Eighteen scientists representing different. THE SIMLESA June 2017 SIMLESA GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE RELEVANCE

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1 THE SIMLESA June 2017 SIMLESA GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE RELEVANCE Eugenia Lucas of Chimoio in Mozambique has improved her iveihood through adopting sustainabe intensification practices. Photo J. Siamachira/CIMMYT Eighteen scientists representing different partners in the Sustainabe Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program gathered in Harare, Zimbabwe, to participate in the Reevance of Cimate Smart Agricuture (CSA) to SIMLESA Future assessment event. The meeting, hed on 6-10 March, 2017, aso doubed up as a brainstorming event for the project's ex ante exercise as a run-up to a potentia next fiveyear phase of the program, abeit with a sighty different focus. The objective of the assessment was not to have a design exercise for SIMLESA Phase III. It was simpy assessing CSA approaches and their reevance (if any) to future activity in Eastern and Southern Africa. It may be used as one input of many to future design activity but that was beyond the scope of the current assessment exercise. During the five-day course of the meeting, participants, incuding representatives of agricutura research systems (NARS) from five SIMLESA countries, two consutants from the Austraian Centre for Internationa Agricutura Research (ACIAR), oca and internationa deveopment partners reviewed the research achievements of SIMLESA phase I and the current phase II, whie at the same to page 4 ETHIOPIA KENYA MALAWI MOZAMBIQUE TANZANIA AUSTRALIA

2 MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM LEADER other countries indicated that without rising farm productivity, the fow of abour and capita from agricuture wi ead to faing agricutura output, rising food prices and growing poverty. That is why African eaders f o r m u a t e d a n d a d o p t e d t h e Comprehensive African Agricutura Deveopment Program (CAADP) as the correct road that woud ead Africa out of poverty. Recenty, African eaders and poicy makers have recognized the need for a paradigm shift to adopt and promote sustainabe agricutura intensification innovation as a driver for cimate smart agricutura systems Wecome to a readers of this buetin of Sustainabe Intensification of Maize- Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program. As we a know, agricuture supports the direct iveihood strategies for peope iving in rura areas of Africa. Economic studies showed that agricutura growth can induce higher overa growth and faster poverty reduction than nonagricutura growth, through both forward and backward inkages of the agricutura sector to other economic sectors. Lessons earned from However, the agricutura sector in genera, food security, as we as sustainabe deveopment in particuar, have been infuenced by various biophysica and socioeconomic constraints. Prominent among these are: drought, natura resource d e g r a d a t i o n, o w a g r i c u t u r a productivity, poor infrastructure and imited market access. In most African countries, the ack of or imited poicy support and an enabing environment have compounded the crisis. A we-crafted comprehensive systems research is indispensabe to dea with these compex issues. The SIMLESA program has targeted increasing farm-eve food security and productivity, in the context of cimate risk and change. SIMLESA has come up as a mode to many regiona and subregiona coaborative projects to address sustainabe agricutura intensification. to page 3 2

3 from page 2 SIMLESA mid-term reviews undertaken in 2012 and 2015 provided evidence that investments made in SIMLESA phase I and II and essons and insight woud pay substantia dividends to the regiona sustainabe deveopment needs and beyond. Whie a the research achievements are reevant to our deveopment needs, the major drive human capacity deveopment is an important area the African governments and the donor community have to urgenty coaborate to buid the next generation of research scientists I am excited, as many of our partners are to share with you this issue of SIMLESA Buetin which contains information on conservationagricuture-based sustainabe intensification innovations that were deveoped, evauated and being scaed out by a members of the SIMLESA famiy Key highights of some of the stories is a focus on a three-day meeting to stock take SIMLESA achievements and chaenges and chart out future strategies to enhance the promotion and adoption of sustainabe intensification technoogies in Africa. A cose