Promoting Sustainable Crop-Livestock Integration Through Farmer’s Participation and Integrated Soil Fertility Management in the Sahel of West Africa
Loading...
Files
Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Sahelian region of West Africa faces challenges in sustainable agriculture due to low and variable rainfall, leading to declining soil fertility and limited livestock feed resources. This study focuses on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and participatory approaches to improve crop-livestock integration for sustainable agricultural systems in the Sahel. Field experiments and participatory rural appraisals were conducted in Burkina Faso to assess farmers' knowledge of soil fertility management, understand traditional practices, and identify solutions for sustainable mixed crop-livestock systems. Results indicate spatial variability in soil fertility between infield and outfield sites, with infields being more fertile due to continuous application of organic amendments. Livestock ownership correlates with manure availability, impacting crop production. Participatory approaches revealed farmers' reliance on rainfall and nutrient deficiencies as major constraints, with proposed solutions including manure and compost use, and improved crop rotations. Modeling with SIMFIS (SImulating Mixed Farming In the Sahel) provided insights into management alternatives for sustainable soil fertility. Field experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of manure and compost application combined with mineral fertilizer on crop yields. Economic analysis indicated positive returns on investment for integrated nutrient management practices. These findings underscore the importance of farmer participation and integrated approaches to address soil fertility and promote sustainable crop-livestock integration in the Sahel.
Description
Keywords
Sustainable agriculture, Crops, Livestock production