Integrated microdose and rain water harvesting to improve crop productivity in low fertility and eroded soils in Sub-Saharan West Africa

The presentation details the fertilizer microdosing technique of planting and applying fertilizer. Using this technique, one farmer can sow and fertilize crops; whereas previously, three people would be needed to first open the planting mounds; second, place the seed; and third, apply microfertilizer and close the mounds. The performance of microdosing and rainwater harvesting are assessed in terms of field demonstrations, soil fertility and crop yields

Integrated use of fertilizer micro-dosing and Acacia tumida mulching increases millet yield and water use efficiency in Sahelian semi-arid environment

Limited availability of soil organic amendments and unpredictable rainfall, decrease crop yields drastically in the Sahel. There is, therefore, a need to develop an improved technology for conserving soil moisture and enhancing crop yields in the Sahelian semi-arid environment. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the mulching effects of Acacia tumida pruning relative to commonly applied organic materials in Niger on millet growth, yields and water use efficiency (WUE) under fertilizer micro-dosing technology. We hypothesized that (1) A. tumida pruning is a suitable mulching alternative for crop residues in the biomass-scarce areas of Niger and (2) combined application of A. tumida mulch and fertilizer micro-dosing increases millet yield and water use efficiency. Two fertilizer micro-dosing options (20 kg DAP ha−1, 60 kg NPK ha−1) and three types of organic mulches (millet straw, A. tumida mulch, and manure) and the relevant control treatments were arranged in factorial experiment organized in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Fertilizer micro-dosing increased millet grain yield on average by 28 %. This millet grain yield increased further by 37 % with combined application of fertilizer micro-dosing and organic mulch. Grain yield increases relative to the un-mulched control were 51 % for manure, 46 % for A. tumida mulch and 36 % for millet mulch. Leaf area index and root length density were also greater under mulched plots. Fertilizer micro-dosing increased WUE of millet on average by 24 %, while the addition of A. tumida pruning, manure and millet increased WUE on average 55, 49 and 25 %, respectively. We conclude that combined application of micro-dosing and organic mulch is an effective fertilization strategy to enhance millet yield and water use efficiency in low-input cropping systems and that A. tumida pruning could serve as an appropriate mulching alternative for further increasing crop yields and water use efficiency in the biomass-scarce and drought prone environment such as the Sahel. However, the economic and social implications and the long-term agronomic effects of this agroforestry tree in Sahelian millet based system have to be explored further

Cattle pastoralists’ strategies to cope with water scarcity in climate change context in northern Benin: Cattle pastoralists’ strategies to cope with water scarcity in climate change context in northern Benin, West Africa

This paper deals with the strategies cattle pastoralists use to cope with the shortage of water resources along their grazing routes. A computational approach is combined with socio-anthropological methods. This enables us to learn more from the local actors’ thinking and acting process in the context of vulnerability. During three months, 30 cattle herds were partially followed along an international animal route in the north of Benin, in order to understand the mechanisms through which they accessed water during the inimical season. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were utilised to elicit information on pastoral activities. Our results reveal a pastoral dynamics based on the programmed distance to the best  resources, the duration of resourcegathering stays, the livestock market position along the route and the possibility of overdigging wells. These arethe strategies pastoralists use to adapt to climate change. The findings suggest that an actor-oriented policy and local resource use planning could be useful in managing the movement of herbivorous livestock in openrange. This could also enhance adaptation to climate change within the context of the West African indigenous livestock system.Keywords: Climate Change, Water resources, Pastoralist, Animal route, Adaptation Strategy, Beni