Determinants of crop residue use along an intensification gradient in West Africa's savannah zones.

Abstract

The study compares and contrasts crop residue uses in 3 case study sites along an agricultural intensification gradient in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Niger and Nigeria. It draws on data collected from 24 villages involving 480 households and employs a Tobit model to analyse the determinants of crop residue uses. . Internal service as livestock feed constituted the largest share across sites and crops–averaging 34-59% for cereal stover biomass and 70-80% for legume haulms. Internal service as soil amendment/mulching was largely limited to the most extensive systems. Sales of crop residues were the main external service/output. Internal service use was positively influenced by livestock ownership and contact with extension services. The overall pressure on crop residue use was especially high in the more intensive systems of the Kano region raising questions about system sustainability and livelihood security thereby calling for appropriate innovations to facilitate sustainable intensification.