Dataset for: Scaling Pathways for Accelerating Adoption of the Sweetpotato Triple S (Storage in Sand and Sprouting) Technology in Dry Areas of Mozambique

"The Triple S technology has been introduced and validated in 10 SSA countries and scaled in 2 Sub-Saharan African countries. Out of 10 countries, this research project has identified Mozambique due to the high levels of climate variability and extreme weather events (i.e. droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones). This creates challenges for farmers to access improved quality planting materials on time during planting time after a long dry season. We focused on Manica Province, which face prolonged drought seasons. Sweetpotato is among the top five most important food crops in Manica province, and it is grown almost exclusively by smallholder farmers. Previous CIP research studies had validated five released varieties suitable for Manica province for use under Triple S (i.e., Irene, Namanga, Sumaia, Delvia and Alisha). We had initially targeted up to four districts in the province in which to potentially conduct our pilot research, but challenges due to civil conflict in three of these districts (Macate, Machaze, and Gondola districts) restricted our ability to conduct pilot activities there. We therefore focused our pilot phase of the survey focused only at Mossurize district (Figure 1). The households surveyed in Mossurize district spread across the district (Figure 2). We randomly sampled 17 villages out of the 37 villages slated to participate in Triple S training with support from the USAID-funded CIP project in Mossurize district. We assigned 10 villages to the category where extension officers would take a lead on video-enabled Triple S training, and the other 7 villages would be led by community leaders. Regarding community members involvement during the extension officer-led training program, though extension officer takes his/her lead during the training but arrangement in the ground made by the community members as extension officers requires support from the community members. Total 276 samples surveyed from 17 villages in Mossurize district during Sept-Oct 2021. The video-enabled Triple S training were conducted in four stages in the video, with season-specific guidance at each stage in local language . These stages are: 1) identification of healthy plant from which roots for Triple S will be obtained; 2) selection of healthy roots of the right size and how to store them in the sand; and 3) Monitoring the roots every 2 weeks, to remove any rotten roots and unwanted sprouts; and 4) Preparation of seed bed 6-8 weeks before the main rains are expected; planting sprouted roots in the seed bed and irrigating twice a week to get quality planting material for the planting season. The conventional demonstration arm of our study was instead relying on 1-2 selected farmers within each village who has established Triple S in his/her compound, allowing community members to visit during facilitated extension sessions. In addition, we also tested the effectiveness of nutritional training helping women and men understand why and how their families may prepare and consume OFSP. Because production and consumption of OFSP are intertwined for most households, encouraging consumption is likely to also encourage take-up of improved ways to produce OFSP, especially via Triple S. The nutritional training covers the health benefits of OFSP consumption—especially for children—as well as a variety of preparations. Ideally, the training will be conducted by community partners (especially women), who will themselves be trained by nutrition specialists associated with the USAID project. Due to COVID pandemic, the pilot phase found safest and most feasible process for this training. The study focused samples from list of farmers who participated in the video enabled training program. We were not able to interview farmers who were not able to participate in the training program due to logistical reasons as many areas were restricted to move, however, we manage to conduct a survey with the farmers to whom we have invited for the video enabled training program with a permission from local government. Therefore, in the study, all farmers were participated in the video-enabled Triple S training program. The survey questionnaire was digitalized and data were collected through ODK platform and transferred into STATA 17.0 for the data analysis. The study analysed results with descriptive statistics using a statistical software called STATA 17.0."

Triple S技术（Triple S）已在10个撒哈拉以南非洲（Sub-Saharan African，简称SSA）国家完成引入与验证，并在2个撒哈拉以南非洲国家实现规模化推广。本研究项目从10个SSA国家中选定莫桑比克，因其气候变异性极高且极端天气事件频发（包括干旱、洪涝与热带气旋）。长期旱季过后的种植窗口期内，当地农户面临无法及时获取高品质种植材料的困境。
研究团队将研究重点聚焦于马尼卡省（Manica Province），该省常年面临长期干旱威胁。红薯是马尼卡省五大重要粮食作物之一，且种植主体几乎全部为小农户。此前国际马铃薯中心（International Potato Center，简称CIP）的相关研究已验证了5个适配马尼卡省、可应用于Triple S技术的审定推广品种：艾琳（Irene）、纳曼加（Namanga）、苏马亚（Sumaia）、德尔维亚（Delvia）与阿莉夏（Alisha）。
研究团队最初计划在该省至多4个县区开展试点研究，但其中3个县区（马卡特县Macate、马查泽县Machaze与贡多拉县Gondola）因国内冲突导致通行与作业受限，无法开展试点活动。因此，最终仅将试点调研阶段的实施范围限定为莫苏里泽县（Mossurize district，图1）。受访农户覆盖莫苏里泽县全域（图2）。
依托美国国际开发署（United States Agency for International Development，简称USAID）资助的CIP项目支持，研究团队从莫苏里泽县原定参与Triple S技术培训的37个村庄中随机抽取17个村庄作为调研样本。其中10个村庄由农业推广专员主导开展视频赋能式Triple S技术培训，剩余7个村庄则由社区领袖作为牵头方。在农业推广专员主导的培训环节中，尽管推广专员承担培训组织职责，但现场筹备工作由社区成员完成——推广专员需依托社区成员的支持方可开展相关工作。
2021年9-10月，研究团队完成了莫苏里泽县17个村庄共计276户农户的调研访谈。视频赋能式Triple S技术培训分为四个阶段，每个阶段均以当地语言提供适配当季的标准化操作指导：1）筛选健康植株，以获取Triple S技术所需的种苗；2）挑选规格适宜的健康块根，并讲解以沙土贮藏块根的方法；3）每两周对块根开展一次巡检，剔除腐烂块根与多余芽苗；4）在主雨季来临前6-8周准备苗床，将发芽块根定植于苗床并每周灌溉两次，以获取适配当季种植的高品质种植材料。
本研究的常规示范组则依托每个村内1-2名已在自家地块应用Triple S技术的示范农户，允许社区成员在推广专员组织的现场观摩活动中前往学习观摩。
此外，研究团队还评估了营养培训的实施效果，以帮助男女农户了解家庭制备与食用橙色肉红薯（Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato，简称OFSP）的意义与具体方法。鉴于多数农户的OFSP生产与消费紧密绑定，鼓励消费亦有助于推动农户采纳更优质的OFSP生产技术与模式，尤其是通过Triple S技术。
营养培训内容涵盖OFSP食用的健康益处（尤其对儿童群体）与多种烹饪方法。理想情况下，培训将由社区伙伴（尤其是女性群体）牵头开展，而这些社区伙伴将先接受美国国际开发署项目合作的营养专家的专项培训。受新冠疫情影响，试点阶段确定了本次培训最安全且最具可行性的实施流程。
本研究的调研样本均来自参与视频赋能式Triple S技术培训的农户。由于多数区域通行受限，研究团队无法访谈因后勤保障问题未能参与培训的农户，但已取得当地政府许可，完成了对受邀参与视频赋能式Triple S技术培训的农户的调研。因此，本研究中所有受访农户均参与了视频赋能式Triple S技术培训项目。
调研问卷以数字化形式编制，数据通过ODK（Open Data Kit，简称ODK）平台采集，并导入STATA 17.0软件开展数据分析。本研究借助STATA 17.0统计软件，采用描述性统计方法对调研结果进行分析。