Soil-related plant growth variability in the Sahel with a special reference to Western Niger

Poor crop growth and establishment on agricultural lands in the Sahel have been attributed to such biophysical factors as scarce and inclement rainfall, inherent low soil fertility, wind and water erosion, and increased cropping and grazing intensity. Interactively, these conditions have led to high soil spatial variability over short distance and corresponding plant growth variability. This report summarizes research on soil-related plant growth variability and their possible remedies in the Sahel with special reference to western Niger. Attempts were also made to characterize soil spatial variability on both micro and macro scale of resolution. A major part of the work was conducted by researchers of the Soil Management Collaborative Research and Support Program (TropSoils) from Texas A&M University and their collaborators at the Institut Nacional de Reserches Agronomiques du Niger (INRAN).