The document discusses Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on yields. It provides a list of common GAP components introduced in various countries. Trial results found yield increases of 1-1.2 tonnes/hectare on average when adopting 3-4 GAP components. Larger yield gains were seen under rainfed lowland systems. Outscaling efforts reached over 1500 farmers by 2018. However, adoption faces constraints like limited knowledge and access to improved technologies. The document proposes an impact pathway and budget to train farmers on GAP.

1. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
GAP
an integrated set
of recommended
crop, soil, water
and weed
management
practice

2. List of GAP component technologies
• Land clearing
• Tillage
• Bunding
• Preflooding
• Puddling
• Levelling
• Cultivar choice
• Certified seeds
• Nursery sowing
• Planting method
• Thinning/Gap-filling
• Fertiliser application
(using RiceAdvice)
• Weeding
• Flooding
• Drainage
• …. etc.

3. In SSA – 30 to 90% (van Oort et al, 2015)
Current rice yield gaps
Farmer level yield gaps in rice hubs
(Yield gap = difference between average yield and top 10% max yield)

4. Potential of closing rice yield gap with GAP–e.g. TZ
Yield ceiling
with
traditional
varieties!
1. No N, no weeding (-N,-W),
2. Clean weeding but no N (-N,+W),
3. Recommended N but no weeding ((+N,-W)
4. Clean weeding with recommend N (split applied) (+N,+W),
5. Optimum management (e.g. complete fertilizer application (NPK) suitable to obtain 80 %
of potential yield; pest and disease control –with farmers (+NPK,+W).

5. Yield advantages with GAP
• 4.2 to 7.3 t/ha in Cote d’Ivoire (Becker and Johnson, 1999)
• 3.9 to 8.5 t/ha in Mauritania (Haefele et al. 2001)
• 5.6 to 9.0 t/ha in Senegal (Krupnik et al, 2012)
• 4.8 to 7.8 t/ha in Benin (Tanaka et al. 2013)
• 1.8-2.2 to 3.2-4.5 t/ha (max 8.5 t/ha) in Tanzania (Senthilkumar
et al, 2018)

6. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) introduction and
their impact on yield in SSA
• GAP were introduced in 30 rice hubs in 19 countries between 2013 to 2015
• 3 to 4 GAP component technologies were identified per hub and introduced for
one or two seasons
• 20 to 30 farmers tested the GAP per hub per season
• The prominent GAP technologies introduced were on
• Land preparation – e.g. bunding & levelling, tillage, puddling, and SAWAH
• Improved variety & seeds – e.g. NERICA1, NERICA4, NERICA-L19, NERICA-L36, FKR19, WITA9,
Ediget, Amankwatia, Gbewaa & certified seeds & seed treatment
• Crop establishment method & timing – e.g. line planting or sowing at 20 or 25 cm line and plant
spacing.
• Inorganic fertilizer application & timing – e.g. N, K & P containing fertilizers at recommended rates
• Weed management options – e.g. Rotary weeders, herbicides, additional hand weeding
• GAP yields were compared with previous YGS yields (2012-2014)

7. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) introduction and their impact on yield
Overall impact in all the rice growing conditions in SSA
1:1 line
 Large yield advantages realized with
GAP in most of the rice hubs in SSA
 Over all 1 t/ha yield increase with
GAP (only with 3-4 components) in
SSA
 Yield increase per rice growing
condition:
 Rainfed lowland: 1.2 t/ha
 Irrigated lowland: 0.7 t/ha
 Rainfed upland: 1 t/ha
 Yield reduction with GAP in few hubs
could be due to:
 Weather variability
 Improper use of GAP

8. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) introduction and their impact on yield
Rainfed lowland (for e.g.)
• GAP yields were between 3.1 to
6.3 t/ha; while YGS yields were
between 2.2 to 5.8 t/ha
• Largest yield increase was
observed with GAP under Rainfed
lowland conditions in SSA
• 12 to 282% increase in yield with
GAP compared to YGS yield
• More then 100% yield increase in
Benin and Ghana

9. Previous outscaling efforts
of GAP
• 8 GAP charts developed (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire,
Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania)
• In 2016, GAP was disseminated to farmers 72
in Benin, 100 in Côte d’Ivoire, 150 in Ghana,
322 in Madagascar, 150 -Nigeria, 40 – Sierra
Leone, and 717 in Tanzania.
• 1000 copies of GAP chart cum year planner
was disseminated in Tanzania.
• Currently 1500 farmers being trained on GAP
in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in 2018

10. Major constraints for GAP adoption
• Limited knowledge of producers on importance of
GAP
• Accessibility and availability of GAP component
technologies (e.g. Certified seeds & Fertilizers)
• Lack of enough extension personals & support
• Lack of large scale effort for technology dissemination

11. GAP training to
service providers and
lead farmers (to
finalize GAP) by
AfricaRice and NARIs
staff
Lead farmers practice and
demonstrate GAP in their
farm. Neighboring farmers
learn from lead farmers
though Farmer Field Days
(at least 100 Neighboring
farmers learn from a lead
farmer)
Service providers and
AfricaRice staff provide
backstopping to lead
farmers
Neighboring
farmers practice
GAP in their field
and get higher
yields
Service providers
facilitate Farmer
Field Days
Impact pathway
Example:
annual
budget
135K USD
30 service providers
and 75 Lead
farmers trained
100 Neighboring farmers
learn from each Lead
farmer - 7575 farmers
Additional 2275 tons paddy
produced (assuming 0.3
ha/farmer and 1 t/ha yield
increase)
TAAT -Soil
fertility
compact
(IFDC) -
providing
fertilizers
Seed
system –
providing
certified
seeds
Total beneficiaries reached 60,600 (assuming 8 person per household)

12. Follow-up survey after GAP demos and FFDs in Tanzania in 2015
GAP demonstrations and Farmer Field days are effective in Farmer’s learning and yield
increase
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Harvestafterdemos(t/ha)
Harvest before demos (t/ha)
Demo farmers (n=18)
Mean yield before demos: 2.6 t/ha
Mean yield after demos: 5.9 t/ha
Mean yield before FFD: 2.4 t/ha
Mean yield after FFD: 4.1 t/ha

13. Country (site) Partners* and their roles within the IPs
Cote d’Ivoire (Man) CNRA & Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural
(ANADER): Dissemination of weeders and GAP to farmers
AfricaRice: Providing technical support and backstopping
Uganda (Olweny, West
Nile)
Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) – provide training to
service providers and farmers on GAP including SmartFert
options
AfricaRice/NARO: Providing technical support and
backstopping
Madagascar
(Ankazomiriotra,
Ambohibary,)
SE/CNFAR - Provide training to service providers and
farmers on GAP
AfricaRice/FOFIFA – Provide technical assistance and
backstopping
* Partners are yet to be finalized
Thank you very much!