Dual-purpose Millet Varieties for Crop and Livestock Integration

Harvest More, Feed Better, Farm Smarter

Dual-purpose Varieties for Crop and Livestock Integration" refers to a specialized agricultural technology that involves the development and cultivation of specific millet and sorghum varieties designed to serve the dual purpose of providing both human food and animal fodder. These innovative cultivars are engineered to address the challenges faced in African drylands, where natural pastures and rangelands are suffering from overgrazing, soil degradation, and the effects of climate change, exacerbated by increasing livestock populations.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 8/9

Project adoption3

Technology integrated in the AFMPFNSHoA, ENSURE, and SEPAREF projects.

See project details ›

204 USD

Per hectare for seed, fertilizer, and labor

2.5—4 tons

Sorghum grain yield per Ha

10—15 tons

Sorghum stover yield per Ha

15 %

Sugar concentration

IP

No formal IP rights

Problem

Declining pasture productivity: Overgrazing and soil degradation reduce the productivity of natural pastures and rangelands, limiting the availability of livestock feed.
Growing feed demand: Increasing livestock numbers raise the demand for animal feed in dryland areas.
Limited dual-purpose varieties: Traditional millet and sorghum varieties do not provide enough grain and high-quality animal feed from the same crop because of unfavorable grain-to-stover ratios.
Poor feed quality: High lignin content reduces the digestibility of common millet and sorghum lines, while some varieties contain bitter-tasting tannins.

Solution

More productive feed supply: Dual-purpose varieties provide both grain and greater quantities of useful stover from the same crop.
Better feed availability: The varieties remain green through grain harvest, providing more fodder, especially during the dry season.
Better grain-to-stover balance: The varieties produce about 40% grain and 60% stover on a dry matter basis.
Higher-quality fodder: Lower lignin and tannin content improves digestibility and palatability, while sorghum stover has a sugar concentration of around 15%.

Key points to design your business plan

For Seed Multiplier :

Producing dual-purpose varieties technology fosters sustainable agricultural practices, bolsters food security, and aids in biodiversity conservation, empowering diverse farming communities and enhancing global health and wellbeing.

To effectively multiply seeds, it's crucial to stock up on Foundation or Registered Seed, depending on your position in the seed development process. While dual-purpose millet and sorghum varieties are released for multiplication and sales under a royalty-free license, certification following national regulations is necessary.

Your potential customers include wholesale distributors of seed to retailers, cooperatives, and development projects, as well as government agencies and NGOs.

Establishing strong partnerships with wholesale distributor networks is essential for business success.

For Users :

Utilizing this dual-purpose varieties technology enhances food security by providing both human food and high-quality animal feed, improving digestibility and taste for both humans and animals. Additionally, it fosters sustainable agriculture practices while preserving biodiversity and ecosystem health.

This technology is accessible in various countries including Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, with cultivation costs averaging USD 204 per hectare for seed, fertilizer, and labor.

Earnings from dual-purpose pearl millet exceed those from fodder millet by 31% and grain millet by 63%.

Partnerships with private seed companies, cooperatives, and seed growers are essential for successful implementation.

For optimal results, consider integrating this technology with proactive management of Striga infestation, fertilizer micro-dosing for enhanced yield and efficiency, and motorized crop residue processing of animal feed.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

They benefit from increased agricultural productivity and economic resilience.

The poor: Positive high

It helps them reduce production costs, by offering an affordable way to maximize resources and producing both food and livestock feed from the same crop.

Under 18: Positive high

It improves food security and nutrition for children and teenagers by providing both quality grains for human consumption

Women: Positive high

With better yields from crops and livestock, women can improve household food security and generate additional income

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

This variety is more resilient to drought, temperature extremes, and degraded soils, enabling farmers to adapt better to changing climatic conditions.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

The ability to produce both grain for food and stover for livestock feed from the same crop helps farmers maintain productivity even in adverse climate conditions.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

The use of crop residues for animal feed reduces the pressure on overgrazed natural pastures and rangelands, allowing these ecosystems to regenerate

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

By growing a single crop that serves both human and livestock needs, farmers can lower the energy and resource demands of their operations

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

It helps restore balance to ecosystems by promoting the sustainable use of resources, such as crop residues for feed.

