Farmers' evaluation of integrated soil fertility management methods in Northern Kasungu Central Malawi

There has been extensive recognition of the necessity to rejuvenate the fertility of soils for sustainable agricultural productivity, food security, household income and poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa.  In 2007, laboratory analytical results of the soils from Mkanakhoti extension area of Kasungu District, Central Malawi, indicated low levels of N, P and organic carbon (OC) and sandy texture. Socioeconomic data was collected and 40 on-farm experiments were also conducted. Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies tested on-farm included: pigeon pea biomass transfer in a maize field, pigeon pea/groundnut, maize/groundnut, maize/pigeon pea intercrops and maize treated with inorganic fertilizer. Initial assessments indicate wide-scale testing in the pilot areas and farmer adaptation and innovation of the options promoted. Farmers’ rated: pigeon pea/groundnut intercrop as very good by 85% or good by 8%; maize/pigeon pea intercrop as very good 60% and good 18%; sole cropped maize with urea very good by 55% and good by 35% of farmers; and maize intercropped with groundnuts as the least preferred technology with 40% of the farmers ranking it as very good and 15% as good. Efforts are underway to scale out and up the efforts through farmer to farmer extension, field days, extending the legume best bets project to other districts in Malawi and sensitizing policy makers at a higher level on the outcomes of the project.   Key words: Pigeon pea, groundnut, maize, integrated soil fertility management, participatory evaluation.