Improving Agricultural Rain Water Use Efficiency by Land and Nutrient Management and the Intercropping System in Farmers’ Fields in Mali

Abstract

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oAn experiment conducted in farmers' fields during two consecutive years was comparing sowing crops on simple ridging (one local technique of soil tillage in the area of the study) to sowing crops in half-moon (an innovative technique) to see their effects on the intercropping system performance and on the rain water use efficiency (RWUE). The slope of experiment fields all located on abandoned land for decades, was less than 3%. Experiment was conducted in the field of 12 collaborating farmers in a dispersed Fischer block lay out where each farmer was representing one replication. Crop yield and decade rainfall amount were recorded in each site. Data analysis has shown the good yield of sorghum-cowpea intercropping in half moon. Crop management and rainfall distribution were the causes of bad performance of crops sown on simple ridging. Rain water use efficiency was the best in the half moon cropping system. In conclusion, the proposed alternative cropping system is involving intercropping in half moon and the application of mineral fertilizer microdose to improved varieties. This allows the use of abandoned land. The use of cowpea one grain legume crop in the system allows improving farmer income and stimulating the use of mineral fertilizer in sorghum cropping.