L'agriculture en zone aride

In every region of the world it is necessary to find or develop appropriate techniques for agriculture. A large part of the surface of the world is arid, characterized as too dry for conventional rain fed agriculture. Yet, millions of people live in such regions, and if current trends in population increase continue, there will soon be millions more. These people must eat, and the wisest course for them is to produce their own food. Yet, the techniques are so varied that only a very large volume would cover the entire subject. In many cases the most suitable techniques for a particular region may be those already developed by the local inhabitants. In some cases it will be difficult to improve on local techniques, but at times even simple and inexpensive innovations may be almost revolutionary. 

  1. BPN #1 - L’amélioration des terres dégradées

    Ressource principale
    14/11/2012 L’UNCCD estime que plus de 250 millions de personnes sont touchées par la dégradation des terres et qu’environ 1 milliard de personnes dans plus de 100 pays sont à risque. Selon l’OMM, 33% de la superficie terrestre de la planète est vulnérable à la dégradation des terres. Elle estime notamment...
    Soil Management Soil improvemnt Saline Soils Land Degradation

  2. BPN #3 - Assisting Pastoralists

    Ressource principale
    26/02/2014 Pastoralism is a livelihood whereby people depend upon herding domesticated livestock. In East Africa, pastoralists depend primarily upon cattle, sheep, donkeys, goats and camels— listed in order of least resilience as one moves into drier and more arid lowland areas. Pastoralists play an...
    Pastoralist

  3. BPN #6 - Agriculture de conservation

    Ressource principale
    28/09/2016 Les agriculteurs dans de nombreuses régions du monde, en raison de la croissance de la population humaine, n’ont guère d’autre choix que de cultiver leurs terres en permanence, ne disposant pas suffisamment de ressources pour remplacer les éléments nutritifs retirés par chaque culture successive....
    Conservation Agric... Mulch Soil Conservation Plant Diversity Crop Diversity Soil Disturbance Soil Fertility Soil Remediation Soil Erosion

  4. TN #78 Zai Pit System

    01/01/2013 Dans des régions comme le Sahel ouest-africain, la perte des arbres dans le paysage (coupés pour répondre aux besoins en bois de chauffe/bois de construction, ou soumis au surpâturage des animaux) combinée avec de fréquentes périodes de sécheresse conduit à des sols nus exposés à la chaleur...
    Zai Pit Zai Hole Cereals Microcatchment

  5. TN #65 Régénération Naturelle Assistée

    Ressource principale
    01/01/2010 On n‘a pas beaucoup réfléchi à la pertinence de ces méthodes. Les espèces indigènes furent généralement rejetées et considérées comme des broussailles «inutiles.» Cherchant à établir des forêts, de nombreux projets ont même éliminé ces «broussailles inutiles» au profit d’espèces exotiques....
    FMNR Agroforestry Apple Ring Acacia Farmer Managed Nat...

  6. TN #25 Principes d’Agroforesterie

    Ressource principale
    20/01/1992 En termes simples, l’agroforesterie est la production d’arbres et de cultures non ligneuses ou d’animaux sur un même territoire. Les activités peuvent être menées sur le même lopin de terre en même temps ou en suivant une séquence ; elles peuvent également être menées sur des lopins distincts en...
    Agroforestry

  7. TN #21 Pigeon Pea

    Ressource principale 01/01/1990 I often tell folks that ECHO specializes in growing food under difficult conditions. The pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan, is a prime example of a tough but nutritious plant for just such cases. This article is directed toward two audiences. For some of you, pigeon pea is already an important crop. You...
    Pigeon Pea Pigeonpea Cajanus cajan

  8. TN #20 Sélection des Meilleures Plantes pour la Ferme de Subsistance Tropicale

    Ressource principale
    01/01/2007 Par F. W. Martin. Publié en partie, 1989 et 1994 ; révisé en 1998 et 2007 par le personnel d’ECHO Même si presque toutes les plantes aient une ou plusieurs utilités, elles n’ont pas toutes la même valeur. Par exemple, le blé, le riz et le maïs sont probablement les plantes les plus utiles au...
    Crop Selection Tropical legumes Tropical Fruit Tropical Food Crops Tropical Forages Tropical Trees Perennial Vegetables

