Farmers drive soybean variety selection as IITA strengthens breeding efforts

16 April 2026

Farmers in Zambia and Malawi are playing a central role in shaping the next generation of soybean varieties through participatory field evaluations under IITA's soybean improvement program, ensuring that the varieties developed are not only high-performing but also practical and relevant to real farming conditions across Southern Africa.

The IITA soybean team recently conducted its annual soybean tour across Zambia and Malawi under the Gates Foundation-funded Soybean Crop Improvement Project for Africa. The tour provided an opportunity to assess progress in soybean trials and breeding activities, while engaging directly with farmers and stakeholders.

A key feature of the program is the use of the TRICOT approach, which enables farmers to test and compare multiple soybean varieties under their own farming conditions and select those that perform best. Unlike conventional approaches where varieties are selected primarily at research stations, TRICOT places farmers at the center of decision-making, ensuring that selected varieties reflect actual field performance and farmer preferences.

It is a method of testing for and with farmers.

Through this process, materials developed and tested at research stations are validated in farmers' fields. This is important because performance at research stations does not always reflect outcomes under real farming conditions. Farmers plant and manage the trials themselves, allowing researchers to assess whether the same results can be achieved under farmer practices.

The model involves a large number of farmers across different locations, testing new materials alongside "check" varieties, which include previously released IITA varieties and those from commercial companies. These comparisons help determine whether new varieties consistently outperform existing options in terms of yield, disease tolerance, and adaptability.

"With this approach, we can see for ourselves which variety performs best on our farms and under our conditions, making it easier to decide what to plant," said Mavuto Eliamu, a participating farmer from Mchinji district in Malawi.

IITA Soybean Breeder Abush Tesfaye Abebe noted that significant progress has been made since the project started in 2023, particularly in identifying materials that are tolerant to diseases and have the potential to deliver improved yields.

"We have seen promising changes, especially in identifying materials that are more tolerant to diseases and show strong potential for better yields."

IITA is working in collaboration with national research partners, including the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) in Malawi and the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI).

In Malawi, 150 farmers in Zomba, Mchinji, and Kasungu are participating in the project, while in Zambia, 240 farmers are engaged across Central, Eastern, and Southern provinces.

In addition to farmer-led selection, the program is advancing breeding efforts aimed at addressing critical production challenges. In Malawi, ongoing trials are focusing on developing soybean varieties with improved yields and resistance to soybean rust, a major disease with a devastating impact on production, causing up to an 80% yield loss.

Field visits during the tour enabled the team to review trial performance, monitor progress, and gather feedback from farmers. These trials are currently being conducted in Zambia at IITA-SARAH and ZARI, and in Malawi at the Bvumbwe Research Station in Blantyre and the IITA Chitedze station.

While the trials are presently concentrated in Zambia and Malawi, the breeding interventions are designed to generate soybean varieties suitable for wider adoption across the Southern African region, ensuring that the benefits extend beyond the current testing sites.

The tour, conducted from 30 March to 6 April 2026, included participation from stakeholders such as The Gates Foundation, Bayer, 2Blades, the Soybean Improvement Network for Africa, and the University of Illinois, who provided technical support and insights in the project.

By combining farmer insights with scientific innovation, the program is accelerating the development and adoption of resilient soybean varieties. This approach is expected to improve productivity, reduce losses from diseases such as soybean rust, and contribute to strengthened food security, farmer incomes, and sustainable agricultural growth across Southern Africa.

Contributed by Rachel Namukolo-Nali