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

This technology improves soil quality by enhancing organic matter through crop residues used as mulch or organic fertilizers.

Water use: A bit less water used

This variety is often drought-tolerant and require less water than traditional varieties, making them well-suited for regions with water scarcity.

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 7 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: prototype

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
AFMPFNSHoA Additional Financing to Multinational Programme for Food & Nutrition Security in the Horn of Africa	Somalia	Direct : 100,000	5.4 million 2022–2026	100 tons of certified forage seeds distributed 16,500 farmers access TAAT technologies 30% increase in forage production expected Fodder banks established in 6 locations
ENSURE Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension	Kenya Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan Uganda Tanzania	Direct: 3,000,000	13.14 million 2024–2027	149,940 farmers trained 9,996 Training 2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected 350 agent trained
SEPAREF Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis	Burundi Comoros Somalia South Sudan	Direct: 40,000 Indirect: 10,000,000	10.56 million 2022–2025	10,000 tons seeds produced 1,600,000 farmers registered on distribution platforms 4,000 training 4 food security models developed

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

AFMPFNSHoA
Additional Financing to Multinational Programme for Food & Nutrition Security in the Horn of Africa

Somalia

Direct : 100,000

5.4 million

2022–2026

100 tons of certified forage seeds distributed
16,500 farmers access TAAT technologies
30% increase in forage production expected
Fodder banks established in 6 locations

ENSURE
Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension

Kenya
Rwanda
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
South Sudan
Uganda
Tanzania

Direct: 3,000,000

13.14 million

2024–2027

149,940 farmers trained
9,996 Training
2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected
350 agent trained

SEPAREF
Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis

Burundi
Comoros
Somalia
South Sudan

Direct: 40,000
Indirect: 10,000,000

10.56 million

2022–2025

10,000 tons seeds produced
1,600,000 farmers registered on distribution platforms
4,000 training
4 food security models developed

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Chad	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid		–		–
Subhumid		–		–
Humid	–	–	–	–

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

The technology helps increase income for smallholder farmers by improving crop and livestock productivity, thus contributing to poverty alleviation.

Goal 2: zero hunger

This technology enhances agricultural yields and livestock productivity, directly addressing hunger and malnutrition.

Goal 13: climate action

The climate-resilient nature of these crops helps farmers adapt to climate change, reducing vulnerability to extreme weather events and enhancing climate resilience.

Goal 15: life on land

this technology contributes to the protection and restoration of ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and combating desertification

For effectively utilization of dual-purpose millet and sorghum varieties for integrated crop and livestock farming, it require to:

Develop dual-purpose millet and sorghum varieties using conventional techniques such as crossing and hybridization. Subject these varieties to rigorous field testing before releasing them to farmers.
Prepare the land for cultivation. Follow generally prescribed practices for seed rate, plant spacing, and fertilizer application based on local growing areas and seasons.
Wilt sorghum stover for at least 12 hours before feeding it to animals to break down hydrogen cyanides, which can be toxic. Ensure proper handling to prevent poisoning.
Chop green or dry sorghum stover into pieces of approximately 2 cm when using it as fodder for cows, pigs, and goats. Shred it into smaller pieces of less than 0.5 cm for poultry.
Millet and sorghum stover can be used for silage in pits or under plastic. During silage preparation, fermentation releases extra sugar and breaks down anti-nutrients.
Avoid adding molasses to sorghum silage due to its already high sugar content.
Utilize fodder from sorghum, either as green chop or silage.
It can replace maize at equal amounts for all types of livestock.
Sorghum fodder provides up to 67% of required roughage and up to 20% of the total diet for livestock.