  9. TN #70 La Recuperation de l’eau par des Barrages de Sable

    Ressource principale
    01/01/2011 Un barrage de sable est un mur de béton armé construit sur une rivière saisonnière pour retenir l’eau souterraine dans le sable. Il est d’abord construit en 1 m de haut et jusqu’à 90 m de diamètre. Pendant les fortes pluies saisonnières et irrégulières, l’eau et le limon s’écoulent au-dessus du...
    Water Harvesting Sand Dam Rainwater Harvesting Water Storage Systems

  10. TN #95 Jardins potagers centuples dotés de lits à effet de mèches économiques

    23/07/2019 J'ai fait la connaissance des jardins centuples lorsque je faisais des recherches sur des moyens d'irriguer les plantes directement dans la zone racinaire. Je voulais savoir comment maîtriser de manière pratique et abordable certaines des variables qui influencent la croissance des plantes,...
    Dryland Farming Wick Irrigation Low Maintenance ga... Garden structures ...

  11. A Combination of Approaches to Conserve Soil and Water

    ECHO publications referenced in this document include ECHO Development Notes (EDN), East Africa Notes (EAN), Technical Notes (TN), and ECHO East Africa Symposium (EEAS) presentations. Technical Notes and EDN issues can be found by clicking on the “Publications” tab on ECHO’s networking site,...
    SALT Sloping Agricultur... Terracing Terraces Contour Farming East Africa

  12. Conservation Agriculture in East Africa

    01/07/2013 Conservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted in East Africa through a number of initiatives over the past half year. In this article, we share what ECHO has gleaned from regional partners, in hopes that you can expand upon these successes and also promote further sharing on ECHO’s website....
    Conservation Agric... East Africa

  13. ICARDA - The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

    ICARDA works with a tight focus on the problem-solving needs of resource-poor farmers, achieving this through the in-field delivery of its research outputs. Although global food production has increased by 20 per cent in the past decade, food insecurity and poverty remain widespread, while the...
    Key Resource Underutilized Crops Dryland Farming

  14. International Crops Research Institute for the semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

    The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international non-profit organization that undertakes scientific research for development.
    Dryland Farming Key Resource Underutilized Crops

  15. Dryland Techniques and Water Resources

    19/10/1996 A Technical Note on Dry Farming Partially Buried Flower Pots or Tin Cans Save in Watering Capturing Water from Fog Drip Irrigation Book Reviews:Ways of Water: Run-off, Irrigation and Drainage and Vanishing Land and Water: Soil and Water Conservation in Dry Lands Book Review:Looking After Our...

  16. Dryland Techniques and Mulches

    19/10/1996 Zai Holes Harness Termites to Increase Crop Yields Grass Mulch: An Innovative Way of Gardening in the Dry Tropics Colored Plastic Mulches Thick Mulch for No-Till Gardens Rice Hull Mulch
    Mulch Zai Hole

  17. Water Harvesting At Household Level: Building a 10,000 liter HAFIR

    06/03/2014 The HAFIR is an underground reservoir designed for storing rain water.Hafirs are usually constructed where there is enough rainfall and where there is no underground water.It is usually big enough to cater for the needs of the villagers and their live-stock for a whole season.
    Water Conservation East Africa

  18. Food from Dryland Gardens

    01/02/1991 Food from Dryland Gardens encourages gardens that serve local needs, that are based on local knowledge, and that conserve natural resources and the biological diversity of traditional crops. It was written for field workers, extension agents, students, project workers, and program planners. Both...
    Dryland Farming Vegetable Gardening

  19. Gray Water and Crop Irrigation

    20/07/2005 “Gray water” (also “grey water,” “graywater” or “greywater”) is the term used to describe wastewater from dish washing, laundry, bathing, and rinsing. (Note: the term gray water does not refer to toilet waste, which is often called “black water.”) Although gray water does not need extensive...
    Health Irrigation Water Water Treatment

  20. Conversations about Dryland Farming

    This group pageexists so that individuals involved in Dryland Farming around the world can connect. We encourage you to share the challenges you face in yourendeavors, discuss lessons and techniques learned through your experiences, and share your story!

