Conservation Farming in Senegal by Laurent Gomis
(USAID Wula Nafaa) & Mike Mailloux CFU Zambia
Hoe CF Senegal
2009
Traditional Field
Senegal 2009
Senegal in a Glance
Within these three
agricultural bands 70%
of the population
reside.
These three bands
account for 75% of the
total cereal production
in Senegal.
Zones - North/Southwest
1. Groundnuts
2. Maize
3. Millet
4. Sorghum
5. Beans
6. Rice
Rainfall varies from 500750ml in the northern
band to around 7501,300ml in the central
and southern bands.
19% of the surface area
available is considered
arable – 65% is already
under cultivation.
3.3 million Senegalese
small-scale farmers.
Zones - Central/Southeast
1. Groundnuts
2. Maize
3. Mil let
4. Sorghum
Traditional Cropping Practices & Current Conditions - Senegal
 Overall and constant inversion of soil – hoe (10%, animal Draft power 80%,
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tractor 10%). Wait for the rains to carry land preparation out = late planting
and low yields.
Overall broadcast application of fertilizer and organic manure.
Late application of basil dressing – 3-5 weeks.
Periodic burning of crop residues in some zones.
Soils are nutrient poor with little capacity to retain applied nutrients. It is
estimated that 70%+ of applied nutrients leach away before being taken up by
the crop (Breman 2007)
Soils have low infiltration rates (even sandy soils) that when combined with
Senegal’s intensive rainfall, means that up to 70% of the rainfall runs-off the
field (Kablan 2008)
Given these high run-off rates it is estimated that only 15-30% of the rainfall is
used for crop growth and on lads where there is a high level of degradation only
10% of the rainfall is used by crops (Kablan 2008).
Traditional Cropping Practices & Current Conditions - Senegal
 1970s
Senegal ‘modernised’ its agricultural sector –
promotion of monoculture and promotion of heavy
fertilizer use through heavy government subsidies.
 Reduction in livestock herds and deforestation followed.
 Yield responses to fertilizer started to decline by the mid
1980s.
 It was deduced that reducing trees and animals in the
farming systems led to lower levels of organic matter that ,
in turn, reduced fertilizer-use efficiency (McGahuey 2010)
All leading to……
Low Yields
Average Yield Data
Crop
Yield/Ha
Maize
800kg -1 ton
Beans
320kg-500kg
Sorghum
400-600kg
Millet
600-800kg
Ploughed and late planted sorghum. Weed pressure
overwhelmed the farmer.
Broadcast manure application – feeding the weeds!
Turning over the whole surface area of the field -a
waste of time!
CF Activities to Date – Wula Nafaa Senegal
2009
2010-2011
2011-2012
15 Farmer Demo Test
(see results on
following slide)
•4 Regions - Fatick,
Kaolack, Tambacounda
and Kédougou
• 17 RuralCommunities
•86 Villages
•1,222 hoe and animal
draft farmers
•885 hectares of animal
draft and hoe Min Till
CF
• 4 Regions of Fatick,
Kaolack, Tambacounda
and Kédougou.
•19 Rural Communities
•344 Villages
•6,000 farmers
•7,000 hectares under
Min Till CF Hoe and
animal draft
2009 Pilot Phase Results
Farmer
Crop
Plot Size
m2
Final Yields
CF
Traditional
Ibrahima
Gueye
Sorghum
854
170kg
22kg
El Hadji
Ndiaye
Sorghum
150
33kg
4kg
Keba Sall
Ndiaye
Sorghum
100
28kg
3kg
Abdoulaye
Seck
Sorghum
100
27kg
5kg
Matar Diop
Sorghum
400
66kg
38kg
Korka
Diallo
Maize
400
70kg
30kg
Modou
Faye
Maize
120
34kg
14kg
CF Yield – 170kg
Traditional
Yield – 22kg
CF yield – 170kg versus 22kg from
Traditional Plot
2010-2011 Expansion Results – Wula Nafaa
Fatick and Kaolack Regions – Average Yield Results CF versus Traditional Plots
Crop
Yield – CF Plot
Traditional Plot Yield
% Increase – CF Plots
Millet
990 kg
548 kg
81%
Sorghum
953 kg
752 kg
27%
2.634 tons
1.550 tons
70%
Maize
Tamba and Kedougou Regions – Average Yield Results CF versus Traditional Plots
Crop
Yield – CF Plot
Traditional Plot Yield
% Increase – CF Plots
Millet
955 kg
866 kg
10%
Sorghum
1 ton
947 kg
8%
1.6 tons
1.4 tons
14%
Maize
“If the internet existed in heaven I would send these photos to
Dad!”
Traditional
Plot
Traditional
Plot
CF Plot
CF Plot
Same seed variety, manure application rate & planting dates
– one month after planting – September 7th, 2010
Traditional Plot
CF Plot
Expansion Potential – 5 Years – Hectares by Crop
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
Millet
Sorghum
20,000
Maize
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Expansion Potential – 5 Years – Adopters
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
Numbe rof CF Hoe Adopters
50,000
Number of CF ADP Adopters
Totals
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Some Parting Thoughts……
 Many donors in Senegal are focused on value chain
interventions in which farmers are linked into both
markets and improved inputs especially access to
fertilizer and improved seed varieties.
 There is a push that drought resistant seeds can be
the primary tool in combating climate change.
 While these interventions are important and need to
be pursued, what about the platform upon which
they rest – the fertility and condition of the soil?
Parting thoughts cont……
 If soils are nutrient poor and have little capacity to retain applied nutrients – of
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what use will be access to and the application of expensive fertilizers to
farmers?
If yields are so low that most households cannot even feed themselves beyond
3-4 months will there be marketable surpluses for buyers along the value
chain?
Can any variety of improved seed make up for the 40-70% of rainfall that runsoff or the 65% of nutrients that are lost before getting to the plant? Improved
seed requires more not less nutrients!
Has anyone ever developed a completely drought resistant variety? What
happens to these varieties in normal rainfall years of which 2010-2011 was in
Senegal.
How long will it take before these drought resistant varieties pass through the
whole of the development and final certification and release processes before
they actually reach hard pressed farmers in bulk through commercially driven
markets?
The Opportunity
 Hard working farmers who are quick to see the benefits of CF.
 Three projects with CF activities as part of their portfolio, but
who are contractually obligated to carry out a number of other
activities – one reports on a staggering 90 indicators!
 Dedicated staff and management who are keen to roll out CF
practices to a large number of targeted farmers.
 A small investment of around $1m per year would establish a
dedicated unit of CF trainers and managers and would further
establish an on-the-ground presence for the Royal Norwegian
Government in West Africa.
 Potential expansion for CF activities exists in Mali and Burkina
Faso.