You are currently viewing the pipeline e-catalog, with technologies that are not yet ready to scale. Take me back to the development partners e-catalog ›
108 results
High-biomass pasture that animals digest easily A field-ready forage solution that can be packaged into livestock productivity projects, fodder banks, and youth/women economic activities (seedling production, hay making, feed supply).
Better grass. Better livestock. Urochloa cultivars help achieve goals related to poverty reduction, nutrition and climate resilience. High‑yielding grasses like Basilisk, MG‑4, Piatá and Xaraes increase livestock productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers. They thrive on poor soils and in dry conditions, supporting sustainable agriculture. Their high protein and digestibility improve milk and meat supplies. Thick pastures reduce erosion and restore soil health. Women benefit from reduced time spent searching for forage and from opportunities in hay and seed enterprises. Development programmes should support community seed multiplication, demonstration plots, training on sowing and weed control, and market linkages.
High-biomass, drought-tolerant forage for reliable feed all year Seasonal feed shortages and climate variability limit livestock productivity in smallholder systems. Megathyrsus maximus cultivars (Mombasa, Tanzania, Massai) offer a high-yielding (10–20 t DM/ha/year), drought-tolerant forage with good nutritional quality, ensuring reliable year-round feed supply. Their deep root systems also improve soil structure and reduce erosion, supporting more resilient and sustainable livestock production.
Practical knowledge for profitable soybean farming! This innovation consists of a structured Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) for soybean farmers that promotes practical knowledge on site selection, planting techniques, fertilizer use, weed management, pest and disease control, harvesting, and post-harvest handling. By strengthening farmers’ technical capacity. The approach increases soybean productivity, supports food and nutrition security through access to plant protein, improves farmer incomes, and contributes to soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation.
Dry Out the Methane. Green Up Your Harvest. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is an easy, low-cost water-saving method for growing rice. Instead of keeping the rice field continuously flooded, farmers let the field dry out for several days between irrigations. The timing is guided by a simple field water tube (often bamboo or a PVC pipe) installed in the paddy. When the water level inside this tube drops to 15 cm below the soil surface, it is time to irrigate again. This alternating cycle cuts water use by about 25–30%, and helps reduce methane (a powerful greenhouse gas). By using AWD, farmers save money on irrigation costs (less pumping or water fees) while producing the same amount of rice, making them more resilient to water scarcity.
The sun’s energy at the service of your harvest The Solar Pump is a solar-powered irrigation system that uses photovoltaic (PV) pumps to lift water and irrigate crops, offering an economical and sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-powered pumps. It combines solar pumps (SIPS) with water distribution systems such as drip, sprinkler, or simple hose, and can be combined with tailored financing models to improve access for smallholder farmers. Typically operating on direct current (DC) without an inverter, it is particularly suitable for off-grid rural areas.
Easy Water Access for Every Smallholder The Shallow Groundwater Tube well is a simple and economical technology for exploiting shallow groundwater (up to 20 m), particularly suited to floodplain areas with sedimentary formations. It involves manually drilling or jetting a narrow hole fitted with a PVC pipe (50 or 63 mm), from which water is pumped using a small, low-power pump powered by fuel or solar energy. This solution provides small farmers with efficient access to water for irrigation during the dry season, covering up to 1 ha, and also meets agricultural and watering needs. Easy to implement, inexpensive, and compatible with solar pumping, the technology increases water autonomy, reduces dependence on fossil fuels, and supports sustainable and resilient agriculture, provided that local hydrogeological conditions are well understood.
The Fast Track to Climate-Smart Farming Zainer provides a scalable mechanized solution for rainwater harvesting and land preparation in dryland agriculture. By drilling Zai planting holes quickly and efficiently, it improves soil moisture retention, reduces labor requirements by about 260 hours per hectare, and lowers production costs for farmers growing sorghum, millet, and maize under rain-fed conditions.
More yield, better quality, stronger resilience! Improved yam varieties contribute to multiple development goals, including food security, poverty reduction, climate resilience, and women/youth employment. They are climate-smart innovations that address production bottlenecks while aligning with SDGs on hunger, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.
