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CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE IN SOUTHERN MALI: LEARNING FROM FARMER PERCEPTIONS AND ON-FARM TRIALS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2015

BOUBA TRAORE ,
MARK T. VAN WIJK ,
KATRIEN DESCHEEMAEKER ,
MARC CORBEELS ,
MARIANA C. RUFINO  and
KEN E. GILLER
BOUBA TRAORE*
Affiliation:
Institut D’Economie Rurale (IER), Programme Coton, Station de Recherche Agronomique de N’Tarla Bp: 28 Koutiala, Mali Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands
MARK T. VAN WIJK
Affiliation:
Livestock Systems and the Environment, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 30709, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
KATRIEN DESCHEEMAEKER
Affiliation:
Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands
MARC CORBEELS
Affiliation:
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-Annual Cropping Systems C/O Embrapa Cerrados CP 08223 CEP 73310-970, Planaltina, DFBrasil
MARIANA C. RUFINO
Affiliation:
Livestock Systems and the Environment, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 30709, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
KEN E. GILLER
Affiliation:
Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands
*
§Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Agricultural production in the Sudano–Sahelian zone of west Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and climate change. The present study aimed to understand farmers’ perceptions of climate variability and change and to evaluate adaptation options together with farmers, including tactical management of planting date in combination with the use of mineral fertilizer. Farmers perceived an increase in annual rainfall variability, an increase in the occurrence of dry spells during the rainy season, and an increase in temperature. Overall, this is in line with the observed meteorological data. Drought tolerant, short maturing crop varieties and appropriate planting dates were the commonly preferred adaptation strategies to deal with climate variability. On-farm trials confirmed that planting delays significantly reduce crop yields. The use of mineral fertilizer is often promoted, but risky for smallholders: although larger fertilizer applications increased the yield of maize (Zea mays) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum) significantly, a gross margin analysis indicated that it did not lead to more profit for all farmers. We conclude that integrating management of nutrients and planting time with improved farmer access to timely weather information, especially on the onset of the rains, is critical to enhancing adaptive capacity to increased climate variability and change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 51 , Issue 4 , October 2015 , pp. 615 - 634
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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