Farmers’ management strategies to maintain soil fertility in a remote area in northwest Nigeria

Abstract

Farmers play a key role in nutrient cycling within agricultural areas. This study describes an indigenous system of soil fertility management in the Zamfara Forest Reserve, northwest Nigeria. Data were collected between 1996 and 2000, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods applied include transect walks, qualitative and semi-structured interviews with farmers and key respondents, and chemical soil analyses with standard methods. Results show that farmers combine crop planting pattern and the application of organic and mineral fertilisers in an effective way to maintain the fertility of their soils. Intercropping of legumes and cereals is the dominant cropping pattern. The Hausa farmers keep an average of 4.4 tropical livestock units (TLU) which contribute significantly to the farmyard manure. Ingredients of the farmyard manure are animal droppings, feed left-overs, litter, grass, kitchen residues, and ash. Farmers ranked the quality of livestock faeces as fertilisers: cattle> small ruminants > donkey . The average quantity of farmyard manure brought to the fields exceeds by far the amount provided directly by livestock (7.5 vs. 1 Mg ha −1). From all organic and inorganic sources, 87 kg N, 33 kg P and 120 kg K ha −1 are deposited annually on the fields. Soil analyses revealed a satisfactory nutrient status with 0.28 g N and 3.4 g C kg −1, a C:N ratio of 13, 40 mg kg −1 available P and 69 mg kg −1 available K in the topsoil. The impact of manuring on the nutrient status of the soil is more pronounced for P and K than for N and C. Farmer strategies and management make use of and develop diversity.