Evaluate the survival rate and growth of planted fodder/fruit trees for degraded land restoration as a function of planting hole size

Abstract

Climate variability and extremes as well as climate changes expressed through increase temperature, more severe droughts, abnormally wet periods, floods and other extreme climate events are challenging for Sub-Saharan Africa particularly for the Sahel region due to the dependence of rural populations on climate-sensitive sectors such as rain-fed agriculture. In light of these challenges, maintaining perennial woody vegetation is increasingly an important priority for preventing aridification/desertification and for providing much-needed tree products (food, fuel, fodder, or fiber). In Mali as in most the Sahelian countries, large tree plantations have started after the severe drought of the 70s. The high cost of plantation associated with low survival and low productivity has been the main impediment to large success. Farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) which is based on the regeneration and management of trees and shrubs growing from living tree stumps, roots and seedlings is now being promoted and can be implemented in farmland, forest or grazing land. It is very low cost, rapid and scalable method of re-greening. It is based on pruning technique which can made a tremendous impact across the farmlands. However, this is based on wild grown plants which might not be of the choice of the farmers. Therefore, FMNR should be complemented with enrichment planting using improved plant material such as grafts and better planting practices by bigger size holes, protection, manure application and irrigation to enhance their survival and biomass or fruit production. This participatory learning activity with 1600 volunteer farmers from three region Mopti, Sikasso and Ségou in Mali is aimed at identifying opportunities to improve trees and shrubs availability to meet the nutritional needs and to improving farmers’ understanding as well as policy through testing different options of plantation. The specific objectives are to: i) Assessing survival and growth of planted seedling and the best options by context; ii) the constraints and conditions for implementation and; iii) the contextual variables of success for scaling.