SIMLESA stands for Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping systems for food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa. This multi-partner, 10-year initiative has being implemented by national agricultural systems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, with support from the International Maize and Wheat  Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation – University of Queensland (QAAFI-UQ), and the Australian Government through the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). It also operates in the spillover countries of Botwsana, Rwanda and Uganda.

For general project-related inquiries, please contact the program leader, Dr. Paswel Marenya Principal contacts in each SIMLESA country may also be contacted for country-specific inquiries.

The duration of the project is 10 years, from January 2010 through June 2014(Phase 1), and July 2014-December 2018 (Phase 2).

This website provides more details on the program, its goals and strategies, objectives, envisioned outputs, activities and more. You can also contact key program personnel in each country for more information.

SIMLESA focuses its activities and research in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Australia. In addition, lessons learned, and experiences gained have been shared in spillover countries – Botswana, Rwanda and Uganda.

Existing capacity in Australia have been invaluable to helping this region with needed adaptations to deal with climate change. Australia has benefited from the drought tolerant and disease resistant maize germplasm developed by CIMMYT for Africa. In turn, Africa benefited from advanced GxE analysis techniques applied by Australian breeders which also initiated more systematic germplasm exchange between CIMMYT and Australia. Further benefits have come from the exchange of legumes and Rhizobium strains.

Varieties that meet the requirements of the agro-ecologies of targeted farming systems and farmer preferences have been fast-tracked for release. Seed production has been scaled up from 10-15 maize varieties and 10 legume varieties, and demonstrated in 730 mother-baby trials for maize and 500 for legumes. The poor availability of adapted tropical legume varieties with potential for improving grain yield and maintaining soil fertility was addressed through collaborations with ICRISAT and partner NARS to facilitate participatory variety development and seed delivery systems, as well as to establish a backbone of regional nurseries.

SIMLESA had local impact within the lifespan of the program and was expected to have significant community impact in a 10-year time frame throughout the target countries. The integrated approach of the program was crucial for developing viable solutions that address key constraints to the adoption process within maize-legume systems in Africa.