Ivan S. Adolwa , Shamie Zingore , James Mutegi , Matthew McNee , Bolaji A. Akorede , Denver Masidza , T. Scott Murrell , Samuel Mathu Ndungu , Eileen Nchanji , Simon Cook , Thomas Oberthür
{"title":"通过以农民为中心的研究提供营养管理影响:对非洲小农系统创新系统的系统审查","authors":"Ivan S. Adolwa , Shamie Zingore , James Mutegi , Matthew McNee , Bolaji A. Akorede , Denver Masidza , T. Scott Murrell , Samuel Mathu Ndungu , Eileen Nchanji , Simon Cook , Thomas Oberthür","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104416","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The performance of the agricultural sector in Africa still lags behind other regions. The current average maize productivity of 2 t ha<sup>-1</sup> is below the global average of about 6 t ha<sup>-1</sup>. This low productivity threatens the livelihoods of a majority of the population. Despite decades of research and development investments, current agricultural innovation systems remain ineffective in supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study traces the evolution of innovation systems in Africa as a backdrop to the adaptation of on-farm experimentation (OFE), which is a novel framework for accelerating research and development (R&D) impact.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>A systematic review approach is augmented with social network analysis methods and primary and secondary data.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>We find that although current innovation systems have contributed to enhancing co-learning processes and have enabled the partial adoption of improved agronomic practices, resulting in increased nutrient uptake efficiency and crop productivity, several shortcomings have limited their impact. Despite their core focus on participatory and systemic R&D processes, our review points to their inability to effectively engage farmers. Hence, failing to generate scalable learning, and demonstrate sufficient value to farmers and other stakeholders. The OFE initiatives demonstrate how farmer-relevant insights integrated with field-based and digital evidence help spur a farmer-driven innovation development and decision support framework.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>OFE is potentially a powerful enabler of current innovation systems performance as it provides the platform for a transformative farmer-led innovation process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"229 ","pages":"Article 104416"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems\",\"authors\":\"Ivan S. Adolwa , Shamie Zingore , James Mutegi , Matthew McNee , Bolaji A. Akorede , Denver Masidza , T. Scott Murrell , Samuel Mathu Ndungu , Eileen Nchanji , Simon Cook , Thomas Oberthür\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104416\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The performance of the agricultural sector in Africa still lags behind other regions. The current average maize productivity of 2 t ha<sup>-1</sup> is below the global average of about 6 t ha<sup>-1</sup>. This low productivity threatens the livelihoods of a majority of the population. Despite decades of research and development investments, current agricultural innovation systems remain ineffective in supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study traces the evolution of innovation systems in Africa as a backdrop to the adaptation of on-farm experimentation (OFE), which is a novel framework for accelerating research and development (R&D) impact.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>A systematic review approach is augmented with social network analysis methods and primary and secondary data.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>We find that although current innovation systems have contributed to enhancing co-learning processes and have enabled the partial adoption of improved agronomic practices, resulting in increased nutrient uptake efficiency and crop productivity, several shortcomings have limited their impact. Despite their core focus on participatory and systemic R&D processes, our review points to their inability to effectively engage farmers. Hence, failing to generate scalable learning, and demonstrate sufficient value to farmers and other stakeholders. 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Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems
CONTEXT
The performance of the agricultural sector in Africa still lags behind other regions. The current average maize productivity of 2 t ha-1 is below the global average of about 6 t ha-1. This low productivity threatens the livelihoods of a majority of the population. Despite decades of research and development investments, current agricultural innovation systems remain ineffective in supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.
OBJECTIVE
This study traces the evolution of innovation systems in Africa as a backdrop to the adaptation of on-farm experimentation (OFE), which is a novel framework for accelerating research and development (R&D) impact.
METHODS
A systematic review approach is augmented with social network analysis methods and primary and secondary data.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
We find that although current innovation systems have contributed to enhancing co-learning processes and have enabled the partial adoption of improved agronomic practices, resulting in increased nutrient uptake efficiency and crop productivity, several shortcomings have limited their impact. Despite their core focus on participatory and systemic R&D processes, our review points to their inability to effectively engage farmers. Hence, failing to generate scalable learning, and demonstrate sufficient value to farmers and other stakeholders. The OFE initiatives demonstrate how farmer-relevant insights integrated with field-based and digital evidence help spur a farmer-driven innovation development and decision support framework.
SIGNIFICANCE
OFE is potentially a powerful enabler of current innovation systems performance as it provides the platform for a transformative farmer-led innovation process.
期刊介绍:
Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments.
The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies in the following areas:
Systems approaches in the sustainable intensification of agriculture; pathways for sustainable intensification; crop-livestock integration; farm-level resource allocation; quantification of benefits and trade-offs at farm to landscape levels; integrative, participatory and dynamic modelling approaches for qualitative and quantitative assessments of agricultural systems and decision making;
The interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; the multiple services of agricultural systems; food security and the environment;
Global change and adaptation science; transformational adaptations as driven by changes in climate, policy, values and attitudes influencing the design of farming systems;
Development and application of farming systems design tools and methods for impact, scenario and case study analysis; managing the complexities of dynamic agricultural systems; innovation systems and multi stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and (or) inform policy decisions.