SUBSIDIZED FERTILIZER IN THE SAHEL: THAT IS THE QUESTION

Nutrient depletion concerns researchers and policy makers in the Sahel. A village-level programming model determines the size of fertilizer subsidy necessary to encourage farmers to apply the recommended dosage to their millet fields. Results indicate that subsidies would be extremely costly and less than half the expenditures accrue to the farm-household.Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

A poverty analysis macroeconomic simulator (PAMS) linking household surveys with macro-models

The Poverty Analysis Macroeconomic Simulator (PAMS) is a model that links standard household surveys with macro frameworks. It allows users to assess the effect of macroeconomic policies-in particular, those associated with Poverty Reduction Strategies papers-on sectoral employment and income, the incidence of poverty, and income distribution. PAMS (in Excel) has three interconnected components: o A standard aggregate macro-framework that can be taken from any macro-consistency model (for example, RMSM-X, 123) to project GDP, national accounts, the national budget, the BoP, price levels, and so on, in aggregate consistent accounts. o A labor market model breaking down labor categories by skill level and economic sectors whose production total is consistent with that of the macro framework. Individuals from the household surveys are grouped in representative groups of households defined by the labor category of the head of the household. For each labor category, labor demand depends on sectoral output and real wages. Wage income levels by economic sector and labor category can thus be determined. In addition, different income tax rates and different levels of budgetary transfers across labor categories can be added to wage income. o A model that uses the labor model results for each labor category to simulate the income growth for each individual inside its own group, assumed to be the average of its group. a abstr After projecting individual incomes, PAMS calculates the incidence of poverty and the inter-group inequality. PAMS can produce historical or counterfactual simulations of: o Alternative growth scenarios with different assumptions for inflation, fiscal, and current account balances. These simulations allow test tradeoffs within a macro stabilization program. o Different combinations of sectoral growth (agricultural or industrial, tradable or non-tradable goods sectors), within a given aggregate GDP growth rate. o Tax and budgetary transfer policies. For example, PAMS will simulate a baseline macro-scenario for Burkina Faso corresponding to an existing IMF/World Bank-supported program and introduce changes in tax, fiscal, and sectoral growth policies to reduce poverty and inequality more effectively than the base scenario. So, the authors argue that there are several possible"equilibria"in terms of poverty and inequality within the same macro framework.Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Labor Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Poverty Assessment,Health Economics&Finance,Economic Theory&Research,Achieving Shared Growth

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

Substructuring Preconditioners for h-p Mortar FEM

International audienceWe build and analyze a substructuring preconditioner for the mortar method in the h-p finite element framework. Particular attention is given to the construction of the coarse component of the preconditioner in this framework, in which continuity at the cross points is not required. Two variants are proposed: the first one is an improved version of a coarse preconditioner already presented in [12]. The second is new and is built by using a Discontinuous Galerkin interior penalty method as coarse problem. A bound of the condition number is proven for both variants and their efficiency and scalability is illustrated by numerical experiments

Effects of different fertilizers on methane emission from paddy field of Zhejiang, China

No Abstract

Diversité du peuplement ichtyologique de la rivière Bagoé (Bassin du Niger, Mali)

Un inventaire du peuplement de poissons du cours principal de la Bagoé a été réalisé en vue d’actualiser le répertoire de l’ichtyofaune de cette rivière. A cet effet, des échantillons de poissons prélevés dans les prises des pêcheurs artisanaux et dans les captures de pêches expérimentales  effectuées à l’aide de filets maillants, de filets éperviers, de sennes de plage et d’épuisette ont été identifiées a l’aide de la clé de Paugy et al. (2003a ; 2003b). Les indices de diversité spécifique, d’équitabilité et de similarité ont été calculés sur la rivière selon les gradients cours supérieur, cours moyen et cours inférieur. Nos données d’étude indiquent, que la Bagoé est riche de 70 espèces dont 46 dans le cours supérieur contre 31 et 44 dans les cours moyen et inférieur. Celles-ci sont reparties en 43 genres et 19 familles. Les Cyprinidae, les Mormyridae et les Cichlidae sont les plus représentées dans les captures. La diversité spécifique est élevée, mais décroit du cours supérieur au cours inférieur, soit de 4,49 à 3,68. L’indice de Shannon représente 84 % de la diversité maximale (5,15/ 6,13). L’équitabilité est élevée dans les cours supérieur (0,82) et moyen (0,87), mais faible dans le cours inférieur (0,67). Cependant, la similarité varie de 13,3 à 20,0 % entre les sections du cours d'eau.Mots clés : Poissons, diversité ichtyologique, rivière Bagoé, Mali

Demonstration of improved feed trough for efficient feed utilisation by small ruminants in Southern Mali

The ruminant feeding systems of smallholder farmers in mixed crop and livestock systems in Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa are characterised by waste. To promote efficient feed use, the use of improved feed trough for small ruminants was demonstrated in Sirakele, Zanzoni and M’Pessoba in Koutiala district in southern Mali in the late (March/April 2019) and early dry (February 2020) seasons. Forty-five farmers were selected randomly in the study sites and were each provided with one improved feed trough which was then compared with the conventional or commonly used feed trough. The quantity of feed offered, and that was wasted during the feeding were measured for six consecutive days, both for the conventional and improved feed troughs. The perceptions of all participating farmers about the technology were documented through response to a series of questions on the potential benefit of the improved feed trough based on the five-point Likert scale. The results showed that the improved feed trough reduced feed waste significantly in all the three sites in both seasons. The percentage of waste in feeding crop residues to sheep and goats using the conventional feed trough were 7.73 ± 0.9, 26.13 ± 3.3, and 13.32 ± 1.4 in Sirakele, Zanzoni and M’Pessoba, respectively in the late dry season compared to less than 1% with the improved feed troughs during the same season in Sirakele and M’Pessoba, respectively while it was 3.33% in Zanzoni. Feed saved by using improved feed trough gave net return of 13,020, 12,384 and 17,892 FCFA/household/year for Sirakele, Zanzoni and M’Pessoba, respectively. The participating farmers confirmed the benefits of the improved feed trough which are consistent with our results