Under the Africa RISING project in Tanzania, WorldVeg researchers Inviolate Dominick and Never Mwambela organized field days on 28-29 June 2017 with farmer trainers Faustin Bathlomeo, a member of the GIlau farmer group in Bermi village, and Francis Pius a member of the Chapakazi farmer group in Shaurimoyo village, to highlight a range of best-bet technologies designed to help small-scale farmers diversify and increase vegetable production.

In total, 279 people (122 women; 157 men) attended the two field days, including local leaders and farmers, youth and adults from Africa RISING project villages, researchers, agricultural technical staff, R4D platform members, and extension agents.

“We wanted farmers to compare ongoing research experiment trials versus farmers’ practice,” said Inviolate. “The farmers were able to interact with researchers and extension agents regarding the probable reasons for variation in vegetable plant growth and yield, and for the presence of pests.”

Field day participants learned methods for improving soil health with compost and how to produce healthy seedlings. Research trials emphasizing Good Agricultural Practices including integrated pest management methods demonstrated how farmers could increase crop yield as well as the quality of their produce.

Participants admired the initiative of the farmers who had grown African nightshade and Ethiopian mustard in small plots (2 x 6 m); the crops matured earlier with higher yield compared to the same vegetables planted using farmers’ standard practices.

Farmers compared tomato grown in screenhouses to those produced in the open field, and noticed the plants in the open field were infested with pests and had fewer fruits. Tomatoes treated with fungal inoculums (Metarhizium 69) were healthier, with more fruit and less pest damage compared to tomato without fungal inoculation. One farmer from Shaurimoyo village said: “Next year I would like to grow tomatoes in a screenhouse, because my field is seriously affected by pests and diseases. It can help me save time and the cost of pesticides—and I will be able to produce quality crops.”

Together, the participants identified challenges, opportunities, constraints and ways of addressing them, focusing on the sustainable integration of vegetables into farming systems. Despite the challenges they face—a lack of good quality seed, poor soils, drought, pests, and a lack of markets—the farmers who attended the field days saw for themselves that adopting new practices can offer many benefits, from improving the quality of produce for the family diet to increasing farm income.

Story and photos: Inviolate Dominick and Never Mwambela