Regional Science Review and Planning Meeting 2020

The Research Program-West and Central Africa is structured around four (4) research themes: 1.) Crop Improvement; 2.) Integrated Crop Management; 3.) Systems Research; and 4.) Policy and Impact. The presentations addressed these four themes, highlighting key achievements and focusing on perspectives and areas of collaboration within and across the three regions (Asia, ESA and WCA) and also with key stakeholders within our mandate areas. Partnership is crucial in delivering on our goal and objectives. We therefore pursue our efforts of strengthening partnership and collaboration. Resource mobilization has received due attention in the past few years. We have constituted various consortia comprising CG centers and IARCs (IITA, ILRI, ICRAF, World Vegetable Center), NARS, private sector, regional organizations (e.g. CORAF) to respond to large calls from USAID-Mali and Niger; the Government of the Netherlands (Dryland Sahel Program-DryDev- 2); with support from SMC/HQ and using the services of a consultant. We are also working with Anthony Whitbread and other colleagues from CG centers and CCAFS to organize the 2-D initiative meeting for the Sahel either in Bamako or another venue in WCA. We are pleased to have recently launched the newly EU approved DeSIRA/APSAN EUR 4 million project in Mali which will complement the AVISA project. We will devote some time to discuss our technology dissemination approach using case studies of HOPE II, TL III, TAAT, Africa RISING’s ARDT-SMS, SINCERE and other CCAFS projects and how we learn from these experiences, and how this work can be published. Dr. Sereme will provide us with an update on the on-going discussions on the One CGIAR reform as he has been attending various related meetings. Dr. Kiran Sharma will provide us with guidance on aligning our work to the forthcoming changes within the CG. Dr. Carberry will lead and guide us through the ICRISAT’s Strategic Planning in the context of One CGIAR reform. We will also discuss the need and level of capital investment in strengthening the facilities and infrastructures in the Regional Crop Improvement Hub (RCIH) at Samanko

Botanical Knowledge and its Differentiation by Age, Gender and Ethnicity in Southwestern Niger

Indigenous knowledge is unevenly distributed. Individual knowledge level may be affected by many factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, profession, religious and cultural beliefs, abundance and usefulness of the species. This study documents indigenous knowledge of herbaceous and woody plant species of farmers and herders in southwestern Niger. Specifically, we examine the effects of age, gender, and ethnicity on knowledge of local vegetation. Results from the study showed that on average a higher proportion of woody species was identified by the respondents compared to herbaceous species. Both gender and ethnicity had a significant effect on the identification of herbaceous species but no effect on identification of woody species. Respondents in lower age group (10 to 30 years) identified lower number of species compared to other age classes. There seems to be a curvilinear relationship between age of respondents and number of plant species identified. Results from this study reaffirm the uneven distribution of indigenous knowledge within a given area due to social factors. The main challenge is how to incorporate these social differences in knowledge of native plant species into sustainable management and conservation of community natural resources

Food and nutrition security in the drylands of West Africa: challenges and opportunities

West Africa's dryland is one of the regions with the highest proportion of people living without adequate quantity and quality of food to reach their individual and collective potential. Approximately, six million people require food assistance, and about 27% of children are malnourished. To tackle this problem and respond to increasing future food demand there is a need to develop and promote improved agricultural technologies for enhanced water and nutrient use efficiency, economic stability, and equitable outcomes for male and female smallholder farmers. Despite past efforts towards this direction there is little impact on the livelihoods of the people. A new conceptual framework of Inclusive Market Oriented Development (IMOD) provides pathways for poverty escape by better linking farmers to markets to increase their land productivity and incomes. It projects that Research-for-Development (R4D) generates technologies and innovations that increase the productivity and value of dryland farming, and provides surplus value that is re-invested in additional innovations, further increasing gains in a self-reinforcing cycle and in building resilience. R4D activities conducted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners underlying the IMOD concept are reviewed and presented through six case studies including: 1) Genetic improvement of dryland crops including sorghum, millet and groundnut in order to produce more and better food at lower cost with focus on nutrition, resilience and efficiency; 2) Strengthening livelihoods resilience through increased access to quality seed, food safety through aflatoxin awareness and inclusive development; 3) Identifying and implementing integrated crop, soil, water, nutrient, pest and disease management strategies; 4) Using Innovative ICT-based extension system through public-private partnership; 5) Building agri-business through post-harvest handling and improvement for access to markets; and 6) Developing Smart Food concept based on products from dryland crops including drought tolerant, resilient and nutri-cereals such as millet and sorghum through biofortification for enhanced nutritional quality

La cysticercose bovine en milieu sédentaire et en milieu nomade

Les auteurs étudient, au Tchad, la cysticercose bovine en milieu sédentaire et en milieu nomade. Ils constatent qu'au Batha (Centre Tchad), il existe 4 fois plus d'animaux ladres chez les sédentaires que chez les nomades. Au Kanem (Ouest Tchad), la proportion est à peu près identique. Dans les 2 préfectures le taux d'infestation du bétail nomade est très voisin (environ 5 p. 100