High-yielding, early maturing, and striga-resistant cowpea varieties for farmers! IITA’s improved cowpea varieties offer a development-oriented solution to combat poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Short-duration, high-yielding, and pest-resistant, these varieties are adapted to Sahel and Sudan Savanna agro-ecologies. With protein-rich grains and fast-cooking seeds, they provide both nutritional benefits and increased income opportunities for smallholder farmers. Supporting adoption of these varieties aligns with SDGs, climate-smart agriculture, and rural development initiatives.
Scan Nutrients. Get Answers. Act Fast. The handheld Nutrient Scanner by AgroCares is a scalable tool to democratize soil testing in low-resource settings. It enables field agents and cooperatives to perform instant nutrient diagnostics using a smartphone, bypassing the cost and delays of lab testing. Ideal for projects aiming to improve input efficiency, food security, or environmental sustainability, the scanner supports inclusive, evidence-based farming practices. Its use can also generate valuable data to inform policy, monitor soil degradation, and promote regenerative agriculture.
Yam leaf-bud cuttings, rapid quality seed production! The Leaf-bud Cuttings system offers a transformative, low-cost, and climate-smart solution to improve smallholder access to quality seed yam, directly addressing issues of food insecurity, low yields, and vulnerability to shocks. By reducing seed costs and disease spread, and freeing up food-grade tubers for consumption and trade, this method contributes to productivity, resilience, and income growth in rural communities. It is highly scalable, inclusive (suitable for women and youth), and effective in both stable and fragile contexts. Supporting its adoption aligns with development goals around sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, and climate adaptation.
Catch the Rain, Grow with the Grain! The Demi-lune (half-moon) technology is a simple land restoration method used mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. By digging semi-circular pits to capture rainwater and restore soil fertility, it tackles land degradation, water scarcity, and low productivity. First used in Burkina Faso in the 1980s, it has spread to Niger, Mali, Chad, and Senegal. Suitable for millet, sorghum, and legumes, it boosts yields and soil health, helps farmers adapt to climate change, and supports SDGs like No Poverty and Climate Action.
Transforming Cassava Farming Through Entrepreneurial Innovation! Cassava is a vital crop for food security and income generation across Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the region's traditional cassava seed systems have been largely informal and unsustainable, relying on farmer-to-farmer seed sharing and irregular free seed distributions from governments and NGOs. This practice has resulted in the widespread use of low-quality, disease-prone planting materials, leading to reduced crop yields and limited adoption of improved cassava varieties. The Cassava Seed Entrepreneur (CSE) Business Model offers a sustainable, market-driven solution to strengthen cassava seed systems. By transforming rural men, women, and youth into certified seed entrepreneurs, the model empowers local communities to produce and sell high-quality cassava planting materials. This initiative integrates capacity building, digital certification tools, and strategic partnerships to ensure the consistent availability of clean, certified seeds. As a result, it enhances agricultural productivity, fosters rural economic growth, and improves livelihoods, contributing to long-term food security and poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Structure, Trace, Scale & Connect with Solutions eProd is a digital supply chain management platform designed for agriculture. It helps organizations register farmers, monitor production, ensure traceability, and manage payments efficiently. The system is modular, works offline, and integrates easily with other digital tools.
Build an efficient seed system! Seed Tracker is a scalable, inclusive, and impact-oriented digital solution to strengthen seed systems. It enables efficient certification, traceability, and access to improved seed for smallholder farmers—supporting agricultural transformation and institutional capacity building.
Improved cassava varieties crucial for enhancing food security, increasing farmer incomes, and reducing poverty in Africa. The technology is a market-driven cassava breeding system that develops improved varieties based on market needs, such as for fresh consumption, processing, or biofortification. It involves stakeholder input, standard breeding methods, and regulatory collaboration for variety release. Adoption is promoted through trials, launch events, and media campaigns, aligning breeding with market demand to boost cassava productivity and value chain performance.
Zaï pits are a traditional water-harvesting technique used in the Sahel to combat low rainfall, soil degradation, and poor soil fertility. By digging small pits that trap rainwater and organic matter, farmers can improve moisture retention, nutrient availability, and crop yields by 60–90%. This cost-effective method enables the rehabilitation of degraded lands and enhances the resilience of millet and sorghum crops. When combined with other soil and water conservation techniques, Zaï pits significantly contribute to sustainable dryland agriculture.
