Product development:
A decision support tool that provides recommendations on Scheduled Planting practices to ensure a more continuous supply of cassava fresh roots to the processing industry in key areas in Tanzania (and Nigeria)
Overall goals
Demand-driven, rapid and cost-effective development of a tool for Scheduled Planting; demand creation with service providers; mainstream approaches for adoption by national research organizations
Primary client
Development organizations / service providers working with farmers that produce for the processing industry: CAVA-II and Psaltry International Ltd. in Nigeria, and CAVA-II in Tanzania
Product development protocol
(to be validated and refined in a collaborative effort involving IITA, FUNAAB, NRCRI, ARI, CIAT, ETH and KUL)
- delineate target areas and collate fresh root prices and transport costs
- assemble a draft version (V0) of the tool based on secondary information
- conduct researcher-managed trials and a first series of multilocational on-farm validation trials to assess options for Scheduled Planting and delaying harvest
- use findings to parametrize and cross-validate DSSAT model, conduct additional series of field trials to refine tool (V1-V2)
- design and format tool to facilitate use by development organizations (VF)
Tool format
NIGERIA
TANZANIA
Akilimo Mobile App
Outcome goals
A decision support tool for selected AoIs in Nigeria and Tanzania; analytical tools, approaches and protocols for tool development; ROI of the overall R&D approach; prioritized service providers use the decision support tool