ILCA acknowledged the potential for increased animal agriculture in the subhumid zone of West Africa by establishing a research base at Kaduna in northern Nigeria. FulBe agropastoralists were selected at the target group because they own most of the cattle in the zone and cattle are the…
This paper deals with foraging behaviour of cattle grazing semi-arid rangelands in the Sahel of Mali. It discusses the location of study site, vegetation in the grazing orbit, herd management and livestock behaviour. Results on seasonal variation in feed supply, selection of the annual grazing…
In the Sahelian rangelands biomass production is constrained by soil moisture in the drier (100-250 mm) parts and by soil nutrients in the wetter parts. Similarly, for a given Sahelian range, nutrient deficiency would be more prominent in good than in poor rainfall years. To test this hypothesis…
The integration of crops and livestock has often been cited as a model for agricultural development in semi-arid West Africa. Recent formulations treat the adoption of more intensive forms of manuring as a critical step in agricultural development. These analyses have been criticised for…
Large areas of land are presently cleared of their natural cover, endangering the worldwide ecosystem. Land clearing, if necessary, should be carried out with great care after very careful consideration. Different land types require different clearing techniques. Often, soil needs to be…
Reports on completed and planned research to examine farmers' perceptions of different breeds, the discretion they exercise over breed composition, and the impacts of breed perceptions on breeding practices. ILCA has recently undertaken three household surveys that shed light on farmers…
IITA developed alley cropping (also called hedgerow intercropping by ICRAF) in the mid 1970s to alleviate the problems of reduced soil fertility, reduced yields and soil erosion that were associated with population growth and reduced fallow periods. In the early 1980s this technology was adapted…
This research was undertaken as a Ph.D. dissertation (Stanford University) in conjunction with the ILCA programme in Niamey, Niger. The objective of the research was similar to that of the World Bank studies: to test how land tenure affects land-improving investment, agricultural productivity…
This report is divided into seven sections. The first section deals with biology of Stylosanthes and its importance in West Africa and Latin America. The second section presents papers on the screening and evaluation of Stylosanthes germplasm. This includes genetic diversity, genetic resources,…
Inland valleys are defined as the upper reaches of river systems. These include valley bottoms and minor floodplains,their hydromorphic fringes and upland slopes and crests. These occupy 22-52 million ha of land in W. Africa and although of good agricultural potential are only marginally used.…