Promotion and Scaling up and Scaling out of Best Crop, Water and Nutrient Management Strategies in Africa
The objectives of this initiative are to promote and scale up and scaling out best bet crop, water and nutrient management strategies in the Volta Basin through more efficient information and methodology dissemination mechanism.
AU/SAFGRAD has been collaborating with ICRISAT as the lead IARC institution and national agricultural research institutions in Burkina Faso (INERA) and Ghana (SARI) . The objectives of this initiative are to promote and scale up and out the best bet crop, water and nutrient management strategies in the Volta Basin through a more efficient information and methodology dissemination mechanism.
During 2008, with support from partner institutions, both INERA, Burkina Faso and SARI, Ghana continued to develop and test effective crop production technologies that enhance water and nutrient use efficiency on farmers’ fields. These include the improved zai with use of manure and mineral fertilizers micro dose (split application of fertilizer), the implementation of sahelian ecofarm which combined the use of fast growing shrubs like Acacia and ziziphus sp, and half moon structure for water and soil conservation techniques. Innovative commercialization practices (warrantage system) and decision support systems to determine their impact on food production, water conservation and improvement of farmer livelihoods were also developed and tested. Sharing of experiences among farmers through demonstration trials and field visits has been effected.
In 2009, a study was done both in Ghana and in Burkina Faso within this programme. The two documents produced were validated by the key actors during a workshop held in Ouagadougou. The study is now published and disseminated to the relevant partners and institutions.
