Diatomaceous Earths: Providing safer options for smallholder grain protection

Partners:
Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex), Zimbabwe
Department of Agricultural Research & Extension services (AREX), Zimbabwe
University of Zimbabwe
Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Zimbabwe
Tropical Pesticide Research Institute, Tanzania
Plant Health Services, Ministry Agriculture and Food Security, Tanzania

Problem:
The food security and income opportunities of many rural households in SSA are seriously undermined by storage insect pests. Presently many small-scale farmers rely on imported organo-phosphate based pesticides to protect stored grain, but farmers and various authorities are increasingly questioning the safety and efficacy of these chemicals. Other households, who use traditional materials such as ashes, botanicals and sand to control storage insect pests, are faced with inconsistent and often poor results.

Achievements:
To address this widespread problem research projects focused on exploring the efficacy of the inert dusts known as diatomaceous earths (DEs). These projects established that DEs were efficacious as grain protectants in a range of agro-ecological zones in Zimbabwe and Tanzania; that the technology – both product and process – was readily usable by diverse smallholders in the multiple research locations; and that food stocks were successfully protected for periods of more than 8 months. The research trialled both imported commercial DEs and a few of the many local deposits of DE found throughout SSA. Although the latter will probably represent more economically sound (i.e. to the state) and financially viable (i.e. to business and to farmers) options in the longer run, further work is first required to establish and implement safety, extraction and processing protocols.  In addition to examining the hardware (i.e. the DE technology) and software (i.e. the skills and knowledge required to use the technology) issues, the research also explored organisational aspects of the respective country post-harvest systems (‘org-ware’). Post-harvest alliances have been established in Zimbabwe and Tanzania to promote improved partnerships and to develop new ways of getting relevant technologies such as DEs into economic and social use.

The Outputs:

• A safe and readily useable product, Diatomaceous Earth, for protecting and extending the storage life of household grain and other food products;
• Enquiry methodology: working method for extension staff to identify and map the production and post-harvest needs and priorities of diverse rural communities, to better target those farmers and households for whom the DE technology is best suited, and
• Active post-harvest innovation learning alliances (PHILA) in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, comprising various stakeholders with interests in effecting food security and improved livelihoods amongst small-scale farmers, to better facilitate the out- and up-scaling of DEs, and other relevant post-harvest technologies.