On-Farm Evaluation on Yield and Economic Performance of Cereal-Cowpea Intercropping to Support the Smallholder Farming System in the Soudano-Sahelian Zone of Mali

Cereal-cowpea intercropping has become an integral part of the farming system in Mali. Still, information is lacking regarding integrated benefits of the whole system, including valuing of the biomass for facing the constraints of animal feedings. We used farmers’ learning networks to evaluate performance of intercropping systems of millet-cowpea and sorghum-cowpea in southern Mali. Our results showed that under intercropping, the grain yield obtained with the wilibali (short maturing duration) variety was significantly higher than the yield obtained with the sangaranka (long maturing duration) variety whether with millet (36%) or sorghum (48%), corresponding, respectively, to an economic gain of XOF (West African CFA franc) 125 282/ha and XOF 142 640/ha. While for biomass, the yield obtained with the sangaranka variety was significantly higher by 50% and 60% to that of wilibali with an economic gain of XOF 286 526/ha (with millet) and XOF 278 516/ha (with sorghum). Total gain obtained with the millet-cowpea system was significantly greater than that obtained with the sorghum-cowpea system by 14%, and this stands irrespective of the type of cowpea variety. Farmers prefer the grain for satisfying immediate food needs instead of economic gains. These results represent an indication for farmer’s decision-making regarding cowpea varieties selection especially for addressing household food security issues or feeding animals

« Remote-sensing-based spatio-temporal modelling to predict biomass in the Sahelian grazing ecosystem ».

International audienc

On the relationship between snow grain morphology and in-situ near infrared calibrated reflectance photographs

International audienceSeasonal and permanent snow cover a significant portion of our planet, and its impact on climate is significant. Through specific thermophysical properties, snow controls radiative and turbulent fluxes between the ground and the atmosphere, but many aspects of the energy balance are poorly understood due to lingering uncertainties regarding snow properties, such as grain size in particular. Rapid and accurate measurement method has yet to be developed given the reality of field and laboratory logistical constraints, and the sensitivity of snow to any sort of manipulation. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between snow grain morphology parameters measured from visible (traditional) snow grain photography and optical diameter estimated from Near-InfraRed (NIR) reflectance photographs of snow walls. A total of 51 snowpits were analyzed during our International Polar Year field campaign across a 1000 km South-to-North transect over Eastern Canada. We compared the NIR measurements with the theoretical snow albedo model of Kokhanovsky and Zege (2004). Results show the large difference between the snow specific surface area (SSA) of snow grains derived from snow albedo model and the geometrical (visual) diameter. From three different snow grain classes which can be distinguished from traditional photography, linkages can be made with shape factors required in the optical model in order to retrieve optical grain size from NIR photography

Clinical, direct microscopic and Wood’s lamp examination features of <i>tinea capitis</i> lesions according to the identified dermatophyte species and non-dermatophyte filamentous fungus.

<p>Clinical, direct microscopic and Wood’s lamp examination features of <i>tinea capitis</i> lesions according to the identified dermatophyte species and non-dermatophyte filamentous fungus.</p

Study sites.

<p>Location of three study sites and the isohyets (mm/year) separating the Sahelian, Sudanian and Sudano-Guinean eco-climatic zones in Mali.</p

Demographic, clinical and mycological features of the 590 children that participated in the study grouped by eco-climatic zones in Mali.

<p>Demographic, clinical and mycological features of the 590 children that participated in the study grouped by eco-climatic zones in Mali.</p

Univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analyses of the <i>tinea capitis</i> risk factors identified in this population.

<p>Univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analyses of the <i>tinea capitis</i> risk factors identified in this population.</p

<i>Tinea capitis</i> clinical presentation.

<p>(A) Trichophytic presentation with diffuse relatively small scalp lesions, mainly involving <i>Trichophyton soudanense</i>. (B) Microsporic presentation with relatively large and scarce lesions, mainly involving <i>Microsporum audouinii</i>.</p