diagnosis of the structure and governance of SIMLESA reveas that new paradigm of research and deveopment in which Nationa Agricutura Research and Extension Systems (NARES), Sub Regiona Organizations (SROs), CGIAR centers, universities, private sector, non-governmenta organizations, poicy makers and the utimate beneficiaries - farmers - are brought to a common patform to design and impement an integrated research for impact oriented program. It is cear how such an approach contributes and eads to sustainabiity and ownership. It wi be sustainabe because it is owned by the nationa systems and governments MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM LEADER 3 with reevant backstopping form other partners. When the donor support ceases, SIMLESA shoud continue championing the sustainabe intensification movement for improved food security and income in ESA. I aso woud ike to express my gratitude for partnership started between the Austraian Centre for Internationa Agricutura Research (ACIAR) and Nationa Agricutura Research Systems (NARS) of the east and southern African countries, which yieded the deveopment and impementation of the SIMLESA program which is in its second phase. I acknowedge the good wi and financia assistance provided by the Austraian Government through ACIAR; and the faciitation, coordination and management roe payed by CIMMYT, technica backstopping by Austraian universities, Internationa Livestock Research Intitsitute, Internationa Center for Tropica Agricuture, Agricutura Research Counci (ARC)-South Africa and the Association for Strengthening Agricutura Research in Eastern and Centra Africa(ASARECA). I aso extend my earnest thanks to those professionas who worked reentessy for the reaization of the mission-oriented partnership and to the farming communities who hosted the series of on farm research activities on their farms and considering SIMLESA as their own program. I am gratefu to the SIMLESA Project Steering Committee, ACIAR and CIMMYT, for the technica support and oversight Thank you for being part of the SIMLESA movement. Muugetta Mekuria

4 from page 1 SIMLESA GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE RELEVANCE time interrogating and expoiting options against CSA-reated activities in SIMLESA during project impementation, and scaabe options for smahoder farmers. The first haf of Day 1 focused on ACIAR consutant agronomist Brian Keating reporting on a metaanaysis of 43 CSA-SIMLESA reated pubications produced during phase I and II, zooming in on CSA reated activities, what was done, and what was new. Whie the second haf (of Day1) and first haf of Day 2 anchored on CSA-reated issues that provided a rich review of the technoogies deveoped, tested and refined by SIMLESA partners working in a the five program countries. Day 3 and 4 of the meeting were fied trips to neighbouring Mozambique and focused on assessing various scaing modes and approaches which have been used by SIMLESA and other projects to achieve impact at scae. Day 5 was a wrap up session and discussions on various scaabe options as part of the ex-ante exercise conducted by another ACIAR consutant agronomist, David Connor. At the end of the assessment meeting, the foowing were the concusions: The agricutura productivity piar of CSA has been the dominant focus of SIMLESA and provides a strong foundation for evoving SIMLESA through a CSA ens. The SIMLESA sustainabe intensification pathway requires as a first step some fertiizer inputs, yet the economics of fertiizer use under smahoder on-farm conditions and maize market prices are uncertain. A forma anaysis of the economics of smahoder fertiizer use in SIMLESA regions woud be very instructive. Diversification of the productivity focus beyond maize to incude opportunities for smahoder engagement in markets shoud be considered in a context-sensitive way as a means of buiding market connections and generating cash resources. Looking forward, if SIMLESA were to strengthen its CSA credentias, it shoud continue to move beyond agricutura productivity per se and strengthen its iveihoods and food/nutritiona security foci in ine with other regiona priorities such as Comprehensive African Agricutura Deveopment Program and goba goas such as the Sustainabe Deveopment Goas. SIMLESA's focus on risk management in the face of mutipe sources of risk, but incuding cimate/weather risk is appropriate and an important contribution to the cimate adaptation piar of CSA. A CSA focused evoution of SIMLESA coud pace greater emphasis on ivestock productivity, markets for ivestock products, ivestock's roe in risk management and resiience