Dov Pasternak

Solar-powered drip irrigation enhances food security in the Sudano–Sahel

Meeting the food needs of Africa’s growing population over the next half-century will require technologies that significantly improve rural livelihoods at minimal environmental cost. These technologies will likely be distinct from those of the Green Revolution, which had relatively little impact in sub-Saharan Africa; consequently, few such interventions have been rigorously evaluated. This paper analyzes solar-powered drip irrigation as a strategy for enhancing food security in the rural Sudano–Sahel region of West Africa. Using a matched-pair comparison of villages in northern Benin (two treatment villages, two comparison villages), and household survey and field-level data through the first year of harvest in those villages, we find that solar-powered drip irrigation significantly augments both household income and nutritional intake, particularly during the dry season, and is cost effective compared to alternative technologies.

Dry land tree management for improved household livelihoods: Farmer managed natural regeneration in Niger

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), a set of practices farmers use to foster the growth of indigenous trees on agricultural land, has drawn substantial attention as a contributing factor to a trend of increasing vegetation greenness in the Republic of Niger. This paper identifies drivers of FMNR adoption and assesses its impacts on rural households in the Region of Maradi, Niger, an area covering 42,000 square kilometers. The results show that 26% of households practice a form of FMNR involving both pruning and protecting woody vegetation. Adoption is strongly linked to soil type, market access, and the education level of the head of household. FMNR raises household income and increases crop diversity, household migration rates, and the density and diversity of trees on farmland. It is estimated that FMNR raises the annual gross income of the region by between 17 and 21 million USD and has contributed an additional 900,000 to 1,000,000 trees to the local environment. These findings support the value of continued promotion of FMNR as an inexpensive means of enhancing rural livelihoods and an attractive alternative to reforestation efforts relying on tree planting.

The Dryland Eco-Farm: A Potential Solution to the Main Constraints of Rain-Fed Agriculture in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Africa

This chapter presents the results of studies on a production system called Dryland Eco-Farm (DEF) that addresses a range of constraints to agricultural productivity in dryland Africa. It combines the use of live hedges and alleys of Acacia colei, “demi-lunes” in which are planted domesticated Ziziphus mauritiania. Annual crops like pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.), cowpeas and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) are planted in rotation. This trial tests the effect of the system on (1) soil erosion control, soil fertility and water use efficiency, (2) crop yield and biomass production, and (3) improving income generation and diversification. Average pearl millet yields in the DEF were twice the control (880 vs. 430 kg ha–1) when no mineral fertilizer was applied. With the application of NPK, millet yields were almost similar under both conditions (950 vs. 780 kg ha–1). Cowpea yields were on average seven times higher than the control without NPK (1,400 vs. 200 kg ha–1 total biomass) and three times with NPK (1,850 vs. 650 kg ha–1 total biomass). Roselle yield increased four times on average without NPK (205 vs. 60 kg ha–1 calices yield) and two times with NPK (234 vs. 114 kg ha–1). Therefore, the system has the potential to produce yield response similar to that of the recommended rate of 100 kg of the 15-15-15 fertilizer per ha. The return to land is estimated at US

Evaluation of five pearl millet varieties for yield and forage quality under two planting densities in the Sahel

224 for the DEF compared to US

Yields and forage nutritive quality of high-yielding dual purpose cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) varieties in the Sahelian low-input cropping system

77 for the traditional millet–cowpea system. This system has the potential to improve productivity and rural livelihood in the drylands of Africa while sustaining the natural resources base.

Rain-Fed Plantations Of The Domesticated Ziziphus Mauritiana In The Sahel: Effects Of Varieties And Rootstocks On Yields And Fruit Quality

In the Sahel that is typified by an agro-pastoral system and a long dry season between rains, the availability of animal feed is a very serious constraint. The objectives of this study were to identify pearl millet varieties with high forage productivity under rainfed conditions in the Sahel; to identify best planting densities and to find physiological mechanisms conducive to high forage productivity in pearl millet. The experiment was carried out at the ICRISAT Sadore Research Center in Niger during the 2006 rainy season. Five long duration varieties (Malgorou, Batchoudine, Sanioba, Yabo Maiwa and Somno Damari) as forage crops were compared at two planting densities (10,000 and 20,000 hills/ha). Dry matter yield and forage quality was assessed at the boot, anthesis and at the soft dough stages. The higher planting density gave in this year higher dry matter (and grain) yield than the lower density. The dough stage was the most suitable stage for harvest because dry matter was at its highest. However, organic matter digestibility and crude protein are higher at the boot stage compared with the dough stage. The Malgorou variety gave the highest dry matter yield at the dough stage (8.57 tons/ha at the high planting density). The high forage productivity of this variety was attributed to the longer growing period of time before anthesis and the bigger number of tillers. The results of this study demonstrated that long duration varieties of pearl millet can become an important source of forage in the Sahel under rainfed conditions.

Okra (Abelmoschus spp.) in West and Central Africa: Potential and progress on its improvement

Cowpea is a major food legume crop in the Sahel with tolerance to drought and to the nutrients-leached acid sandy soils of this region. However, the existing cowpea varieties grown by farmers are low yielding and pest sensitive which make them unsuitable to satisfy farmer’s needs. The objective of this study was to identify high-yielding cowpea varieties which are well adapted to the Sahelian ecosystem. Eight dual-purpose cowpea varieties from various sources were tested with and without insects control in Niger during two cropping seasons (2005 and 2007). In 2005, a relatively wet year, KVX 745-11-P and four other varieties (ISV 20, ISV 40, ISV 128 and IT98D-1399) gave highest grain yields ranging from 1220 to 1521 kg ha-1. In the dry year (2007), the highest grain yield was recorded with ISV 128. There were also significant differences in forage yield between varieties in both the wet and dry year. Application of insecticide increased cowpea grain yields significantly. Cowpea produced without insect control (spray) resulted in high grain yields losses and increased cowpea fodder yields in both years. KVX 745-11-P was the most sensitive variety to insects whereas IT98D 1399 seemed to be relatively the most insect tolerant variety. There were no significant differences between varieties in most forage quality parameters. These results provide the possibility of a potential extension of dual-cowpea varieties for improved food security in the Sahel. Keywords: Dual purpose cowpea, grain yield, fodder quality, sahel

The African market garden: The development of a low‐pressure drip irrigation system for smallholders in the sudano sahel

Abstract A long-term study was conducted to explore the possibility of using traditional rain-fed systems for growing domesticated Ziziphus mauritiana (so-called Pomme du Sahel) in the Sahel. Five varieties, Gola, Ben Gurion, Seb, Umran and Kaithli, were grafted on six rootstocks of Z. mauritiana from various agroecological zones of Niger. Trees were planted inside microcatchments at 8 × 8 m spacing. Over a period of six years, the variety Umran gave the highest fruit yield (3600 kg·ha−1) and the lowest fruit yield was documented for variety Seb (1970 kg·ha−1). Individual fruit weight ranged from 25.8 g for ‘Umran’ to 9.5 g for ‘Seb’. The rootstocks had no effect on average fruits yields and fruit size. There was a significant linear correlation between fruit yield and annual rainfall. In a rainy year (680 mm), the average yield of the five varieties was 7580 kg·ha−1. The results of the current study indicate that dry land plantations of Pomme du Sahel can guarantee food security during dry years in the Sahel. However, further studies are required to evaluate the economic feasibility of this system.