Overview

The soils of Donsin are poor in organic matter and extremely vulnerable to degradation: the condition of the soils is one of the most severe constraints on agricultural productivity. Customary methods of soil restoration, which relied on leaving exhausted land fallow for periods ranging between ten and thirty years, are no longer feasible because cultivation is expanding into all available arable land, to meet the food needs of a growing population.

Increasing pressure from increasing livestock populations also limit the extent to

which crop residues can be recycled into the soil, as they are mostly consumed by animals during the dry season, when forage becomes scarce. Livestock husbandry plays a very important role in household economy as the most common, locally available source of cash income, and can also serve soil conservation efforts by providing manure to improve fertility

There is a need for identifying feasible

strategies to maintain soil fertility by introduction of composting techniques and soil-improving crops that can contribute to increasing soil productivity, while also addressing the growing food needs of the local population on a sustainable basis.