Indigenous Soil Knowledge for Sustainable Agricultural Development in the Sahel Zone of Niger, West Africa. 1. Soil Quality Characterization of a Small Inland Valley Watershed.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil quality of a small inland valley watershed in the Sahel zone of Niger, West Africa. The physical, biological, and chemical properties of the soil were characterized. Longitudinal and transverse sections of two transect lines were surveyed in the benchmark Matankari watershed (BMW). Soil samples were taken along these transect lines. The BMW consists of four geographical units: plateau, slope, plain, and basin. The plateau is made up of tertiary muddy sand stone (TMSS), while the slope is made up of sand cover. The basin is a unique site holding runoff water and eroded materials that accumulate from the upper geographical units. The analytical results revealed that the physical, biological, and chemical fertility parameters of the soils along the longitudinal transect line are quite low, as this is the section across the bottom of the BMW where a wadi is present. The soil fertility properties along the transverse transect line are better than along the longitudinal transect line. However, the soil fertility of all sites on the plain is quite low due to the high percentage of sand (>95%). The soils on the plateau and basin in particular have much better fertility properties than other sites because these soils have a high percentage of clay as well as high TC and TN content, indicating that there is some organic matter accumulation in these soils. Therefore, these geographical units in particular are not only suitable for cultivation, but they also may contribute to reduce the adverse effect on the soil and the environment with the proper application of ecologically adaptive technology. In the long run, this study can provide basic information regarding indigenous knowledge of the BMW, including ethnopedology and ethnobotany, to promote the development of such ecotechnology for sustainable agriculture in this region.

Appraisal of Local Farmers' Practices on Land Management for a Guideline of Agricultural Development in the Sahel Zone of Niger, West Africa

“…Indigenous knowledge (IK) has received considerable attention in recent years in terms of social and agricultural development 13 . Although most of the information about IK is oral patrimony from generation to generation 19 and differs among tribes or regions 9,15 , understanding the logic of traditional people in natural resource management is of utmost use in identifying suitable technologies.…”

Economic Differentiation and Safeguard Against Hunger in Southern Niger of Sahel Region: Agro-landscape and Multi-purpose Tree Use of Hausa Farmers

“…Hausa farmers recognise changes in the condition of the soil resulting from continuous pearl millet cultivation (Hayashi et al, 2000;Oyama, 2009), and they divide the soil into three types: kasa, leso, and foko. Soil with high organic matter content yields high crop productivity.…”