in the face of weather variabiity and opportunities for greenhouse gas mitigation About SIMLESA The Internationa Maize and Wheat Improvement Center's Sustainabe Intensification of Maize Legume Based Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program was aunched in Funded by the Austraian Centre for Internationa Agricutura Research (ACIAR), SIMLESA aims to improve the iveihoods of smahoder farming communities in Africa through productive and sustainabe maize egume systems and risk management strategies that conserve natura resources. It is managed by CIMMYT and impemented by partners in Ethiopia, Kenya, Maawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. From gains and essons earned in these project countries, there are benefits for three spiover countries Botswana, Rwanda and Uganda. Through participatory research and deveopment with farmers, extension agencies, non-governmenta organizations, universities and agribusinesses aong the vaue chains, the program aims to improve maize and egume productivity by 30 percent, and to reduce the expected downside yied risk by 30 percent for an approximate additiona 650,000 farm househods by

5 TAKING STOCK ON SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION RESEARCH FOR IMPACT IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE WORK Smahoder farmer Lughano Mwangonde in her conservation agricuture demonstration pot in Baaka district, Maawi. Photo J. Siamachira/CIMMYT T session wi summarize key messages: What are the new chaenges? How a cimate smart agricuture framework coud address them? There woud aso be a faciitated fied tour to project sites in Arusha, Moshe and the Seian Agricutura Research Institute. he Sustainabe Intensification of MaizeLegume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) wi hod a three day high-eve meeting on June The meeting wi be hed in Arusha, Tanzania, and wi take stock of the progress made by SIMLESA during the ast six years, and inform agendas for future research for deveopment in the region. SIMLESA partners' presentations wi aso address the foowing questions What is the evidence for impact in terms of 30% increases in yied and 30% reduction in downside risk? What is the evidence for increased environmenta sustainabiity? What are the key messages to farmers, agribusinesses, extension and poicy? What are the gaps and new opportunities to increase food security and mitigate poverty across east and southern Africa? On 19 June, there wi be a pre-conference event ony open to SIMLESA partners, incuding Project Steering Committee and Project Management Committee members They wi be revisiting SIMLESA activities from Specificay, the conference wi discuss achievements and opportunities for transformationa changes. The meeting wi incude four keynote speakers to briefly introduce each individua topic, foowed by short discussion fora, and country summary taks. On the second day, sma thematic discussion fora wi expore the chaenges ahead. Additionay, a fina penary 5 to page 6

6 from page 4 TAKING STOCK ON SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION RESEARCH FOR IMPACT IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE WORK Main conference discussions and their presenters wi be as foows: A systems approach to increase productivity and food security: Insights from SIMLESA, by Muugetta Mekuria (SIMLESA program eader), and Danie Rodriguez (QAAFI) The Science Agenda for African Agricuture: Roe of Sustainabe Intensification as a driver for economic growth, by Professor Mandi Rukuni (Independent Consutant) Strategies to achieve equity, by Dr Maureen Miruka (CARE USA, Director, Agricuture and Markets Systems CARE Internationa, East, Centra and Southern Africa Regiona Office (ECSARO) Targets and metrics for environmenta sustainabiity: Experiences and essons from Africa RISING, by Prof Siege Snapp (Sois and Cropping Systems Ecoogist, Centre for Goba Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University) The Future of Sustainabe Intensification and diversification for different rura environments: A goba perspective, by Dr John Dixon (ACIAR Principa Advisor and Research Program Manager) Parae pane discussions, wi have the foowing format: Expoiting synergies across Eastern and S o u t h e r n A f r i c a R e s e a r c h a n d Deveopment efforts. What have we earned? How can we coaborate better? How do we improve inkages between these efforts? Conference faciitators wi steer discussions among representatives from SIMLESA, FACASI, Africa Rising, ZimCLIFS, STMA, TL-3, TAMASA, and N2Africa. E q u i t a b y r e a c h i n g h u n d r e d s o f thousands: