Overcoming the threats to agriculture and food security in a changing climate requires a strong scientific evidence base to both help smallholder farmers choose resilient strategies and to guide development policy and investments. Building on a Bioversity and CCAFS systematic review of the role of diversification in agricultural systems, the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research is … Continue reading »
Category Archives: Crop-Livestock
Under Sustainable intensification in smallholder crop/livestock systems, we work to improve system efficiency through better feed quality, health and animal performance – in a context of increasing competition for land and other resources (eg biofuels)
Southern Africa / Crop-Livestock / ILRI / PA / PLE / Project
(Formerly) strange bedfellows in Zimbabwe: Crop and livestock researchers unite to improve smallholder agricultural in the country
The ultimate test: Do livestock eat this feed? Yes. (Photo on Flickr by Swathi Sridharan/ICRISAT). In 2012, three CGIAR centres — the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Africa; the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), based in Mexico; and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in India … Continue reading »
Agriculture / Article / BecA / Central Africa / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Kenya / Research
Science fund opens new agricultural research frontiers in Africa
Ethel Makila writes in New Agriculturalist about an African fund that is leading to breakthroughs and opening new frontiers in the continent’s biosciences research (photo: ILRI/David White). This month (Mar 2013), New Agriculturalist features an article on the Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund. This is a fund that is managed by a state-of-the-art biosciences initiative located … Continue reading »
Agriculture / Animal Production / Capacity Strengthening / Crop-Livestock / CRP12 / CRP37 / East Africa / Ethiopia / Event / Extension / Innovation Systems / Intensification / IPMS / Livestock / Markets / Research / Value Chains
Commodities, innovation and action research in Ethiopia: Livestock live talk at ILRI on 27 March 2013
The Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) of Ethiopian Farmers project is coming to an end. IPMS aimed to transform agricultural productivity and rural development in Ethiopia through market-oriented agricultural development. Project staff worked with the Ethiopian Government to try new and innovative approaches and technologies. The team worked to achieve this objective through four main … Continue reading »
Innovation Systems / Livelihoods / Research / Crop-Livestock / ILRI / PLE / Diagnostics / Intensification / Interview / Humid Tropics / CRP12
ILRI in the Humidtropics research program: Interview with Alan Duncan
The Humidtropics research program held a Strategic Research Theme (SRT) Meeting from 5 to 8 February, 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. The main objective of this meeting was to develop a research framework for each of the SRTs. After the meeting, the five SRT Leaders were interviewed. We asked Alan Duncan, ILRI focal point for the program … Continue reading »
Agriculture / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Environment / Ethiopia / Event report / ILRI / Livestock / Livestock-Water / Sheep / Small Ruminants
Crop-livestock farmers in Ethiopia’s Blue Nile Basin supported in climate adaptation
Last week a project to ‘enhance communities’ adaptive capacity to climate-change-induced water scarcity in drought-prone hotspots of the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia’ held a farmers’ field day at Kabe Watershed. More than 90 farmers, researchers, extension experts, staff of non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders met to share lessons on what farmers have practiced and benefited … Continue reading »
Crop-Livestock / Directorate / Event / ILRI / India / Markets / PA / Partnerships / PPR / South Asia
Lessons from India’s smallholder dairy successes can help developing world–ILRI’s Jimmy Smith
On 4 Nov 2012, an ILRI delegation of 28 visited the village of Araipura, in the Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana, where they held discussions with dairy farm families. The ILRI management team and board of trustees also visited the National Dairy Research Institute. (Photo credit: ILRI) ‘Operation Flood in Gujarat is … Continue reading »
Animal Feeding / Asia / Crop residues / Crop-Livestock / Event / Feeds / Fodder / Research / South Asia
Using crop by-products to intensify and sustain food production: Livestock live talk at ILRI on 26 September 2012
On 26 September 2012, animal nutritionist Michael Blümmel with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) presented an ‘livestock live talk’ on Using crop by-products to intensify and sustain food production at the ILRI campus in Nairobi. View the presentation: ‘Livestock live talks’ is a seminar series at ILRI that aims to address livestock-related issues, mobilize … Continue reading »
Animal Feeding / Article / Crop residues / Crop-Livestock / ILRI / PA / SLP / Soils
Stuck on stubble: Why ‘no-till agriculture’ is a ‘no can do’ on many small farms
Rice residues in southeast Punjab, India, prior to the wheat season (photo on Flickr by Neil Palmer). Why are most poor farmers in developing countries not adopting ‘no-till agriculture’ (also called ‘conservation agriculture’)—an eco-friendly, natural-resource-conserving technology that helps conserve soil fertility by eliminating ploughing and keeping the remains of crops on the ground after harvest? The … Continue reading »
Agriculture / Crop-Livestock / CRP12 / Event / ILRI / Intensification / PLE
Integration, intensification, innovation – CGIAR humid tropics research program takes shape
Last week the CGIAR Humid Tropics research program held a planning Workshop in Nairobi. Alan Duncan, ILRI’s contact person for the program shares his reflections on the design of the program: One could argue that the ‘integrating’ systems research programs like this one are what CGIAR reform was meant to achieve: Different centers pooling expertise, … Continue reading »
