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farmers’ fields in Mozambique, often as low as 40 % of the recommended density,
which significantly reduces farm productivity. Most farmers practice low- input low-
output (low-risk) agriculture, with very low economic and agronomic yield per unit
of land and water, which could be stated as low water productivity.
Other important food crops in ESA are cassava (Manyhot esculenta), millet
(Panicum miliaceum), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), sweet potato (Ipomoea batates),
Irish potato (Solanum tubersum), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and pigeon pea
Fig. 1 The distribution of dryland systems in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA). Values between
0.2 and 0.5 are considered semiarid. (Source: http://geoagro.icarda.org/en/cms/category/maps/15/
regional)
T. Amede and A. Tsegaye