In the southern highlands of Ethiopia, researchers and farmer organizations have worked on adapted pulse crop varieties and management practices that improve productivity, nutrition, and income for smallholder farmers. How to get farmers to adopt these improved varieties and methods, however, has not yet been explored.
This project aims to find ways to facilitate and accelerate large-scale adoption of chickpea production technology in this region.
The project will directly reach 600 farm households as seed producers, cultivating up to 150 hectares to produce 375 tonnes of certified seeds in one year. It is anticipated that the number of farmers could increase to 30,000 in subsequent seasons through community-based seed systems, farmer-to-farmer seed exchanges, and the emergence of small seed businesses.
This will increase the income of seed producers, expand the area under chickpea production, improve soil health, and increase household consumption of this protein-rich crop. The project will also forge effective research-extension-private sector and farmer linkages for scaling up adoption on an even wider basis.
Research outputs include extension and communication materials on beneficial practices for community-based seed systems and chickpea production, as well as geo-referenced maps of community seed producers, producers' organizations, and market access and expansion. At least three scientific articles will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.
| Start Date | 07/29/2013 |
| Duration | 14 month(s) |
| Area Under Study | [Sub-Saharan Africa][Africa][East Africa][Ethiopia] |
| Responsible Officer | Sanginga, Pascal |
| Total Funding | $415,668.00 |
University of Saskatchewan
| Component Name | Saskatchewan |
| Researcher Name | Bunyamin Tar'an |
| Researcher Role | CP-PROJ LEADER |
Hawassa University
| Institution Address | P.O Box 05 Hawassa ET |
| Institution Website | http://www.hu.edu.et |
| Component Name | Hawassa |
| Researcher Name | Dr Sheleme Beyene |
| Researcher Role | CP-PROJ LEADER |