The impact of diversity field forums: improving farmer management of millet and Sorghum in Mali (original) (raw)

Malian farmers have been growing millet and sorghum for millennia. These crops are still the main staples of subsistence farmers in an agri­ cultural sector that is almost entirely rainfed (i.e. farmers do not have access to irrigation). National average yields for both crops are low at less than 1 tonne per hectare. These low yields are often attributed in part to low adop­ tion rates for improved seed; no more than 10% of the country’s cereals area is planted with im­ proved seed. Low adoption rates have in turn been blamed on the poor performance of the formal seed system. The formal seed sectors for sorghum and millet continue to be largely state­run, with some participation by regis­ tered farmer cooperatives in multiplying seed. So far, commercialization of farmer­produced seed has failed. Farmers need to have access to a wide range of well­adapted varieties to cope with the varying rainfall and soil conditions in the The impact of diversity field forums: improving farmer mana...

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