the roe of poicy and institutions. A discussion pane with scaing out partners from SIMLESA Competitive Grants grantees AgriMerc, NASFAM, YYTZ Agro-processing Ltd, Day II wi have a thematic session on buiding the egacy of SIMLESA, and aying the foundations for the future with concurrent faciitated sma group discussions: From fieds to communities: Innovations for communities are needed to deveop and test scaabe innovations that transform vaue chains and the future of community systems. The conference is proposing for a more integrative approach to innovation that moves away from the simpe testing of technoogies to the deveopment of innovations by design using a systems approach that inks peope with markets, governance and enabing institutions. What have we earnt from the innovation patforms and how do they transate to the community eve? From incrementa to transformationa: Improvements in agronomy or the introduction of CA or CSA wi provide incrementa and ongterm benefits. In most cases arger transformationa processes are required to produce more significant gains. What are the most ikey transformationa changes that wi produce dramatic gains in food and nutritiona security? Mechanization is just an exampe but aso highight irrigation, Information and Communication Technoogies (ICTs). Paneists: Esther Muiruri (Equity Bank), Caspar Roxburg (QAAFI), Peter Thorne (ILRI), Leonidas Dusengemungu (RAB) From commodities to market based agrifood systems: Too many research efforts h a v e f o c u s e d o n a d d r e s s i n g s i n g e components in compex smahoder systems. Here, it is proposed that there is a need to work with rura communities to identify opportunities to enhance and diversify sources iveihoods. This is a fundamenta step in addressing the mutipe dimensions creating poverty traps in smahoder systems. In this forum focus wi center on discussing community iveihoods approach. How woud an integrated research for deveopment community iveihoods approach ook ike? What is the roe of innovation systems? Paneists: Patrick Mutuo (formery, Miennium Viages), Maren Radeny (CCAFS) Bernard Vanauwe (IITA) and Pau Murphy (Radice Seeds, Austraia. 6

7 Adoption studies show uptake of sustainabe intensi cation technoogies By Johnson Siamachira Bashir Makoko of SIMLESA-Tanzania showcasing mechanised conservation agricuture at a fied day. our studies conducted by SIMLESA Fscientists and its nationa partners in Kenya, Maawi and Mozambique, focused on the productivity (yied) advantages of conservationagricuture based sustainabe intensification(ca- SI) practices compared to farmer practices. They aso focused on farmers' agricutura practices. were found to be effective in awareness creation of CA technoogies among farmers and therefore such events shoud be enhanced. The adoption eves within a span of three years are aso encouraging and are attributabe to a combination of outreach activities (innovation patforms, fied days). In Kenya, the resuts presented in the studies are simiar to data from around the word, which has consistenty shown that CA based SI practices have as their immediate benefits, the reduction in the costs of abor for tiage and weeding. Whie in the ong run the yied enhancing benefits are ikey to accrue due to improved natura resource base, in the short run these cost reductions offer the best immediate financia benefit and incentives for farmers to adopt these new practices. Demonstration sites in eastern and western K e n y a w i c o n t i n u e t o b e c e n t e r s o f experimentation and earning for farmers, the studies revea. The experience in this adoption monitoring study demonstrates the efficacy of the demonstration approach to agricuture extension. It is emerging that group cohesion and mutistakehoder methodoogy approaches have the potentia to be effective and efficient. Fied days 7 According to Adoption Monitoring surveys, in Maawi, the range of increase in maize yied in the mid-atitude agro-ecoogy is 3-21 percent whie increases in maize yied in owand agro-ecoogy is 8-40 percent. The resuts from this adoption monitoring survey suggest that more than 90 percent of the farmers contacted were aware of technoogies being promoted by the program, and about 63 percent had actuay tried the technoogies on their pot or fied. Of those that had tried, 78 percent had adopted the technoogies (in the sense of impementing the practices on their reguar farm pots and not just on tria pots). Overa, farmers' preferences among the technoogies were zero or minimum tiage under soe maize production foowed by zero/minimum tiage in maize/egume rotation. This was mainy because the minimum tiage component reduced abor demand. to page 10

