Effects of soil management on aggregation and organic matter dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa

Maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM) is important for soil quality and agricultural productivity. However, little is known about the effects of management practices of different intensities on soil aggregation and SOM dynamics in tropical arable cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the influence of land use practices and management intensity on soil aggregation and SOM dynamics across 12 long-term field experiments in eastern and western Africa. Aggregate size distribution and SOM were measured in arable systems under contrasting management intensities of high carbon, low carbon and a fallow. Aggregate stability indices and SOM were generally higher in the fallow compared to the arable systems. Fallowing and high carbon inputs in arable soils, significantly improved aggregate stability and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stabilization in whole soil, and in aggregate fractions. In contrast, no significant improvements in soil aggregation and C and N stabilization were found when organic inputs were either applied in low quantities or not applied at all, thus resulting in low carbon in soils. Our study showed that fallowing and long-term application of organic amendments alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers were the best among the practices tested in this study, for enhanced C and N stabilization in soils with the subsequent benefits of improving soil physical and chemical properties. These results emphasize the importance of management for sustaining soil quality. It is recommended that fallowing be an integral part of sustainable soil management strategies in these regions.Keywords: Soil aggregation, soil organic matter, carbon, nitrogen, managementintensit

Cumulative effects of 20 years of fire, grazing and selective tree cutting on soil water infiltration in sudanian savanna-woodland ecosystem of West Africa

Structural and functional dynamics of savanna-woodland ecosystems are mainly shaped by fire, grazing and wood removal which effects depends both on their intensities. The long-term effects of those disturbances on key soil parameters are still largely unknown. We studied the cumulative effect of 20 years of early fire, grazing and selective tree cutting on soil water infiltration at two experimental sites with contrasting soil conditions (deep silty-clay versus shallow silty-sand) in the sudanian savanna-woodland ecosystems of Burkina Faso. Measurements were carried with a single ring infiltrometer at intervals of 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes. Results showed that Grazing had negative effect at both sites (P<0.0001). Fire has no effect on infiltration rate at deep soil whereas it has a negative effect on shallow one. Selective wood cutting had beneficial effects for infitration rate at the site with shallow soil. Further, all combined effect of the diffreent treatment resulted in decrease infiltration rate as compared with the control (interaction exclosure, no cutting and no fire). The result suggested that projects which aim to manage or improve soil water properties must take in consideration occurrence of disturbances, soils type and avoid disturbance interaction mainly in shallow sandy soils.Keywords: Disturbances, soil water properties, Burkina Faso, soil compaction, early fire, savanna ecosystem

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.) – a peripheral empire commodity in French West Africa, 1894–1960

Burkinabé women have traded shea kernels and shea butter in periodic local markets, and on a regional scale with the densely-populated West African littoral, for centuries. This paper traces the origins of French colonial efforts to develop shea as a commodity of empire from the 1890s to independence in 1960. Colonial effo rts to incorporate Upper Volta, a French colonial backwater, into the world economy was drawn out, heterogenous, and messy. The colonial state assumed erroneously that little shea trade existed, and that producers would respond positively to market incentives. Yet, we suggest that French colonial policies failed due to a composite of factors including the limited investment in either the colony or shea as an oilseed crop, adaptation by women shea producers to the extraction of male labour and the trade opportunities created by new international borders, and the ‘blindness’ of colonial officials to the economic, social and cultural functions of periodic local markets used by women shea traders. The historical trajectory of the shea trade continues to have implications for current-day shea markets and their actors

Impact of mobile phone intervention on intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy in Burkina Faso : A pragmatic randomized trial.

