Indigenous knowledge of soil fertility management in southwest Niger

Abstract

Farmers in Niger are faced with low-fertility, sandy soils, variable rainfall, changing social and political situations and an unfavourable economic environment. Not much is known about the specific details of farmers' physical and biological knowledge and how this impacts their management decisions. Based on research in Fandou Béri village, this article suggests a need to maximize the benefits of indigenous knowledge by integrating social and natural science.