  21. Further Support for the Use of Lablab in Dry Areas

    20/04/2013 The article by Dov Pasternak about lablab (in this issue) reminded me of material in ECHO’s files from many years ago. Reimar von Schaaffhausen, working in São Paulo, Brazil, sent articles and letters over the years about the valuable role that lablab (and pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan]) have played...
    Lablab GMCC Intercropping

  22. Comment des semences de ECHO ont poussé dans un jardin de saison sèche en Ouganda

    16/10/2020 Vous trouverez ci-dessous un résumé d'un rapport d'essai de semences que ECHO a reçu en 2013 de Chris Peterson, volontaire chez Peace Corps, en service en Ouganda (à Nalugala, dans le district de Wakiso). Le partage des résultats des efforts de Peterson est un exemple de ce à quoi s'attendre d'un...
    Dryland Screening Trial Field Experiments

  23. Does Mulching Make Sense In Semi-Arid Areas?

    19/05/1998 A conversation concerning the difficulty of obtaining mulch in semi-arid areas.
    FMNR Semi-arid Mulch

  24. Mulch or trees in the Sahel

    19/12/1998 Trees can be an effective source of mulch in drylands.
    Agroforestry Dry Land Mulch

  25. Le karité

    17/10/2018 La région aride située directement au sud du désert du Sahara (Sahel), qui s'étend du Sénégal à l’Éthiopie, dispose de sources limitées de graisses et d’huiles. Les produits laitiers provenant de vaches et de moutons sont rares et les cultures traditionnelles oléagineuses sont peu nombreuses....
    Shea Butter Shea Nuts Shea Market Opportunities Linking to Markets West Africa

  26. ECHO Online Seed Catalog: Semi-Arid/Dryland Tropics Bundle

  27. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) - Drylands and pastoralism

    With research, training and advocacy, we help build climate resilience, productivity and equity in the dryland areas of East Africa, Ethiopia, the Sahel and Sudan
    Dryland Farming Key Resource

  28. Conservation Agriculture in Ethiopian Highlands

    01/11/2016 On average, crop yields under DER+ and TER+ increased by 30% and 16%, respectively, as compared to CT. Our study demonstrates that field water conservation tillage practices that incorporate CA principles are effectively increasing green water in the root zone available for crops. RCA systems...
    Water Conservation Conservation Agric... East Africa

  29. Chickpea Seeds from ICARDA

    20/07/2010 Looking for a nutritious legume that thrives in dry, cool conditions? You might want to tryCicer arietinum, referred to as chickpea and also by many other common names such as garbanzo, gram and bengal gram. Chickpea is noted for drought tolerance. It will produce a crop with an annual rainfall...
    Chickpea

  30. Les plantes parasites dans l'agriculture africaine

    Ressource principale
    21/03/2019 Cette Note Technique donne un aperçu des plantes parasites d’importance agricole en Afrique. Les herbes parasites provoquent un stress de sécheresse et un retard de croissance au niveau des cultures. Les plantes affectées comprennent les céréales (par exemple, le sorgho [Sorgum bicolor] et le...
    Weed Control Parasitic Plants Weeds Striga Push-pull

  31. Potential of Conservation Agriculture in Pastoralist Region

    02/03/2016 Session: World Renew supports innovative ways to combat climate change. The presentation will dwell on lessons learnt from Conservation Agriculture promotion in pastoralist areas which will encompass adaptation, scaling up and extension methodologies based upon lessons learned from the field....
    Conservation Agric... East Africa

  32. Innovations for Food Security in Drylands Areas

    04/02/2015
    Dryland Farming

  33. Aridoculture

    In every region of the world it is necessary to find or develop appropriate techniques for agriculture. A large part of the surface of the world is arid, characterized as too dry for conventional rain fed agriculture. Yet, millions of people live in such regions, and if current trends in...
    Dryland Farming Arid Crops

  34. Designing polyculture and companion plantings for tropics and drylands

    15/11/2016 Understanding the dynamics of ecological design and agricultural practices connect at the point of design. Travel with us through our design process to create an ecologically balanced and appropriate diagram to implement, whether on small acreage or vast hectares of land. Learn the steps and...

