Intensification of Sorghum Production in Flood Recession Agriculture in Yelimane, Western Mali

Abstract

Flood recession farming is as an important supplement to rainfed agriculture in West Africa. Every year, large areas are flooded along riverbanks and temporary lakes. When water recedes from the flooded areas, farmers plant crops. This study describes the flood recession farming in the Yelimane district of Kayes region in Mali and assesses different ways to intensify the system. The use of external inputs in this system is minimal. Field experiments were undertaken over two years to test crop establishment methods, soil tillage, increasing plant density, use of organic and mineral fertilizer, and improved varieties. These technologies increased sorghum yield as compared to the control in the following descending order: Seed priming + fertilizer (77.1%), NPK + organic fertilizer (74%), seedling transplantation + micro fertilization (61.3%), improved varieties (49%), mounding (34%), and urea application (24.9%). The technology seed priming in combination with mineral fertilizers was promising because of the high yield and the low labor demand. Nitrogen fertilizer is needed in flood recession agriculture as the soils and the deposited sediments are low in nitrogen. Farmers’ choice of technology will depend on the yield level, net return per hectare, labor use, and access to inputs.

Keywords

• farm characteristics
• sediments
• tillage
• crop establishment
• nitrogen
• microdosing