Intense Heat, Rich Aroma, Market Ready! These hot and fragrant round pepper varieties are well-suited for smallholders and local processors in climate-stressed zones. With strong consumer appeal and culinary versatility, they support women’s income activities, food security, and market inclusion. Development partners can scale them through home garden kits, SME agro-processing, or value chain strengthening for local spice markets.
Strong Against Disease, Hot on the Market. Developed by the World Vegetable Center, this group of long pepper varieties are high-yielding, disease-resistant pepper varieties designed for climate-stressed and low-income regions. It contributes to food security, women’s empowerment, and smallholder income. With strong resistance to multiple diseases and high yield potential, it promotes sustainable agriculture with reduced chemical inputs. PS PEP 1 supports SDGs on poverty, hunger, gender equality, and climate action, making it an ideal entry point for climate-smart and inclusive agriculture programs in West Africa.
Biochar, a powerfully circular way to fight climate change Soil degradation and unsustainable energy use are two pressing barriers to agricultural development and climate adaptation across Africa. Over 40% of soils are unable to retain water or nutrients, resulting in poor crop yields despite fertiliser inputs. Farmers use only 20 kg of fertiliser per hectare—compared to the global average of 135 kg—because of affordability and inefficiency. In parallel, 70% of people in sub-Saharan Africa depend on biomass for energy, contributing to environmental degradation. These interconnected challenges directly impact food security, environmental health, and resilience to climate change. Biochar provides a cross-cutting solution: it improves soil quality, enhances fertilizer effectiveness, reduces deforestation, and sequesters carbon. Supporting biochar initiatives aligns with climate action, sustainable agriculture, and green energy agendas. It offers a high-impact investment for building resilient food systems and restoring ecosystems.
long lasting banana nicknamed 'kiwangazi' by farmers. The KABANA 6H/NARITA7 is a high-yielding banana hybrid developed by IITA and NARO. It’s known for its tolerance to diseases like black Sigatoka and pests like weevils and nematodes, which increases the longevity of banana plantations. With a real-life yield of 57.7 kg per bunch and a potential yield of 60 tons/ha/year, it offers significant economic return. This variety was introduced to combat the decreased lifespan and yield decline in Uganda’s banana plantations.
Empowering Rice Farmers with RiceAdvice Lite Accessing information about the most effective agronomic and management practices for rice cultivation remains a challenge for millions of farmers in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) due to limited communication resources and low literacy rates. Additionally, issues like fertilizer misapplication and suboptimal rice management contribute to decreased productivity and sustainability, posing risks to food security for millions of people. To address these challenges and improve information dissemination to rice-growing communities throughout SSA, the "RiceAdvice Lite" technology offers tailored recommendations for optimal sowing timing, fertilizer usage, and other essential agricultural practices for both irrigated and rainfed lowland rice cultivation.
We know cassava The AKILIMO application offers personalized agronomic advice for cassava farmers, aiding in decisions related to land preparation, planting and harvesting schedules, fertilizer use, and intercropping. It predicts yields and provides tailored recommendations to maximize profits. Utilizing decision trees and algorithms based on field trials and modeling, it's accessible as a printable guide, smartphone app, interactive voice response system, and chatbot. Currently available in southern Nigeria and Tanzania, it caters to users of all literacy levels through various formats, including paper-based tools and a smartphone app downloadable from the Google Play Store.
Rice-Fish System Boosts Profits, Enhances Lowland Land Use for Food Security and Prosperity The rice-fish farming system emerged as a solution to address various agricultural challenges. It was developed to counter widespread food and nutrition insecurity, the vulnerability of smallholder rice farmers to market shocks due to a lack of diversification, and environmental pollution resulting from excessive agrochemical use. This innovative approach not only enhances food and nutrition security but also boosts smallholder farmers' income through the combined sale of rice and fish. Additionally, the system promotes environmental safety by eliminating the need for agrochemicals, contributing to sustainable and resilient agricultural practices.
Load more…