MAIZE TRUST: Conservation Agriculture Smallholder Farmer Innovation Programme

Quantitative research support to the Conservation Agriculture Smallholder Farmer Innovation Programme, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Maize Trust-funded CA Smallholder Farmer Innovation Programme (SFIP) in South Africa, as conceptualized and implemented through MDF, has pioneered the use of agricultural innovation systems as a methodological approach for the promotion of an appropriate smallholder CA farming system, as well as awareness raising and adaptive research into specific elements of this system.

The programme was initially housed at GrainSA and is presently managed through Asset Research.

MDF has worked with smallholder farmers in CA learning groups, who implement CA as farmer led trials and expand their implementation into their whole fields over time. Around 480 smallholders across 43 villages in KwaZulu-Natal (Bergville, SKZN and Midlands) have been implementing CA for a period of between one to eight years, because of The Maize Trust SFIP support. Processes explored are working in village based learning groups and farmer level experimentation to include practices such as use of different CA planters, reduced external input and organic systems, close spacing, intercropping crop rotation, multi-species cover crops, fodder production and supplementation, and livestock integration.

CA Adaptive research summary 2022 - 2023

Oct 2023
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CA Presentation - B. Jv Rensburg

Oct 2023
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CA Adaptive research for smallholders - Annual Progress report

Sep 2023
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MDF Livestock Integration presentation

Aug 2023
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CA Adaptive research for smallholders Interim Progress report

Mar 2023
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A brief reflection of the MT supported research to date

Sep 2022
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Annual Progress report

Sep 2022
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CA _Adaptive research summary

Sep 2022
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Interim Progress report

Mar 2022
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Annual Progress report

Sep 2021
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CA Adaptive research summary

Sep 2021
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Conservation Agriculture Innovation Systems Build Climate Resilience for Smallholder Farmers in SA

Aug 2021
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8WCCA - Erna Kruger Case Study

Jun 2021
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Mycotoxins

Jun 2021
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Cover Crops for Soil Improvement and Livestock Integration

Aug 2019
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Fodder Experimentation Progress Summary

Aug 2019
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CA-SFIP Maize Trust Presentation

May 2019
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Maize Trust VSLA Presentation

May 2019
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Soil Health Presentation

Oct 2018
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Learning Conservation Agriculture the Innovation Systems Way Article

Sep 2018
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Learning Conservation Agriculture the Innovation Systems Way Presentation

Sep 2018
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Landcare 8th Biennial Conference Paper

Aug 2018
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Smallholder Farmer Innovation Programme Progress 2018-2019

Aug 2018
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Significant Innovations and Progress for Smallholder Farmers in Conservation Agriculture

Nov 2017
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No Till Conference Optimising Conservation Agriculture System for Non and Semi Commercial Smallholders

Sep 2017
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Conservation Agriculture in South Africa - Lessons from Case Sudies

Jan 2017
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Farmer-Centred Innovations System Approach to Stimulate Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in South Africa Poster

Dec 2015
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The Potential for Payment of Ecosystem Services in Smallholder Conservation Agriculture

Dec 2015
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SFIP Progress Presentation

Aug 2015
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SFIP Farmers Day

Feb 2015
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