PURPOSE: Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for pregnant women (IPTp-SP) coverage remains far below the desirable goal of at least three doses before delivery. This study evaluates an innovative intervention using mobile phones as a means of increasing coverage for the third dose of IPTp-SP. METHODS: This study in Burkina Faso was designed as an open-label, pragmatic, two-arm, randomised trial. Pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic (ANC) visits were included at their first ANC visit and followed until delivery. The intervention was built around the use of mobile phones as means ensuring direct tracking of pregnant women. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight (248) pregnant women were included in the study. The proportion of women who received at least three doses of IPTp-SP was 54.6 %. In the intervention group, 54.1 % of women received at least three doses of IPTp-SP versus 55.1 % in the control group, a non-significant difference (adjusted odds ratio "aOR", 0.86 ; 95 % confidence interval "95 % CI", 0.49-1.51). Women in the intervention group were more likely to carry out their ANC visits in a timely manner than those in the control group (aOR, 3.21 ; 95 % CI, 1.91-5.39). CONCLUSION: While mobile phone intervention did not increase the proportion of women receiving three doses of IPTp-SP, it did help to increase the proportion of timely ANC visits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PACTR202106905150440

Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide: the definitive data of the CIAOW Study.

The CIAOW study (Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide observational study) is a multicenter observational study underwent in 68 medical institutions worldwide during a six-month study period (October 2012-March 2013). The study included patients older than 18 years undergoing surgery or interventional drainage to address complicated intra-abdominal infections (IAIs).1898 patients with a mean age of 51.6 years (range 18-99) were enrolled in the study. 777 patients (41%) were women and 1,121 (59%) were men. Among these patients, 1,645 (86.7%) were affected by community-acquired IAIs while the remaining 253 (13.3%) suffered from healthcare-associated infections. Intraperitoneal specimens were collected from 1,190 (62.7%) of the enrolled patients.827 patients (43.6%) were affected by generalized peritonitis while 1071 (56.4%) suffered from localized peritonitis or abscesses.The overall mortality rate was 10.5% (199/1898).According to stepwise multivariate analysis (PR = 0.005 and PE = 0.001), several criteria were found to be independent variables predictive of mortality, including patient age (OR = 1.1; 95%CI = 1.0-1.1; p < 0.0001), the presence of small bowel perforation (OR = 2.8; 95%CI = 1.5-5.3; p < 0.0001), a delayed initial intervention (a delay exceeding 24 hours) (OR = 1.8; 95%CI = 1.5-3.7; p < 0.0001), ICU admission (OR = 5.9; 95%CI = 3.6-9.5; p < 0.0001) and patient immunosuppression (OR = 3.8; 95%CI = 2.1-6.7; p < 0.0001). © 2014 Sartelli et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide : the definitive data of the CIAOW Study

Peer reviewe

Manuel pratique de production durable des gommes au Burkina Faso

L es gommes en général et la gomme arabique en particulier sont des produits de base qui font l’objet aujourd’hui d’un commerce international florissant et le développement de la filière des gommes au Burkina Faso pourrait contribuer à lutter contre la pauvreté en milieu rural. C’est dans cette perspective que plusieurs initiatives ont été lancées depuis la fin des années 70. La volonté des pouvoirs publics de promouvoir les gommiers et la gomme arabique s’est notamment traduite par l’élaboration de documents de politique et de stratégie ad hoc ainsi que la mise en œuvre de divers projets associés. Le projet « GTF/RAF 387/ITA - Opération Acacia » en est un exemple. Financé par la coopération italienne, ce projet a contribué au renforcement des capacités des agents forestiers et des producteurs en matière de production de gomme et de gestion des peuplements gommiers. C’est pour pallier à l’insuffisance de supports de vulgarisation des connaissances techniques sur ces thèmes que le projet a entrepris de capitaliser sous la forme d’un guide pratique les sessions de formation qu’il a eu à dispenser. L’initiative CIFOR-ASDI sur les Produits Forestiers Non Ligneux (PFNL) est un autre exemple de projet 1 , représentatif cette fois de l’intérêt des partenaires internationaux pour la gomme arabique en tant que PFNL pouvant contribuer à la réalisation des Objectifs de Développement du Millénaire dans les zones sèches d’Afrique. Dans cette perspective, ce projet a ciblé, entre autres, les actions de renforcement des capacités techniques des acteurs à la base en matière de production et de commercialisation des gommes au Burkina Faso