  35. Culture intercalaire avec des arbustes indigènes

    29/01/2019 Plus de 4 millions de personnes dans le Sahel ouest-africain font face à des difficultés suite à des périodes de sécheresse et à la hausse des prix des denrées alimentaires. En juin, la FAO a envoyé près de 10 millions de dollars d'aide aux agriculteurs de la région frappés par la sécheresse, qui...
    Optimized Shrub Sy... Bio-irrigation Drought-tolerance Irrigation Agroforestry-Research Hydrology

  36. Pastoralist Managed Natural Regeneration

    03/03/2016 Session: This session will demonstrate Pastoralist Managed Natural Regeneration, a new reforestation practice which is successfully reversing the rapid deforestation and desertification in dryland Africa. Pastoralist Managed Natural Regeneration (PMNR) has been shown to be a simple, income...
    Land Management East Africa

  37. New Resource: Agricultural Prosperity in Dry Africa

    29/12/2014 Agricultural Prosperity in Dry Africa contains a wealth of practical suggestions for dealing with the problems facing dryland farmers in Africa. He discusses crops, strategies, and technologies that lead to increased production and income for farmers with limited resources.
    East Africa West Africa

  38. Water-Harvesting Principles & the Story of an African Rain Farmer - Design Guidelines for Regenerative Water and Fertility Management

    “You must plant the rain before you plant a seed or tree!” proclaimed rain farmer Mr. Zephaniah Phiri Maseko of Zimbabwe. By doing just that, he and his family turned a wasteland into an oasis, raised groundwater and well levels even in dry years, reduced flooding in wet years, and enhanced the...
    Rainwater Harvesting Water Harvesting Regenerative Systems Groundwater

  39. How to Work Livestock into a Conservation Agriculture System

    08/02/2017 In marginal environments where strong crop-livestock interactions exist, inclusive and equitable access to finance, well-functioning land rental markets, and efficient provision of extension advisory services contribute significantly towards the shift to more sustainable land use management and...
    Livestock Sustainable Land Use Conservation Agric... Resilience East Africa

  40. This farmer is using an ancient technique to reverse desertification

    A farmer from Burkina Faso who popularized an ancient farming technique to reverse desertification is among the winners of Sweden's "alternative Nobel prize", announced on Monday. Yacouba Sawadogo shared this year's award with three Saudi human rights activists and an Australian agronomist. The 3...
    Desertification

  41. Agricultural Prosperity for Dry Africa

    19/01/2016 Prof. Dov Pasternak working in Israel, was among the pioneers of drip irrigation. He researched irrigation with saline water and conducted domestication of arid land crops. He received a UNESCO Chair for his work on desert research. For over 10 years Prof. Pasternak worked as Principal Scientist...

  42. RURAL SOLUTIONS - Pastoral Units in Senegal

    Rural Solutions is a video series that highlights solutions to specific challenges that are common in rural areas of developing countries. As natural resources become more scarce, herders who migrate seasonally have to travel long distances to find water and grazing land. Here is a solution to...
    Pastoralists West Africa

  43. Causes and Impacts of Land Degradation and Desertification: Case Study of the Sudan

    Abstract, 2013,International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Desertification, a phenomenon referring to land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions as a result of climatic variations and human activities, is considered as one of the most severe environmental and...
    Desertification

  44. Journal of Dryland Agriculture

    The Journal of Dryland Agriculture (JODA) is an international journal that presents a platform for sharing and dissemination of knowledge in science and technology related to Dryland Agriculture and allied fields. It is a multidisciplinary journal that tries to promote good understanding of the...
    Journal Dryland

  45. Carbon management in dryland agricultural systems. A review

    Abstract,Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2015 Dryland areas cover about 41% of the Earth’s surface and sustain over 2 billion inhabitants. Soil carbon (C) in dryland areas is of crucial importance to maintain soil quality and productivity and a range of ecosystem services. Soil...
    Carbon Sequestration Dryland