Blog Details

1. 🌱 Participatory Nursery Establishment and Experimental Plot Preparation – Digit_Crops Field Mission Report (June 2025)

As part of the implementation of the Digit_Crops project, a field mission was conducted on June 17–18, 2025, in Songon, with the primary objective of co-creating nurseries that will supply demonstration plots for climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. This report highlights the key moments, results, challenges encountered, and short-term prospects of this mission.

•  Day 1: Community Engagement and Pilot Nursery Setup in Songon

Activities began with a meeting involving members of the BENKADI cooperative. Several producers participated in an interactive session covering practical topics such as:

• Site selection for nurseries,

• Preparation of local substrate mixtures,

• Sowing techniques,

• Efficient watering practices,

• Ecological pest management strategies.

In the afternoon, two pilot nurseries were established in direct collaboration with the farmers. The day was characterized by strong community involvement, a collaborative atmosphere, and a shared commitment to learning and experimentation.

Key outcomes:

• Two community nurseries were set up, focused on chili pepper and tomato cultivation.

• 15 grams of cucumber seeds were handed over to a volunteer farmer for sowing in early July.

• In total, 45 grams of seeds were distributed.

• Three lead farmers were appointed as focal points for monitoring each crop (chili, tomato, cucumber), reflecting a high level of ownership by local communities and their leaders.

• Eggplant and cabbage seeds will be distributed in August, when growing conditions are more favorable.

• 🔹 Follow-up Mission: Collaborative Planning in Korhogo and Yamoussoukro

A second phase of intervention was carried out in the Korhogo and Yamoussoukro regions. Designed with a co-construction approach, this mission aimed to define, alongside farmers, the practical modalities for participatory experiments focused on sustainable pest management and context-appropriate CSA practices.

Over the course of a week, the project team worked closely with:

• Vegetable producers,

• Master’s students involved in the project.

Field visits led to the identification of four experimental sites, selected based on accessibility and crop diversity:

• Korhogokaha and Bodonon (Korhogo region),

• Zatta and N’Guessankro (Yamoussoukro region).

In Songon, where project engagement was already active, additional technical support was provided.

🔹 Technical Setup and Community Commitment

At each selected site, tomato nurseries were established with the technical support of the students. A weekly monitoring schedule was collaboratively defined with producers. They were sensitized to their key role in data collection on both agronomic and entomological aspects.

• A list of lead farmers was established, most of whom had already initiated the cultivation of tomato, eggplant, or chili, reinforcing their commitment to long-term project engagement.

• All experimental sites were geo-referenced.

• Local dynamics were strengthened, and stakeholders’ commitments were formally recorded.

The experimental systems were jointly designed, including:

• A protocol for biochar application,

• Clear guidelines for data collection procedures.

  🎯 Conclusion and Next Steps

This mission laid the technical, human, and organizational groundwork necessary for the success of upcoming agroecological trials in the project’s target zones. The strong community participation, integration of academic expertise, and emphasis on participatory learning will be essential for scaling sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural innovations under the Digit_Crops initiative.