In the Cinzana region of Mali, West Africa, farm families live in villages surrounded by their land. Farming is still nonmechanized.
Animals help till the soil, and manure is the main source of fertilizer.
An Agricultural Research Service scientist recently traveled to West Africa's Sahelian region to learn more about the farming methods and share his insights on increasing food production. Plant physiologist Dan Israel, who is in the ARS Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Unit at Raleigh, North Carolina, says he enjoyed visiting farmer Saouti Toure near the Cinzana Research Station and seeing research being done on his farm in cooperation with a Malian scientist. Test plots on Toure's farm showed this composted mixture increased plant growth as compared to unfertilized plots. Improved soil fertility can help crop production, which not only feeds farm families, but also lets growers sell food to nearby villages and larger cities such as Bamako and Segou. Israel's visit was part of a multi-institutional program of the U.S. Agency for International Development.