8 SIMLESA Competitive Grants Scheme Ros into Life By Sebastian Gavera he SIMLESA Competitive Grants Scheme T(CGS) roed into ife in the ast quarter of 2016 across the five core SIMLESA countries. The seection process of partners to drive the scaing out initiative was very competitive. A tota of 67 appicants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania Maawi and Mozambique were exposed to serious technica scrutiny after submitting their proposas outining the scaing out activities they were going to embark on, the miestones they were going to meet and the cost of performing the panned activities. Finay, the seection team setted for 12 partners: Kenya (four), Tanzania (three), Maawi two) and Mozambique (three). In Ethiopia, seven pubic extension zona offices were commissioned under Ethiopian Institute of Agricutura Research (EIAR) to take up the scaing out task which brought the tota number of partners seected to 19. The CGS initiative is targeting to infuence at east 100, 000 farmers adopting SI technoogies by June 2018, with a significant number of these being women and youths. The seection process ensured that there was adequate expertise to aow synergizing among seed companies, extension, private sector, and farmer organizations, among others, to achieve the greatest impact possibe as we as ensure sustainabiity beyond SIMLESA. The tabe beow shows the ist of seected partners and the type of work the seected partners speciaize in: Tabe 1: Seected partners in each country Country Farmer Ass. ICT NGO Media Seed University Church org. Leve Kenya Secondary partners esp. AIP Secondary Mediae Ltd. Freshco Seed Co. Egerton NCCK County Maawi NASFAM Sec. partner QAAFI, FRT Farm Radio Trust (FRT) Nationa Mozambique UCAMA ISPM, QAAFI AgriMerc ODS ISPM Secondary partners ISPM Nationa (weak) Tanzania MVIWATA Secondary partner QAAFI, CABI RECODA Secondary partner SATEC Secondary partner Sokoine Uni. Nationa Ethiopia 6 Commissioned partners to enhance scaing out of SI technoogies The CGS design deiberatey creates a patform for the NARS to give technica backstopping to the partners and there are resources dedicated for that whie CIMMYT through its Monitoring, Evauation and Learning Speciaist, provides technica expertise in keeping track of partner performance and documentation to ensure that the agreed miestones are met and evidence is adequatey documented. So far each seected partner has received the first disbursement of funds to enabe them to start impementing. The MEL support visits to Maawi and Mozambique have shown evidence of impressive work on the ground, particuary in one of the seected partners, Organização Sustentáve Para o Desenvovimento Sustentáve da Agricutura e Mercados Rurais (AGRIMERC) in Mozambique, where farmers have been inked from seed companies to viabe markets for their produce so that they achieve both food and income security. 8

9 Smahoders bene t from sustainabe intensi cation in Mozambique Jose Maconeia of Macate district Mozambique. Maize-egume cropping systems have become beneficia to smahoders in the area. Photo J. Siamachira/CIMMYT aize-egume cropping systems have Mfound a niche market among rura Mozambican farmers, thanks to good agricutura practices made possibe by the SIMLESA program in the Manica province of the country. Cowpeas are becoming increasingy more reiabe as both a food and cash crop in the province with both high nutritiona content beneficia for househod consumption and a strong oca market demand. SIMLESA program is working with farmers to change the country's reiance on monocuture by promoting crop diversification as part of its broader agricutura technica package. The practice cas for farmers to pant a variety of crops, incuding cowpeas. The approach is beginning to take hod, with program cients adopting it. Maize-cow pea rotations are becoming increasingy more reiabe as farmers increase their yied, and productivity. 9 Under its Competitive Grant Scheme, SIMLESA is working with farmers to change the country's reiance on monocuture by promoting crop diversification as part of its broader agricutura technica package. The practice cas for farmers to pant a variety of crops, incuding egumes such as cow peas. The approach is beginning to take hod, as program cients are adopting it. Forty-nine year od Eugenia Lucas one of those farmers. Based in Chimoio district, Lucas farms with his husband and six chidren. For years, she grew ony maize, using the conventiona ridge and furrow panting method, but produced ow yieds. This practice aso imits the country's agricutura productivity and eaves farmers vunerabe to a variety of probems, incuding pests, market fuctuations, and the effects of goba cimate change. Life was so difficut for me and my famiy as we strugged every year to get food on the tabe, she said. to page 10

