Zambia: Sowing Knowledge, Reaping Impact: Lydia’s Journey from Trial Farmer to Community Leader in Monze, Zambia

Apr 29, 2025 | Kudzanai Chimhanda
Cimmyt
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An early morning walk across the fields in Zambia’s Southern province, one is met with maize fields infested with fall armyworm. In contrast to last season’s El Nino induced drought, and as we approached Lydia Siankwede’s field, one is met with her thriving maize and legume field, with its deep-green canopy signaling strong growth and optimal soil health in her crop.

Each morning, Lydia tends to her field with an inquisitive mind, clutching her protocol, which serves as a guide for daily tasks. The dew clings to her shoes as she inspects each plot, checking crop performance, scouting for pests, and noting observations in her trial protocol. Yet beneath this plant vigor, a silent threat lurks—fall armyworm, its larvae discreetly feeding on tender maize leaves.Her field, which hosts a mother trial under the EU-funded Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) program, is a patchwork of promising technologies. A mother trial is a farmer-managed, researcher-led experiment that serves as a central site for testing a variety of agricultural treatments under controlled conditions.