Potential for agronomical enhancement of millet yield via Jatropha curcas oilcake fertilizer amendment using placed application technique

This study carried out at the ICRISAT research station of Sadoré in Niger aimed at determining the impact of placed application technique of Jatropha oilcake on millet agronomic parameters. The experimental design was a randomised blocs including five treatments and four replicates. Control was plots without fertilizer while J_100 g, J_200 g, and J_300 gwere plots receiving 100 g , 200 g and 300 g of Jatropha oilcake respectively per seed hole and the plots NPK_6 g were receiving 6 g of NPK (15, 15, 15) per seed hole. ANOVA test was used for data analyses. Only the Control had significantly low number of tillers. At the end of the vegetative period J_300 g has the highest plants. J_300 g induced 196% increase of grain yield compared to the Control. The substitution of NPK (15,15,15) by 100 g, 200 g and 300 g of Jatropha oilcake per seed hole induced 79 - 52.93%, 92 – 72.23% and 152 – 100.65% increase of grain yield respectively compared to the Control in 2009 and 2010. With regard to the grain yield in 2009 and 2010, 100 g of Jatropha cake per seed hole can replace the current 6 g (NPK) per seed hole.Keywords: Jatropha oilcake, NPK (15, 15, 15), millet (H.K.P), placed application, fertilizer, Sadoré –Nige

Soil Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria of the Okavango Floodplains, Botswana

Phosphorus although abundant is among the most limiting macro plant nutrients in some soils. Deficiencies are often seen as purpling of leaves due to unavailability of PO4 in soil solution. In soil solution PO4 solubility is pH dependent; at pH \u3c 6, it is often bound to Fe or Al, while at pH \u3e 7 it forms insoluble complexes with Ca, Mg, K or Na making it unavailable to plants (Brady 2002). Soil organic P requires mineralisation then solubilisation by the enzyme phosphatase before being available. Botswana soils due to the low rainfall (\u3c 450 mm/yr) are characterised by high pH and salt pans scattered all over the semi-arid and arid landscape. Cultivation of most of these soils often results in P deficient crops (Leuschner and Manthe 1996). However, in grassland areas of the Okavango, very few grasses show P deficiency. Studies from other areas indicate that some grasses habour PO4 solubilizing bacteria in their rhizosphere that help them in their P sequencing quest (Duponnois et al. 2005). This study was set up to study the PO4 solubilising bacteria of the Okavango Delta at Seronga. The study also looked at possible mechanisms of solubilisation employed by the bacteria. In the long run, the study will also attempt to use these bacteria on locally grown staple cereal, sorghum (Sorghum vulgare)

Shallow wells, the untapped resource with a potential to improve agriculture and food security in southern Mali

Background Excessive rainwater during the rainy season and lack of water in the dry season have been challenging the agricultural productivity and food security for rural communities in southern Mali. Various soil and water conservation practices were implemented in the past to improve crop yields and income, and reverse the effect of land degradation. However, none of these efforts looked into the potential use of shallow wells at a spatial scale to improve the agricultural productivity and hence the food security in the region. Results In total 484 shallow wells were geo-referenced, mapped and studied in two districts, Bougouni and Koutiala, in southern Mali to understand the dynamics of groundwater recharge and relationship with rainfall in different seasons. The study found out that shallow wells were mainly utilized for household and livestock water consumption and not for agricultural water use. Well construction history followed the trend of the severe drought that hit the Sahel in the years of the 1970s and 1980s. Majority of wells (87 % in Bougouni and 84 % in Koutiala) were constructed after the drought period with significant variation of construction in the two districts (p value 0.032). Well depths ranged from 1 to 150 m, with the majority of wells (64 %) within the depth range of 6.5–14.5 m (p value 0.043). During the dry season water was available in the majority of wells (73 %) at a depth range from 5.5 to 15.5 m (p value 0.996). In the rainy season on average 84 % of wells in Bougouni and 94 % of wells in Koutiala experience water level rise within the range of 0.5–10.5 m (p value 0.423/Bougouni and 0.991/Koutiala). In few of the studied villages shallow wells were found to be fast recharging, thus enabling farmers to buffer the negative effects of drought conditions. Conclusion Shallow wells are important sources of water in rural Mali. The wells have adequate recharging capacity during the rainy season and insignificant water level variation during the dry season. Though accessing water from shallow wells was labour-intensive and mostly done by women and the youth, water is available within an average depth ranging from 5.5 to 15.5 m from most studied wells. The issue of water scarcity in different seasons was thus attributed to accessibility due to the lack of appropriate water lifting mechanisms. Groundwater was an untapped resource in Mali, and we suggest groundwater management needs to be given consideration along with other management practices in the changing climate condition to improve the agricultural productivity and food security