Acacia Senegal based bioreclamation of degraded lands

Project Leader: Dov Pasternak, ICRISAT, Niamey, Niger

Justification

Huge tracts of Sahelian lands have been totally degraded and are not suitable for agricultural production anymore. And the process is continuing. The degraded lands should be brought back to productivity in order to support the increased demand for food and income by the growing population.

The Acacia Senegal based bioreclamation of degraded lands is a system that recovers degraded lands while bringing immediate and significant income to farmers. It is most suitable for women management. Biodiversity gardens are created incorporating a range of woody species ( Acacia Senegal , Pomme du Sahel, wild fruit trees, Boscia senegalensis, Acacia tumida , traditional leafy vegetables, forage and medicinal plants etc). Products of these gardens are exploited without soil tilling for a long period of time that allows soil recuperation.

Objectives

• Domestication of Acacia senega l and other income generating hardy perennials
• Selection of leafy vegetables, medicinal plants forage plants and other useful germplasm to be incorporated into the biodiversity gardens
• Study of the ecological, physical, sociological and economic performance of the biodiversity garden eco-system.
• Expected outputs
• Understanding of the biodiversity garden as a tool for bioreclamation of degraded lands
• Begin systematical reclamation of the degraded lands of the Sahel

Activities

• Domestication of Acacia senegal
• Selection and multiplication of leafy vegetables, medicinal and forage crops
• On station research
• On farm research

Partners:

GTZ/LUCOPTI

PMAE/KWF

SOS-Sahel