Abstract
AbstractLand and water management practices have been widely implemented in rural Mali since the 1980s to improve agricultural productivity and erosion control. Under conditions of recurring droughts, these practices are expected to increase farmers' ability to cope with shocks. One of the most common practices applied in the central and southern parts of Mali is contour bunding (CB). In this study the impact of the CB technology is evaluated with a focus on biophysical and socio-economic benefits. Data were collected in two agro-ecologies of southern Mali and were generated through field experimentation and household survey. Field experimentation involved implementation of contour lines with farm ridges, agronomic trails and runoff and erosion measurements. Agronomic data was collected on sorghum, maize, groundnut and millet for three consecutive years (2015 to 2017). Socio-economic data on the use of CB was obtained from individual farmer surveys. CB involves the layout of contour lines with land leveling devices to identify points of equal elevation and construction of contour lines with draught animals and human labor. The majority of the labor input to construct and maintain the CB comes from adult men who are head of the household (58%) and youth male (33%). Results indicate that with the application of CB yield of crops was higher with the highest increase in grain yield and biomass obtained for maize and millet (P < 0.01). CB application was useful in retaining soil water and reduced erosion rate. In treatment fields, 162 mm of rainfall per year was saved as soil moisture and on average 13,090 kg per hectare of soil was lost from farm fields without CB, and CB implementation significantly reduced the soil loss by 163% (P < 0.01). The improvements in crops yield and biomass, and the retention of soil nutrients positively changed farm level productivity conditions. The majority of farmers (78%) perceived higher income from the sale of crops grown on CB plots. These results suggest the landscape wide application of CB.
Highlights
Rainfed agriculture is the mainstay of rural peoples’ livelihood in Mali, engaging almost 70% of Mali’s labor force and contributing about 40% to the gross domestic product
Documented evidence (Traoré et al, 2017; Birhanu et al, 2019) reveal that in southern Mali for example runoff from agricultural fields often reaches 20 to 40% of the total annual rainfall, in spite of gentle slopes (1 to 3%). This important runoff reduces the availability of water for crops, which are sensible to drought, and crop yields are affected
Experimental results (Table 2) of contour bunding (CB) application on productivity and statistical variations highlighted that the average grain yield of sorghum with the CB plot was 1826 kg ha−1 and 1371 kg ha−1 in a farm without CB
Summary
Rainfed agriculture is the mainstay of rural peoples’ livelihood in Mali, engaging almost 70% of Mali’s labor force and contributing about 40% to the gross domestic product. Unpredictable and unreliable precipitation, reduction in the amount of light rainfall, a delay in the onset of the rainy season and lengthening of periods with no rainfall during the wet season, water runoff and a resulting loss of soil nutrients make rainfed agriculture a risky undertaking throughout much of West Africa (Doraiswamy et al, 2007; Feed the Future, 2012). Documented evidence (Traoré et al, 2017; Birhanu et al, 2019) reveal that in southern Mali for example runoff from agricultural fields often reaches 20 to 40% of the total annual rainfall, in spite of gentle slopes (1 to 3%) This important runoff reduces the availability of water for crops, which are sensible to drought, and crop yields are affected. Increasing crop productivity has further been challenged by factors such as rising temperature and absence of storage structures for supplementary irrigation
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