10 from page 9 Smahoders bene t from sustainabe intensi cation in Mozambique That changed in 2016 when Lucas became a SIMLESA ead farmer, with UCAMA, a SIMLESA partner. Through the SIMLESA program, UCAMA seeks to improve the quaity of agricutura production through improved technoogy use, access to certified seeds and good quaity and access to sustainabe markets for agricutura produce. This is expected to enhance its organizationa and institutiona capacity at the provincia and district eve as we as its fied services' technica capacity. The program is working in three districts of Gondoa, Macate, and Vanduzi. The direct beneficiaries of the project are 100 ead farmers and 9, 000 smahoder farmers. Thirty thousand farmers wi be exposed to program initiatives in Mozambique. With program assistance, she began growing egumes, and cowpeas particuary. She grew cowpeas during the 2015/16 farming season. She accessed cowpea and maize seed and fertiizers. In the 2016/2017 farming season, she aso grew maize and cow pea on her 0.5 hectare pot and expects to harvest one ton of maize per hectare. This practice has ed to dramatic increases in both productivity and income. As an additiona benefit, Lucas has increased his farm's resiience to cimate change. Studies show that Mozambique wi face onger and more intense droughts in future years. By optimizing her productivity, Lucas is adapting to changing weather patterns. I'm beginning to benefit most out of my and now, Lucas said. Cowpea, a drought-resiient crop wi be one of the strategies to counter the negative effects of cimate variabiity and change. The egume has severa advantages such as gradua improvements in soi fertiity, groundcover, feed for catte and goats, nutrition through green eaves and, grain that can either be eaten or sod. The varieties deveoped and promoted by the SIMLESA program are we adapted to the environment and wi hep farmers to diversify the current cerea-based cropping systems. By promoting access to new income earning opportunities to smahoders SIMLESA is achieving ongterm, sustainabe economic growth and improved food security for rura communities in the Manica province of Mozambique. from page 7 Adoption studies show uptake of sustainabe intensi cation technoogies For Mozambique, increase in maize yied incude panting in basins reative to the conventiona fat seeding on tied seed bed is 20 percent. Sti in Mozambique, the increase in maize yied in Gorongoza area under direct seeding is 19 percent. Major Highights Both fied experiment and househod anaysis show that CA-SI can have a strong vaue proposition for farmers in terms of cost reduction, yied enhancement and risk mitigation CA-SI can contribute to the provision of eco-system services such as soi oss mitigation To achieve CA-SI, diffusion wi require continuous demonstrations beyond experimenta pots The information deivery system for CA-SI shoud invove government extension, innovation patforms and other information providers. 10

11 So much potentia in Rwanda By Psca Dusemungos n R w a n d a, S I M L E S A a c t i v i t i e s a r e Iimpemented in three sites ocated in three agro-ecoogica zones (AEZ) themseves ocated in three districts (Tabe 1). These AEZs have different characteristics in terms of sois and rainfa. Bugesera is ocated in the owands of Rwanda ( m) and is characterized by fair soi fertiity eve but constrained by reativey ow and especiay erratic rainfa (900mm/year). The Centra Pateau which is ocated in the midde atitude ands of Rwanda ( ) is characterized by ess fertie sois but by good rainfa athough unpredictabe (1200 mm/year). Cyuve is ocated in the highands of Rwanda (2000 m) and is characterized by fertie sois (vocanic ash) and heavy and we distributed rains (>2000mm/year). Rainfa in the sites is bimoda aowing two crop growing seasons. The specific crop production imitations are drought, in Bugesera, decining soi fertiity in the Centra Pateau and Birunga. The decining soi fertiity is due to over cutivation and its coroary high susceptibiity to erosion. 1. Objectives 2. Methodoogica approach The innovation approach used in SIMLESA- Rwanda is caed the mirror innovation approach. It consists of comparing CA and tiage agricuture (TA) pots under the same treatment side byside The objective of such on - farm trias is to compare the three sites in terms of response to CA, to compare the effect of CA and TA practice within each site and the effect of different treatments on crop yieds. The main factors are CA and TA. The pant test were bean and maize. The foowing treatments were considered: T1: Manure; T2: Manure + fertiizers; T3: Manure + Fertiizers + DI-Agro. In a sites the rotation maizebean is practiced. 