I’m writing this introduction from meetings in Berlin – the Think20 Dialogue on Global Solutions associated with the G20 Germany 2017 – see link – and the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – see link. Although very important at the political and policy level, these high level summits seem far from the reality of life in rural Africa, although a major focus of these initiatives is addressing inequality. Last week I was in a remote part of the South-East Lowveld of Zimbabwe, discussing the problems faced by smallholder farmers in a drought-prone area on the edge of the Gonarezhou National Park. ...

Photo: Playing the game Kulayijana with local leaders and other stakeholders in Malipati, Zimbabwe

This story highlights the testimony of Mukakayonde Claudine, a woman from Mareba Sector, Rango Cell, Bugesera District. She is 47 years old, married to Manassé and they have six children. Her life has changed due to N2Africa project. It is told en French and summarized in English

Photo: Claudine et son mari Manassé

Mr. Celestine as part of a farmer group called TWIZERANE started to work with N2Africa in 2010. Until this time, his group was only able to grow crops using traditional methods. ...

Photo: Mr. Gashirabake Celestine holding his certificate

One of the strategies to disseminate research results of N2Africa at scale in South Kivu, Eastern DRC, has been the training of students of agriculture high schools in the N2Africa action sites. The trained students in turn train households in their villages. This article contains the stories of three farmers about how the learned about N2Africa’s technologies and the impact on their livelihoods.

Photo: Appoline Mapendo (lady on the right)

New agricultural technologies help to innovate and modernize agricultural production in the light of climate change and soil degradation. Research has confirmed that the addition of inoculant to soyabean can boost yields with at least 40 % to 50 % with all other factors kept equal. Another target is to develop improved inoculant products and cost-effective production and delivery methods. ... See the stories of Mr. Kawalewale and Ms. Matiasi.

Photo: “I will harvest more this year” Proud soyabean farmer, Natalia Matiasi showing her harvest for 2016/17 season

One strategy by the N2Africa project to enhance legume productivity in Africa was to select rhizobial strains with enhanced biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) efficiency from the various countries (as part of the G_L x G_R x E x M framework) for use as inoculants. In line with this goal, I isolated rhizobia from beans growing in several agro-ecologies in Kenya and first assessed their genetic diversity. ...

Photo: Dr George Mwenda (second from right) with PhD supervisors (all from the Centre for Rhizobium Studies at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia). Supervisors from left to right are Dr Jason Terpolilli, Prof. John Howieson, and Dr Graham O’Hara

Grain legumes are the second largest cultivated crops in Ethiopia next to cereals in terms of total production volume yield and area coverage. A similar scenario is reported for annual crop residue production from grain legumes. But both grain and haulm production from grain legumes are below their potential and need to be improved through different approach like developing new varieties and adhering to better agronomic practices to exploit the genetic potential of the plants. ...

Figure: Sample processing and analysis for quality parameters at Animal Nutrition Laboratory of ILRI, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia