Evaluating the impact of contour bunding technology on runoff, soil erosion and crop yield in southern Mali

United States Agency for International Developmen

Variabilite spatiale des rendements du riz en systeme de riziculture intensive (SRI) en zone office du Niger au Mali

Une étude exploratoire a été menée de 2009 à 2013 en vue d’évaluer la faisabilité technique du Système de Riziculture Intensive (SRI) dans cinq localités de l’Office du Niger. Le protocole expérimental comprenait 3 traitements : pratique paysanne avec la dose recommandée de fumure minérale (T1) ; méthode SRI avec 10 tonnes de fumier plus la dose d’engrais recommandée (T2) et méthode SRI avec 10 tonnes de fumier et la moitié de la dose vulgarisée de fumure minérale (T3). En plus, deux essais factoriels comprenant les combinaisons fumier X azote et phosphore X azote ont été conduits en station. Durant les 3 années d’étude, les rendements ont varié entre 4,5 et 10 t ha-1 et plus avec la méthode SRI et entre 3 et 8t ha-1 avec la méthode conventionnelle. En outre, une relation positive entre les pratiques de gestion des cultures et les rendements en milieu paysan a été observée. Il en a été de même pour les rendements et les facteurs sol notamment N et P. Dans près de 50 % des cas, la variabilité des rendements pouvait être expliquée par des pratiques culturales, et de gestion de la fertilité et de l’eau.Mots clés : Système de Riziculture Intensive, variabilité spatiale, facteur sol, fertilisation minérale, fumie

Diversity, composition, altitude, and seasonality of high-altitude windborne migrating mosquitoes in the Sahel: Implications for disease transmission

Recent studies have reported Anopheles mosquitoes captured at high-altitude (40–290 m above ground) in the Sahel. Here, we describe this migration modality across genera and species of African Culicidae and examine its implications for disease transmission and control. As well as Anopheles, six other genera—Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Mimomyia, Lutzia, and Eretmapodites comprised 90% of the 2,340 mosquitoes captured at altitude. Of the 50 molecularly confirmed species (N = 2,107), 33 species represented by multiple specimens were conservatively considered high-altitude windborne migrants, suggesting it is a common migration modality in mosquitoes (31–47% of the known species in Mali), and especially in Culex (45−59%). Overall species abundance varied between 2 and 710 specimens/species (in Ae. vittatus and Cx. perexiguus, respectively). At altitude, females outnumbered males 6:1, and 93% of the females have taken at least one blood meal on a vertebrate host prior to their departure. Most taxa were more common at higher sampling altitudes, indicating that total abundance and diversity are underestimated. High-altitude flight activity was concentrated between June and November coinciding with availability of surface waters and peak disease transmission by mosquitoes. These hallmarks of windborne mosquito migration bolster their role as carriers of mosquito-borne pathogens (MBPs). Screening 921 mosquitoes using pan-Plasmodium assays revealed that thoracic infection rate in these high-altitude migrants was 2.4%, providing a proof of concept that vertebrate pathogens are transported by windborne mosquitoes at altitude. Fourteen of the 33 windborne mosquito species had been reported as vectors to 25 MBPs in West Africa, which represent 32% of the MBPs known in that region and include those that inflict the heaviest burden on human and animal health, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and Rift Valley fever. We highlight five arboviruses that are most likely affected by windborne mosquitoes in West Africa: Rift Valley fever, O'nyong'nyong, Ngari, Pangola, and Ndumu. We conclude that the study of windborne spread of diseases by migrating insects and the development of surveillance to map the sources, routes, and destinations of vectors and pathogens is key to understand, predict, and mitigate existing and new threats of public health

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

This case study explores a decades long evolution towards a gender-responsive sorghum breeding program in Mali. With known disparities in men and women’s access to the resources that improve agricultural productivity and evidence that gender roles and responsibilities shape knowledge and preferences about varieties, there is need for methods that support gender-responsive processes in plant breeding programs. Gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in plant breeding may increase varietal options available to diverse end-users, increase adoption, and limit negative impacts on vulnerable populations. We assess a participatory plant breeding program in Mali to identify determinants of gender-responsive breeding programs. The analysis uses a case study methodology that draws upon project reports, theses, articles, and experiential knowledge to understand how the sorghum breeding program transitioned over time. This case study details (a) more than a decade of sorghum breeding activities and research that led to (b) the inclusion of women in participatory plant breeding, culinary tests, and large-scale participatory selection in onfarm trials, reaching hundreds of women each year and (c) iterative co-learning processes to develop preferred sorghum varieties and increase sorghum yields on men and women’s fields. Analyses indicated that collaborations among many institutions on-farm with community actors, research across various disciplines such as agronomy and social sciences, context-specific breeding, and longterm funding were essential to increasing gender sensitivity and responsive in the breeding efforts

Windborne long-distance migration of malaria mosquitoes in the Sahel

This is the author accepted manuscript. the final version is available from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordData availability: Data on anopheline capture, identification, sex and gonotrophic status are available from www.boldsystems.org (project code MALAN) and in GenBank (MK585944–MK586043, inclusive).Code availability: SAS code used for statistical analyses (and data manipulations) and 9-h backward trajectories data for each mosquito-capture event (based on HYSPLIT) are available from the corresponding author upon request. The code for plotting trajectories is available at https://github.com/benkraj/anopheles-migrationOver the past two decades efforts to control malaria have halved the number of cases globally, yet burdens remain high in much of Africa and the elimination of malaria has not been achieved even in areas where extreme reductions have been sustained, such as South Africa1,2. Studies seeking to understand the paradoxical persistence of malaria in areas in which surface water is absent for 3–8 months of the year have suggested that some species of Anopheles mosquito use long-distance migration3. Here we confirm this hypothesis through aerial sampling of mosquitoes at 40–290 m above ground level and provide—to our knowledge—the first evidence of windborne migration of African malaria vectors, and consequently of the pathogens that they transmit. Ten species, including the primary malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii, were identified among 235 anopheline mosquitoes that were captured during 617 nocturnal aerial collections in the Sahel of Mali. Notably, females accounted for more than 80% of all of the mosquitoes that we collected. Of these, 90% had taken a blood meal before their migration, which implies that pathogens are probably transported over long distances by migrating females. The likelihood of capturing Anopheles species increased with altitude (the height of the sampling panel above ground level) and during the wet seasons, but variation between years and localities was minimal. Simulated trajectories of mosquito flights indicated that there would be mean nightly displacements of up to 300 km for 9-h flight durations. Annually, the estimated numbers of mosquitoes at altitude that cross a 100-km line perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction included 81,000 Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, 6 million A. coluzzii and 44 million Anopheles squamosus. These results provide compelling evidence that millions of malaria vectors that have previously fed on blood frequently migrate over hundreds of kilometres, and thus almost certainly spread malaria over these distances. The successful elimination of malaria may therefore depend on whether the sources of migrant vectors can be identified and controlled.National Institutes of Health (NIH)US Arm

Prioritizing investments for climate-smart agriculture: Lessons learned from Mali

Agricultural productivity and growth in Mali are under threat from erratic rainfall, resulting in more frequent dry years. The national economy is vulnerable to climate change due to 50% of the gross domestic product coming from the agricultural sector and 75% of the population living in rural areas. The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) concept arises from a need to provide innovative solutions towards the complex and integrated goals of increasing yields, improving resilience, and promoting a low emissions agricultural sector. A major challenge for policymakers to operationalize CSA is the identification, valuation (cost-benefit), and subsequent prioritization of climate-smart options and portfolios (groups of CSA options) for investment. This paper presents the process, results, and lessons learned from a yearlong pilot of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Prioritization Framework (CSA-PF) in Mali. Key national and international stakeholders participated in the co-development and prioritization of two CSA portfolios and related action plans for the Malian Sudanese zone. Initial steps towards outcomes of the process include inclusion of prioritized CSA practices in ongoing development projects and prompting discussion of modifications of future calls for agricultural development proposals by regional donors

The effects of nutritional supplementation on body mass index and CD4 count among adult people living with HIV AIDS on antiretroviral treatment in Conakry, Guinea

Whereas the HIV prevalence in Guinea is among the lowest in Africa, many PLHIV in Guinea are malnourished. This study assessed the effect of a nutritional supplementation program on body mass index and CD4 count among adult PLHIV on ART. Study participants were PLHIV who came for consultation in the study sites between May and July 2016. The data came from two sources: retrospectively from participants’ medical records and interviews at the time of recruitment into the study. About six months before they were recruited into the study, some of the PLHIV started to receive a monthly nutritional supplementation consisting of Corn-Soy Blend and oil. Analytic methods included bivariate and multivariable methods. The intervention increased the mean BMI by 7.4% and the average current CD4 count by 4.7% compared to nonintervention (P0.001). Programs in low resource settings should consider nutrition assistance as part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure optimal metabolic and immunological functions among PLHIV