Clase: Capacity for Legume Adaptive Science and Education.

A major challenge to uptake of new crops and more sustainable production practices is the lack of capacity to address the complexity of real world challenges in agriculture. Yet, crop diversification is an important ingrediant to support the utilization of biological processes that is at the foundation of sustainable production of food in Africa. Legumes are one of the key resources relied upon, along with their rhizobium partners, to enhance nutrient acquisition, build soil organic matter, and provide complementary amino acids and phytochemicals for nutrition, in humans and livestock. To promote utilization of tropical legumes requires capacity in multiple disciplines: human and natural sciences working together to support adaptation. Adaptive science is an approach that addresses the complexity, and uncertainties, associated with improving legume performance on smallholder farms. In Malawi we have taken a learning lab approach, to support capacity building and co-learning around adaptive solutions to sustainable agriculture, to learn more see http://globalchangescience.org/eastafricanode

Integration of improved legume varieties is being promoted by adapative research, where our Michigan State University team has worked closely for two decades with Malawi extension, university faculty and students, and farmers. This talk will discuss lessons learned over two decades of integrated research and extension to support building of adaptative capacity in legume systems, both locally and internationally. This experience has shown how capacity to innovate can support significant uptake of legumes for sustainable intensification of maize-based cropping.