3. Progress so-far and preiminary concusions In a sites, CA performed we as there was no difference with TA. The mirror approach aows to see that CA is a feasibe option in Rwanda as there is no difference in terms of crop performance between CA and TA. The three major constraints for its adoption are: In a three sites, the objective of the intervention is to raise awareness of farmers about the benefit of conservation agricuture (CA) in terms of soi fertiity improvement and positive impact on crop yieds. mindset shortage of much as crop residue are used for other competing needs incuding fodder and fue weeds management. Tabe 1: Location of SIMLESA sites in different AEZ and districts of Rwanda Site AEZ District GASHORA BUGESERA BUGESERA RUNDA Centra Pateau KAMONYI CYUVE BIRUNGA/VOLCANIC MUSANZE 11

12 Heathy maize-bean crop under conservation agricuture in Kyeni site. SIMLESA has trained Kenyanan researchers to deveop agricutura technoogies suitabe for smahoders. Photo: Afred Micheni/KALRO Buiding the capacity of next generation of scientists By Gift Mashango he need for buiding sustainabe agricutura Tresearch and deveopment capacity was considered from the start of the program. SIMLESA impementation strategy is centred on maximum invovement of key stakehoders ike nationa agricutura research and extension systems (NARES) and smahoder farmers using participatory approaches. It was discovered that for the approach to work, capacity gaps within NARES were supposed to be identified and addressed. Country specific gaps were assessed and anayzed at the inception of the program. A capacity buiding pan was deveoped with main activities focused on trainings, resource provision, continuous mentorship, and tertiary educationa support to young scientists. SIMLESA program funds unike other programs, are managed by NARES at country eve with professiona back up support from CIMMYT both administrativey and technicay. In addition, SIMLESA is working with other regiona and technica institutions in strengthening NARES capacity and mentorship. These coaborators incude: Association for Strengthening Agricutura Research in Eastern and Centra Africa (ASARECA), Agricutura Research Counci (ARC) of South Africa, Queensand Aiance for Agricuture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Internationa Center for Tropica Agricuture (CIAT) and Internationa Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Numerous NARES trainings were conducted as part of capacity buiding. These incuded SIMLESA technoogies, financia management, program panning and impementation, CONTACT DETAILS internationa conferences, monitoring and reporting. SIMLESA's capacity-buiding initiatives target researchers, extension practitioners, farmers and other actors aong the maize and egumes vaue chains. The trainings conducted incuded APSIM and househod modeing (faciitated by QAAFI), egume inocuant production (Centre for Rhizobia Studies (CRS Murdoch University), program management (CIMMYT), Appied Principes of Biometry, Conservation Agricuture, Soi Heath, and Innovation Patforms (ARC-SA) and gender capacity buiding by ASARECA. Each year program progress is reviewed using participatory methodoogies during annua review program meetings as part continuous mentorship and taking stock as we as corrective measures on time. These review meetings are aso attended by donor representatives, program steering committee members which incude country directors of NARES and program management committee members. Other notabe beneficiaries of the program's capacity-buiding measures have incuded young p e o p e w h o h a v e b e e n s u p p o r t e d f o r postgraduate training. For exampe, through the program, 23 doctora students have enroed at various universities across South Africa, Austraia, Ethiopia and Kenya. A further 42 students are pursuing Master of Science degrees at nationa universities in SIMLESA partner countries. The young professionas who competed their studies are contributing immensey to NARES ski base in their respective countries particuary in pant science and agricutura economics. Dr Muugetta Mekuria: Program Leader Emai: m.mekuria@cgiar,org Address: CIMMYT-Southern Africa Regiona Office, 12.5 Km Peg, Mazowe Road, P O Box MP 163, Mount Peasant, Harare, Zimbabwe Website: wwww.simesa.cimmyt.org