Promoting mixed farming system innovations in Malawi: A unified approach

“We are all targeting the same farmer,” noted Mr. Raphael Msyali, Chief Agriculture Officer for Mzimba District. Meanwhile, Mrs. Everlister Chidothi, a representative of Traditional Authority Mlumbe in Zomba District, emphasized the need to reach more farmers. These statements, though seemingly contrasting, highlight a common goal from field days in Mzimba and Zomba: the necessity of a unified, collaborative approach to farming systems. To effectively support farmers, organizations implementing diverse innovations must work together to bundle their complementary products and services, addressing farmers’ specific needs.

The CGIAR initiative on Mixed Farming Systems (MFS) field days held recently provided an ideal platform for CGIAR centers and partners to showcase mixed farming system innovations. Held in Chulu and Mtunthama EPAs in Kasungu District, Champhira EPA in Mzimba District, and Thondwe EPA in Zomba District, the events attracted about 1,940 participants, including 1,006 female farmers, 688 male farmers, and 246 children. These field days not only showcased core MFS innovations but also offered a broader platform for partners to exhibit complementary innovations and share knowledge on optimizing MFS benefits.

Strip cropping for enhanced food and nutrition security

Farmers in Malawi face severe land constraints and the impacts of climate change. To ensure food security, they often prioritize maize, leading to monocropping, which depletes soil nutrients and increases pest and disease incidences. In the 2023/24 season, the Alliance of Bioversity-CIAT, in collaboration with DARS, expanded strip cropping trials from two districts (Kasungu and Mzimba) to four, adding Balaka and Zomba. New partners, including NASFAM, Harvest Plus, and K2Taso, helped establish 304 baby trials, enabling farmers to experiment, learn, and share knowledge.

The “Mbili Mbili” strip cropping system combines two compatible legume species between maize rows, allowing women and youth with limited land to diversify their crops and increase resilience to climate variability and change. This system enhances nutritional diversity by incorporating staple carbohydrates from maize (nsima) alongside legumes that provide both grain and vegetable relish (ndiwo and ndiwo zamasamba) within the same plot. Because of this integration, the name “Nsima Ndiwo” was suggested as an alternative to Mbili Mbili. This method not only improves food security and nutrition but also enhances soil health and provides livestock feed, all without reducing maize yields. Moreover, the system includes biofortified crop varieties and innovative agronomic practices using inorganic fertilizers to improve the nutritional quality of crops for both human and livestock consumption.

Pangani Mitambo, a farmer in Thondwe EPA, Zomba, stated, “Intercropping maize and legumes has always been common for us, but the Mbili Mbili system offers distinct advantages. It supports our maize crop, yields a good crop of beans even during dry spells, and shows promising results with pigeon pea.”

 Farmers’ Assessment of MFS Innovations

During field events in Chulu, Mtunthama, and Champhira EPAs, 65 farmers including both men, women, and youth assessed three technologies: sole maize, Mbili Mbili strip cropping, and the doubled-up legume technology (DUL). The technologies were rated on a scale from 1 (good) to 5 (very poor). Mbili Mbili strip cropping emerged as the preferred choice due to its benefits in food security, high yields, environmental sustainability, profitability, and nutritional diversity. However, it requires significant labor and seed input, necessitating proper resource management. Sole maize ranked higher than DUL due to concerns about the absence of maize in the DUL, highlighting the importance of integrating legumes effectively within maize-based cropping systems to enhance farmer acceptance.

Integration of Multipurpose Crops and Forages into MFS

As cropland increases, grazing areas decrease, putting pressure on livestock production. Ms. Mellenia Juma, a farmer hosting a forage trial in Thondwe EPA, shared that feed deficits during the dry season are cushioned by crop residues, though insufficient for the entire period. In response, DARS, in partnership with the Alliance-CIAT and CIMMYT, investigates fodder production options:

• Dual-purpose groundnut and maize varieties like CG13 and Chialimbana 2005 for higher forage yield without compromising grain yield.
• Dual-purpose grass for soil conservation and fodder trials: Brachiaria hybrids, Dwarf Napier, and Guatemala grass complement Vetiver grass.
• Intercropping legume forage with maize: Maize intercropped with Mucuna pruriens enhances quality feed and soil health.
• Evaluation of new pasture introductions: Brachiaria hybrid grasses and Crotalaria legumes increase biomass and feed quality in mixed farming systems.

These forage innovations can integrate with Mbili Mbili, optimizing forage availability and feed nutritional quality per plot, enhancing crop and livestock integration.

Improving Human Nutrition through Better Utilization of MFS Produce

The District Nutrition Coordinating Committees (DNCC) displayed nutrition products that help farmers access essential food groups. Practical demonstrations on creating nutritious food recipes from cereals, legumes, and livestock products emphasized the integration of diverse food sources for better health.

Advancing Dairy Enterprises

Partner K2Taso supports the Mlatho milk bulking group, hosting Mbili Mbili baby trials in Mthunthama EPA. The group showcased various dairy innovations and provided extension support on feed and fodder preservation, milk hygiene, and artificial insemination. The Mbili Mbili system, integrating a fodder component, provides higher quality feed for high-demand dairy cows. “The integration of legume crops and fodder species into maize-based cropping systems is critical for our farmers. It enhances feed and fodder quality, increases milk productivity, and directly benefits farmers by improving human nutrition and income,” stated Peter Minjale, K2Taso Director.

Featured image: The Mbili Mbili system delivering multiple benefits per unit of land. Photo Credit: Levison Moyo/Farmer.

Authors: Edward Mzumara, Sabine Homann-Kee Tui, Feyera Liben, Mcloyd Banda, Lester Botoman, Michael Kinyua, Job Kihara and Gloriana Ndibalema