Combining Agroecological Intensification Options through Farmers' Networks to Optimise Productivity in the Climate Change Context of Niger

Abstract

Family farms are crucial for food security and nutrition in West Africa. Yet multiple technologies have been promoted and disseminated as a means to meet food security. However, the diversity of management practices in the family farming including intercropping, pest and soil fertility management, makes it difficult to find standard options that will fit the need and the possibilities of smallholder farmers. This PhD work aimed to explore innovative combined options for agroecological intensification (AEI) in the Sahelian zone of Niger. A baseline survey was used in exploring potential AEI options. An integrative pilot trial design was co-built through four main steps for identifying the most promising combined AEI options in the local contexts. And decentralized trials were also used to test a set of dual-purpose cowpea varieties across the selected fifteen study locations. Results showed that family farms were mainly characterized by the presence of the main field (98%) led by the head and the presence of female field(s) (78%) led by the women and they highly rely on rain fed agriculture. The key drivers impeding crop productivity was the significant decrease in soil fertility (70%). About 12 potential AEI were identified including the use of organic manure and intercropping millet-cowpea. With respect to the integrative trial design, findings showed that farmers tended to opt for the use of decomposed organic manure combined with the intercropping options and any of the two dual-purpose cowpea varieties compared to the remaining combined options. The assessment of the performance of the cowpea genotypes/varieties revealed that the selected cowpea genotypes significantly (p≤0.05) yielded better than the control varieties concerning pod and haulm yields in ten study locations out of fifteen. In the cluster of the selected varieties (classical), the CS012 variety had the highest median pod yield of 380.5 kg. ha-1 while the CS001 recorded the largest median haulm yield of 1,078 kg. ha-1 in Djinde Mario. Whereas in the cluster of the selected genotypes (multiline), the CWS-RIL-31-46 gave the highest pod and haulm yields of 284.5 kg. ha-1 and 398.5 kg. ha-1 respectively, compared to the local varieties. This study revealed that developing technologies/options and approaches to increase crop productivity and farmers’ livelihoods without considering the diversified local contexts as well as farmers’ needs and their full participation at the early stage of the project are indeed less useful. Integrative trial design fills the gap of the lack of methodology integrating the experiences of researchers and farmers and it represent pathways to increase crop productivity and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.