Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly: JARQ
Online ISSN : 2185-8896
Print ISSN : 0021-3551
ISSN-L : 0021-3551
Farming System
Appraisal of Local Farmers' Practices on Land Management for a Guideline of Agricultural Development in the Sahel Zone of Niger, West Africa
Keiichi HAYASHITahirou ABDOULAYERyoichi MATSUNAGASatoshi TOBITA
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 43 Issue 1 Pages 63-69

Details
Abstract

In order to bridge a gap between research results and farmers' needs for agricultural development in the Sahel, we made a study of traditional agricultural production systems derived from what we understood about indigenous knowledge (IK) of Sahelian farmers. The study was conducted in the western part of Niger, West Africa. IK was gathered from interviews among several villages of different generations. Then impartiality was verified. We obtained detailed information on land management and topographical features of farmland and devised a thorough local classification system. Statistical results showed that the obtained information was not significantly different among villages and generations. This result brought recognition that IK was a shared knowledge among local farmers in the study area. The study classified in detail a farmland that was directly or indirectly affected by household economy, the potential of natural resources like organic matter, and the relationship between agriculturalist and pastoralist. Understanding this context for soil fertility management at the village level makes it possible to assess the situation more appropriately than simply looking at actual practices, thereby helping to identify a problematic issue that concerns local farmers.

Content from these authors
© 2009 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Previous article Next article
feedback
Top