, socioeconomic, and political investments. We estimate that amounts of added nitrogen need to at least triple to achieve such yield improvements, but it is essential that this comes with improved context-specific agronomy.
Best practices for agroecology & climate change resilience in the dry corridor: Views from five regions in Honduras
(Brief, 2025-05) Siles, Pablo; Guillen, Jose Francisco; Obando, Diego; Wollenberg, Eva
KEY MESSAGES - Farmers and technicians identified nine bundles of agroecological and conventional practices that achieve climate change resilience and environmental outcomes. - The most common agroecology technical practices were soil and nutrient management, integrated pest management, diversification and agroforestry. - Agroecological practices mostly increase resilience to variable rainfall. Few reduce the climate hazards of high temperature or extreme rainfall: agroforestry, other tree planting, intercropping, coffee shade management buffer high temperatures and soil erosion control, such as contours and drainage, protects against extreme rainfall. - Drip irrigation and water harvesting practices are a key means for addressing water stress in the Dry Corridor and should be included in agroecological technical packages. - Bundles of agroecological and conventional practices created complementarity and synergies that enabled achieving multiple climate and livelihood outcomes. - Women’s groups favoured practices focused on food safety and security, biodiversity of cultivars, community-level resources, and farm and landscape system interventions. - Economic resilience, due to farm- and crop-level diversification, may be as or more important for resilience of a specific crop like coffee or maize and beans. - Most projects promoting agroecology in Honduras preferred to base their decisions on demonstration sites, self-generated data, or a trusted associate or community member rather than experts, case studies, or scientific data and papers. - Supporting exchange among farmer-support organizations in field regions can accelerate learning and technical capacity about priority practices. - Future research priorities are (1) how well do agroecological practices and bundles support resilience under increasing levels and types of climate stress? And (2) options for economic and social resilience and safety nets when agricultural systems fail.
Orientaciones sobre proyectos de agroecología en Honduras
(Brief, 2025-05) Guillen, Jose; Siles, Pablo; Wollenberg, Eva
KEY MESSAGES – Al menos 13 organizaciones están promoviendo prácticas agroecológicas en el Corredor Seco de Honduras. – Las definiciones de agroecología varían considerablemente entre las organizaciones, pero en general incluían prácticas que apoyan la sostenibilidad ambiental. – Las prácticas agroecológicas más comunes que se promovían incluían la diversificación, el uso de semillas de cultivares tradicionales, el uso de bioinsumos, el manejo de la fertilidad y la conservación del suelo. – La mayoría de las organizaciones afirmaron que las prácticas que promovían abordaban la adaptación al cambio climático, aunque la base de estas afirmaciones no siempre era clara, lo que sugiere que se necesita una mayor capacitación en prácticas agronómicas para la adaptación al cambio climático. – La mayoría de los proyectos operan a escalas de cientos o varios miles de agricultores, por lo que, aunque estos proyectos pueden generar impactos significativos a nivel local, la extensión técnica nacional sobre prácticas agroecológicas y adaptación al cambio climático sigue estando fragmentada. – Los esfuerzos para escalar las prácticas agroecológicas orientadas a la adaptación al cambio climático deben coordinarse con los proyectos existentes y aprovecharlos. – Un mayor intercambio entre organizaciones que trabajan en agroecología, a través de eventos como Días de Campo, puede apoyar la coordinación y el fortalecimiento de capacidades técnicas.
Empowering farmers with digital El Niño advisories: Insights from Malawi and Zambia
(Report, 2025) Chiduwa, Mazvita S.; Omondi, John Okoth; Masikati, Patricia; Ngoma, Hambulo; Nyagumbo, Isaiah
Climate extremes, including droughts, floods, and cyclones, are becoming increasingly frequent, severe, and geographically extensive in Southern Africa, with devastating effects on populations heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture and broader economies. Farmers urgently need guidance and support to build resilience against climate-related disasters. However, the national extension systems in the region lack adequate funding and the capacity to respond promptly and effectively during emergencies. This report analyzes a digital advisory campaign aimed at disseminating awareness and advisory messages to farmers during an El Niño event across Malawi and Zambia, leveraging Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology accessible via basic, non-smart mobile phones. The campaign was rolled out in December 2023, prior to the start of the 2023/24 season. Our report builds on farmer feedback, particularly on how useful they found the campaign, their livelihood outcomes in the aftermath of the El Niño, and other notable trends in the data. The campaign reached over 1 million farmers in the two countries, with more than 90% of respondents finding the messages useful for awareness and preparedness. Both in Malawi and Zambia, radio emerged as the most popular channel for receiving extension messages. Moreover, results also confirmed that meteorological forecasts played a critical role in influencing farmers’ choices of crop and planting dates. For instance, dry spells of more than 21 days led to maize yield losses of 70-90%. Results further indicate that conservation agriculture and the adoption of drought tolerant crops were the most popular mitigation measures employed by farmers. The findings suggest that governments need access to appropriate information about the circumstances of their population to make informed decisions about how to efficiently extend support. Digital advisories provide an opportunity to gather real-time data on farmer conditions and can be used to deploy support. Additionally, post-event analysis provides valuable evidence that can be used to enhance the design of future response interventions and reduce donor dependence.
Report on revision for nutrient expert (NE) lite digital tool: enhancing maize agronomic returns, fertiliser use efficiency, and soil health in Nigeria
(Report, 2024) Shehu, B.M.
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 Zemadim
According 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.
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 Sehlule
Ghanaian 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.
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, Olufunke
Climate 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.
CGIAR Research Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy: Annual Technical Report 2024
(Report, 2025-04-15) CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy
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.
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.
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, Paswel
Agricultural 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?
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, Abrhame
A 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.
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, Dejene
The 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.
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, Christian

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