ciatapr10, ciat, poster, "poster Exhibit", beans, frijol, Agbio

1. Farmers’ Adaptive Management:
Key factor in wider adoption of climbing beans in Rwanda
J.C. Rubyogo (CIAT/PABRA), D. Mukankubana (ISAR), A. Musoni (ISAR), L. Sperling (CIAT) and R.Buruchara (CIAT‐PABRA)
Innovative and adaptive capacities of farmers Context background
Beans are a key food crop in Rwanda with an • Before 1985, climbing beans were mainly
estimated area of 300,000 ha/year about 22% of grown by farmers in the north‐west of
Rwanda (less than 10% of farmers in Rwanda)
arable land and second to banana . The annual on very fertile soils (volcanic) and in bimodal
bean consumption is estimated at 60 kg per capita good rainfall
per year. The adoption and wider use of climbing in • The use of organic soil amendments and
Rwanda is a result of several factors including chemical fertilizers were quasi inexistent
farmers’ capacities to innovate and adopt additional • Farmers were mainly planting less vigorous
technologies and attitudinal changes such as: climbing bean varieties and using Pennisetum
Purpereum (elephant grass) or cassava sticks as
staking materials (see photo on left side)
• staking techniques and stake management • For food security reasons and risk aversion ,
• Use of highly appreciate Improved varieties farmers were mixing bush and climbing beans
•Improved soil fertility management varieties
•Changing cropping systems • Farmers practiced broadcasted planting
• market responsiveness • Most of farm work related to beans was left to
•Gender work redistribution female farmers
Changes in the cropping systems : What were early farmers’ changes with the introduction of Other changes: stakes and their
climbing bean technologies in Rwanda? management
Row planting rather than usual broadcasting to
ease the weeding and staking Farmers in north west of Rwanda (traditional zone of climbing Elephant grass/bamboo, eucalyptus, grevillea
Two weedings. The first one is done some beans) knew that local climbing beans varieties expressed sp branches are predominantly used as
weeks before flowering and it is carried using a higher yield potential (twice) than local bush bean mixtures staking materials. After harvesting beans , the
hoe and the second one is hand weeding. especially on better soils. However, the wider use of climbing stakes are collected and kept either in the
Use of pure climbing varieties at most three bean varieties was hindered by farmers’ concerns related to house compound or in bean field for reuses of
especially highly preferred by the market . white staking materials especially the unavailability of stakes or/and about 4‐8 seasons for hardwood and 1‐2
pea beans , yellows and red mottled cost such as manpower to cut and transport them to the field. seasons for non wood materials . To avoid
Efficient (localized ) organic manure rot, bunches of stakes are kept at an angle
supplemented more by chemical fertilizers With the introduction of highly productive and preferred of 450 and bottom ends looking up.
especially the DAP therefore increasing P climbing bean varieties by the Institut des Sciences
availability in the soil. The efficient manure use Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR) and the International Center
reduces the amount by half (about 10 tones/ha) for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), farmers started intensifying
climbing beans by using stakes from the elephant grass Changes in gender roles
planted on the hedges of anti‐erosion contour lines closer to
The increased bean productivity coupled
climbing bean fields. This reduced the costs of transporting the
with use of more marketable bean varieties
stakes.
have stimulated the participation of men
farmers in climbing bean production. For
As benefits resulting from the use of climbing beans were
instance row planting, manure/fertilizer
increasingly being visible especially high bean productivity and
application, collect of stakes and staking and
high return to land which is very scarce in Rwanda, many
weeding are now carried out by both men
farmers in both traditional and non traditional climbing zones
and women . The weeding of row planted
adopted and adapted the technology. This wider e adoption
beans has also attracted men because they
led to the deeper changes in the cropping systems, social and
use large/normal hoes while in traditional
agricultural policy changes
broadcasted planting, the weeding is carried
Climbing beans in consolidated land out using a small hoe called Nyirabunyagwa.
Culturally is not acceptable for men to use
this farm implement. .
On going research efforts to address high demand of staking materials
Though farmers have adapted climbing bean technology and its components, the concerns of staking materials and
cost are still an handicap for many more farmers who want to expand the climbing beans especially in non
traditional climbing beans (photo below on left side). There is a need to devise cost effective staking approaches.
ISAR bean team with PABRA support, is developing several staking techniques and materials (see photo below on
right). Partners
•Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du
Rwanda (ISAR)
•Development Rural du Nord (DRN)
•Urugaga Imbaraga
•Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority
(RADA)
On going research effort using fewer poles Pan‐African Bean Research Alliance(PABRA)
Staking beans with elephant Multi season stake management by and strings may reduce stakes at 15,000
grass and a stone farmers stakes/ha rather than the usual of 50,000 CIAT‐Bean Programme
Take home messages :
1. Expose farmers to relevant technologies and making available to them helps them to strengthen their innovation capacities for further adaptation and expansion
2. The way Rwandan farmers adapted climbing bean technology and its components is an important source of inspiration and education for any body interested in
agricultural changes and development
3. The relevance of climbing bean technology has attracted the support from the Rwanda agricultural policy and decision makers who intend to support the use of
climbing beans in middle and lower attitude under the land consolidation policy