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 researc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175302 |
| _version_ | 1855520934134284288 |
|---|---|
| author | Adolwa, Ivan S. Zingore, Shamie Mutegi, James McNee, Matthew Akorede, Bolaji A. Masidza, Denver Murrell, T. Scott Ndungu, Samuel Mathu Nchanji, Eileen Cook, Simon Oberthür, Thomas |
| author_browse | Adolwa, Ivan S. Akorede, Bolaji A. Cook, Simon Masidza, Denver McNee, Matthew Murrell, T. Scott Mutegi, James Nchanji, Eileen Ndungu, Samuel Mathu Oberthür, Thomas Zingore, Shamie |
| author_facet | Adolwa, Ivan S. Zingore, Shamie Mutegi, James McNee, Matthew Akorede, Bolaji A. Masidza, Denver Murrell, T. Scott Ndungu, Samuel Mathu Nchanji, Eileen Cook, Simon Oberthür, Thomas |
| author_sort | Adolwa, Ivan S. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | 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. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace175302 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1753022025-11-13T10:38:35Z Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems Adolwa, Ivan S. Zingore, Shamie Mutegi, James McNee, Matthew Akorede, Bolaji A. Masidza, Denver Murrell, T. Scott Ndungu, Samuel Mathu Nchanji, Eileen Cook, Simon Oberthür, Thomas evaluation smallholders-smallholder farmers innovation participatory research nutrient management agricultural innovation systems on-farm research-on-farm trials 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. 2025-10 2025-06-25T08:05:50Z 2025-06-25T08:05:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175302 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Adolwa, I.S.; Zingore, S.; Mutegi, J.; McNee, M.; Akorede, B.A.; Masidza, D.; Murrell, T.S.; Ndungu, S.M.; Nchanji, E.B.; Cook, S.; Oberthür, T. (2025) Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems. Agricultural Systems 229: 104416. ISSN: 0308-521X |
| spellingShingle | evaluation smallholders-smallholder farmers innovation participatory research nutrient management agricultural innovation systems on-farm research-on-farm trials Adolwa, Ivan S. Zingore, Shamie Mutegi, James McNee, Matthew Akorede, Bolaji A. Masidza, Denver Murrell, T. Scott Ndungu, Samuel Mathu Nchanji, Eileen Cook, Simon Oberthür, Thomas Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title | Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title_full | Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title_fullStr | Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title_short | Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems |
| title_sort | delivering nutrient management impact through farmer centric research a systematic review of innovation systems in african smallholder systems |
| topic | evaluation smallholders-smallholder farmers innovation participatory research nutrient management agricultural innovation systems on-farm research-on-farm trials |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175302 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adolwaivans deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT zingoreshamie deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT mutegijames deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT mcneematthew deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT akoredebolajia deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT masidzadenver deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT murrelltscott deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT ndungusamuelmathu deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT nchanjieileen deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT cooksimon deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems AT oberthurthomas deliveringnutrientmanagementimpactthroughfarmercentricresearchasystematicreviewofinnovationsystemsinafricansmallholdersystems |