Browsing by Author "Stroosnijder, L."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Agro-silvo-pastoral land use in Sahelian villages
    Stroosnijder, L.; van Rheenen, T. (2001)
    This book describes the dynamics of actors in Sahelian villages, natural resource dynamics, and interventions by land users.
  • Soil variability and effectiveness of soil and water conservation in the Sahel
    Hien, F. G.; Rietkerk, L. S.; Stroosnijder, L. (Taylor and Francis, 1997)
    Sahelian sylvopastoral lands often degrade into bare and crusted areas where regeneration of soil and vegetation is impossible in the short term unless soil and water conservation measures are implemented. Five combinations of tillage with and without mulch on three crust type/soil type combinations were evaluated. The texture and organic matter content of the crusts are determined more by crust type than by soil type. Difference in crust characteristics are linked with the genesis of the crusts. Germination of Cassia tora L. was lower on runoff crusts than on erosion crusts. Combining soil tillage with mulching resulted in a higher average germination than soil tillage or mulching as single measures. We also monitored the mortality of C. tora seedlings 4 weeks after germination. Seedling survival was slightly better on erosion crusts than on runoff crusts. Although tillage is necessary to trigger germination of herbaceous species, it may simultaneously inhibit establishment of these species by bringing about severe soil crusting. Soil tillage combined with mulching provided the best conditions for the ultimate establishment (the product of germination and survival) of C. tora. It appears that soil differences have less influence on germination and survival than do differences in surface conditions.
  • Tillage and fertility management effects on soil organic matter and sorghum yield in semi-arid West Africa
    Ouédraogo, É.; Mando, A.; Brussaard, L.; Stroosnijder, L. (Elsevier B.V., 2007)
    This paper reports on a two-year study in Burkina Faso to determine the effects of tillage and amendments on soil organic matter, microbial activity, and crop yields. Tillage variables were conventional tillage or no tillage, and amendments were singular or combined applications of straw, sheep dung, and urea. The authors suggest there is a trade-off between crop yields and SOM accumulation for semi-arid soils, especially with limited access to high quality inputs.