News

Africa RISING feed

Building a better solar irrigation market in Ghana

This post was first published on the Agrilinks website on 16 June. It was written by Thai Thi Minh, senior researcher at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Abena Ofosu, senior research officer with the Scaling Innovations Team, IWMI; and Osman Sahanoon Kulendi, managing director...

  • Africa RISING communications
ILRI News

Irrigating fodder crops to improve nutrition for animals and people in Ethiopia

When livestock is fed high-quality fodder, produced with the help of irrigation, they deliver better milk and meat, benefitting the nutritional health of their keepers and consumers. The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) and its partners are investigating best-bet...

Livestock Feed and Fodder blog

New insights into the diversity of Napier grass: More productivity in fully irrigated systems

ILRI news Napier grass growing in the ILRI field gene bank in Ziway, Ethiopia (photo credit: Shawn Landersz /Global Crop Diversity Trust). Napier grass commonly referred to as elephant grass, or Uganda grass and scientifically known as Cenchrus purpureus , is one of the most important fodder crops...

Livestock Feed and Fodder blog

Irrigated forages improve livestock productivity and livelihoods in Ethiopia

By Aberra Adie and Michael Blummel Despite having Africa’s largest livestock population, Ethiopia has not realized the full benefits from the sector due to low animal productivity which is attributed to many factors, the foremost being poor quality and inadequate feed resources. Researchers in the...

ILRI clippings

Irrigation boosts food security for Africa’s smallholder households

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) project is using irrigation to increase food production in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania (photo credit: Emmanuel Panyan). A review of a five-year irrigation project in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania shows that all the men and women...

Africa RISING feed

Technologies that transform: A look at select Africa RISING interventions in Babati District, Tanzania

Automated irrigation kit A solar powered automatic irrigation kit is showing promise in helping vegetable farmers in Tanzania, particularly women, use water resources more efficiently in farming. Currently being tested in Gallapo village of Babati District in northern Tanzania, the Smart...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Water management knowledge key in small-scale irrigation development

Small-scale irrigation development could positively benefit the intensification of crop-livestock mixed farming systems in the Ethiopian highlands because it improves climate resilience in the rainy season through supplementary irrigation and provides off-season benefits as it enables agricultural...

  • Simret Yasabu
Africa RISING feed

Report of first six months of Africa RISING Phase II in Ethiopia

A report of the first six months (1 October 2016–30 March 2017) of the second phase of the Africa RISING program activities in Ethiopia is now available. The report highlights the training of trainers (ToT) workshops organized in the southern region during this period and presents findings of a...

  • Simret Yasabu
Africa RISING feed

Expanding use of solar irrigation pumps in Ethiopia

A farmers in Lemo woreda with his newly installed solar irrigation pump (photo credit: IWMI/ Petra Schmitter). In the first phase of the Africa RISING project in the Ethiopian highlands, the International Water Management Institute ( IWMI ) investigated technologies that could improve farmers’...

  • Simret Yasabu
Africa RISING feed

Gender and water technologies use for irrigation and multiple purposes in Ethiopia

A new report by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) outlines the results of a study on gender and individual irrigation technologies in two Africa RISING Project sites in Ethiopia, Bale (Illu Sambitu Kebele) and Lemo (Jawe and Upper Gana Kebeles). Based on a survey of 79 farmers (38...

  • Simret Yasabu
AgHealth blog

ILRI scientist calls for better irrigation techniques to reduce risk of vector-borne diseases

The hidden dangers of irrigation in Kenya By Imogen Mathers If you are unable to listen to this audio, please update your browser or go here to download. For farmers in Kenya, creative ways to irrigate crops can be the difference between a harvest failing or thriving. In this drought-prone country...

AgHealth blog

Study explores effect of land use and biodiversity changes on risk of zoonoses in Tana River County, Kenya

Orma Boran cattle crossing a river in Kenya (photo credit: ILRI/Rosemary Dolan). The Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium is a research program that works to understand the relationships between ecosystems, zoonotic diseases, health and wellbeing in order to inform effective public...