IITA maps out its role in SILT research
1 December 2016: In this blog Dr Cargele Masso sets out the role being played by IITA to help make the Scaling-Up Improved Legume Technologies (SILT) project a success:
I am working with a group of colleagues to support 5 students to create a series of rigorous research projects aligned to the SILT. Dr Fredrick Baijukya and myself play a coordination role facilitating links with project partners and stakeholders to ensure that essential data is shared and any changes to the project plans are quickly communicated.
I am also pleased to report that the project has recruited Irene Mvena as our research assistant. Irene will be responsible for providing the students with maximum guidance in daily research activities. In addition Irene will also contribute to the collection additional data on the scaling-up approaches and their cost-effectiveness, which will improve our learning processes to adjust project interventions based on lessons.
IITA has teamed up with commercial research partner, i-logix, to undertake a major telephone survey of attitudes and behaviours of small-scale soybean farmers to the major inputs, improved seed, inoculant and P fertilizer. The partners have started collecting contact information of participating farmers (mainly mobile phone numbers). The information collected will be analysed and used to evaluate the project performance based but also to provide the basis of model for sustainable delivery of inputs to farmers.
We have recruited 5 students from 3 institutions – they are all making good progress towards their research projects. We are pleased that 4 out of the 5 students recruited are women. This means we are making a positive contribution to addresing the gender inequality in agricultural research and extension.
The progress to-date by the students is set out below:
Name: Ms Amina Mustapha
Institution: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Progress: Her research proposal is finalised and she is currently fine-tuning the research tools with the contribution of project partners and her supervisors.
Supervisors: Dr Shiferaw Feleke (IITA) and Dr Amon Mattee (university)
Research topic: Cost-effectiveness of extension methods for scaling up improved common bean technologies among small-scale farmers in Babati District, Tanzania.
Specific objectives:
- To assess the effectiveness of various extension methods in increasing smallholder farmers’ awareness about improved common bean technologies
- To assess the effectiveness of various extension methods in stimulating smallholder farmers’ willingness to adopt improved common bean technologies
- To assess the effectiveness of various extension methods in influencing small-scale farmers’ decision to adopt improved common bean technologies
- To identify the determinants of adoption of improved common bean technologies by smallholder farmers
- To determine the cost of various extension methods used in scaling up common bean technologies to smallholder farmer in the study area
Name: Ms Ernesta Sanga
Institution: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Progress: Her research proposal is finalised and she is currently fine-tuning the research tools with the contribution of project partners and her supervisors
Supervisor: Dr Renee Bullock (IITA) Dr Catherine Msuya
Research topic: Gendered influences affecting adoption of improved bean production technologies disseminated by various awareness creation approaches in Karatu District, Tanzania.
Specific objectives:
- Determine gender differences in accessing awareness creation approaches for common bean production technologies, which are radio, comics, and demonstration in Karatu District
- Identify whether gender differences exist in terms of knowledge on improved common bean technologies disseminated by various awareness creation methods in Karatu District
- Identify whether gender differences exist in terms of perception towards improved common bean production technologies disseminated by various awareness creation methods in Karatu District
- Identify level of adoption of improved common bean production technologies disseminated by various awareness creation approaches in Karatu District
- Determine factors influencing different gender categories’ adoption of improved bean production technologies disseminated by various awareness creation approaches in Karatu District.
Name: Mr Charles Byalugaba Lugamara
Institution: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Progress: His research proposal is finalised and he is currently fine-tuning the research tools with the contribution of project partners and her supervisors.
Supervisors: Dr Paul Dontsop (IITA) and Dr Justin Urassa
Research topic: Effectiveness of communication channels and smallholder farmers’ adoption of improved legume technologies: a case of Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Specific objectives:
- To determine the effectiveness of various awareness creation approaches on smallholder farmers’ understanding of improved legume technologies
- To determine smallholder farmers’ willingness to adopt improved legume technologies
- To identify improved legume technologies practised/adopted by smallholder farmers.
- To assess the determinants of the smallholder farmers’ willingness to adopt improved legume technologies
Name: Ms Daphrose Nimbona
Institution: Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Progress: She is finalising the concept note in collaboration with project partners and her supervisors.
Supervisor: Dr Renee Bullock (IITA) and Dr Florence Mainah Muthoni (university)
Research topic: Gender differentials in reception of disseminated information and willingness to adopt improved legume technologies in Mbeya, Tanzania.
Specific objectives
- Identify gender differences in the effectiveness of various awareness creation approaches on the willingness to adopt improved legume technologies
- Establish how various awareness creation approaches create opportunities or constraints to men, women, and youth’s understanding of improved legume technologies
- Suggest gender sensitive awareness creation approaches to enhance women and youth’s -making and uptake of improved legume technologies at the household level
Name: Ms Scolastica Mwema
Institution: Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Progress: Starting in October
Supervisor: Dr Thabbie Chilongo (university)
Research topic: Her research topic will be around the cost-effectiveness of dissemination approaches and improved legume technologies in the southern highlands of Tanzania.
Over the next six months IITA will be working to deliver a number of outputs:
- Three of the five students will start data collection for their research on scale-up approaches
- Preliminary data (e.g., descriptive statistics) will be available
- The first policy brief will be published
- The i-logix campaigns will be implemented and preliminary analysis of farmers’ feedback conducted
All in all I am pleased to report that the IITA work program is on track to play its part in the SILT project and I look forward to sharing detailed findings with you over the coming months.