Sorghum mono yields to 0.25 tones per hactare while sorghum intercropped with desmodium yields to 2.6 tonnes per hactare as shown above

Adaptation >> Home

In view of climate change, the African resource constrained smallholder farmers will need to move from maize to more drought resistant cereal crops, such as sorghum and millet, and small ruminants for dairy production. Our on-station and on-farm research has shown that push-pull technology effectively works with both these crops, giving highly significant increases in grain yields, while still delivering quality fodder for livestock and soil improvement benefits. Our studies show that with push-pull the grain yields of sorghum increase from 1.4 ± 0.1 to 2.9 ± 0.2 t/ha/cropping season, while those of finger millet increase from 417.1 ± 82.5 to 866 ± 57.9 kg/ha/cropping season.

The Push-pull program has increased focus on indigenous orphan crops grown in dry areas (e.g. sorghum and millet). New drought and temperature-tolerant companion plants are being researched for correct chemistry in terms of stemborer attractancy and repellency and striga suppression properties in addition to their ability to improve soil fertility, moisture retention and organic matter. An important factor being taken into consideration is obtaining sufficient biodiversity of potential alternative plants for use in an adapted push-pull system to maximise chances of success and to deliver all the benefits of the current system to orphan crops which were previously grown by African farmers - and which are more suited to drier and hotter conditions.