Push Pull FRN

Lead Organization:

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community of Practice:

East & Southern Africa

Duration:

11/2018—11/2019

Overview:

The Push Pull Technology (PPT) is an agroecological pest-management system that was developed in Kenya for maize-based systems. In the previous two phases of this project, PPT was promoted and adapted in Ethiopia through an farmer research network (FRN) approach to reduce pest and weed infestation in a sorghum-based system. Although improved sorghum varieties were emphasized, farmers prefer their own local varieties and want to test them in the PPT system. This work continues the FRN approach but allow farmers to evaluate different ways in which the PPT and its components fit into their prevailing farming system in the diverse social and ecological contexts of Ethiopia. The project enhances collaborative learning among farmers for improved and increased production of sorghum.

Grant Aims:

To harmonize the Push Pull Technology, a “climate smart” and agroecologically friendly biological pest control mechanism, with the prevailing contexts of the sorghum-producing communities through effective and gender inclusive participation of farmers so that productivity is enhanced.

Outputs and Outcomes:

Evaluate how the PPT dovetails with the traditional sorghum cropping systems in which farmer preferred local and late maturing sorghum varieties are used, evaluate various water conservation technologies that fit the different micro environmental and socio-economic realities of individual farmers, and enhance a gender-inclusive FRN

Resources