Abstract
As an agroecological intensification technique, the scaling up of trees assisted natural regeneration (ANR) could help to protect Sahelian agrosystems and to ensure crop production in the context of high demographic pressure and climatic variability. This study aims to evaluate agronomic and environmental performances of a multi-specific agroforestry parkland arising from a Maradi local community innovations in tree resources management to support their ongoing scaling up. The study site is located in central-south of Maradi region's (Niger) with annual rainfall average amount of 600 mm and is derived from more than thirty years of trees ANR practice. Pearl millet is the dominant cereal most often in association with cowpea, sorghum or groundnut. Woody trees density was evaluated on radial transects. Water profile and soil bulk density in ANR and non-ANR areas were determined from rainy and dry season soils sampling at depths of 0-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm and 150- 200cm. Pearl-millet growth and it yield parameters were monitored in 100 m2 (10x10m) plots due to 50 plots in ANR and 50 non- ANR areas. Results showed that the two zones had the same composition for dominant woody trees but the average density was higher in the ANR than non-ANR areas. Tree density was lower in fields in the vicinity of the village than those that are far away in all context. Soil water content was higher in ANR areas under and out of tree canopy than in non-ANR area in surface horizons. However, in deep horizons up to 200 cm, soil water content was higher in H ANR and HC ANR areas than in SC ANR areas, respectively. Apart from seeding density (F = 1.20, P-value = 0.2756), all measured agronomic performance parameters were significantly higher in the ANR than in the non-ANR area. These results show that the ANR practice improve agrosystems productivity in a sustainable manner through increases of crop yield as well as direct incomes to smallholders through wood exploitation from enhanced pruning.
Highlights
Expansion of cultivated area to meet an ever-rising food demand due to high demographic growth (3.9%/year) had led to the degradation of Sahelian agroecosystems for last 30 years (Loireau 1998; Leblanc et al, 2008; Gonzales et al 2012)
Trees average density in the assisted natural regeneration (ANR) and non-ANR are presented in table 1
Tree density was higher in ANR area (89.68 tree ha-1) than in non-ANR area (27 tree ha-1), the specific composition was the same in the two areas
Summary
Expansion of cultivated area to meet an ever-rising food demand due to high demographic growth (3.9%/year) had led to the degradation of Sahelian agroecosystems for last 30 years (Loireau 1998; Leblanc et al, 2008; Gonzales et al 2012). Yields were very low and cultivated area per farmer operator are small, despite an increase of cropped area (Guengant & Banoin 2003; Cappelaere et al 2009). This fact have resulting in the demise of fallow systems and overexploitation of the limited amount of arable land (Wezel & Boecker 1998, Valentin et al, 2004). The major programs to alleviate land degradation that has been initiated since the 1980s (Vlaar 1992; Yamba 2004) had not been successful
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