Agricultural Migration And Integrated Soils Fertility Management In Peripheral Areas Of The W biosphere reserve in niger republic

The recent anthropization of the peripheral zone of Niger W biosphere reserve has resulted in an advancing of the agricultural front towards its central portion. Therefore, the stabilization of crop areas requires a better understanding of the relationship between the level of integrated soil fertility management practices’ utilization and the importance of agricultural migrants in the area. For this purpose, a perception survey coupled with soil parameters record was carried out along the gradient of proximity to the central core of the reserve. The results obtained show that the non-native populations composed mainly of sedentary transhumants and farmers in search of fertile land (91%) are concentrated in the buffer zone contiguous to the central area of the reserve. These agricultural settlers (88%) acquired land through clearing (purchase, donation and loan). The sedentarization of transhumants has resulted in a more intensive and integrated management of organic matter through the rotating livestock to fertilize the fields. On the other hand, typical farmers from the Northern East of the country favor shifting cropping practices to improve soil fertility. Consequently, the chemical and physicochemical characteristics of the soils show a relative abundance of the phosphorus content ranging from 37.7 ppm in the transition zone to 136 ppm in the buffer zone. In the two zones, the rate of organic matter is similar (0.62%). The Cationic Exchange Capacity values are distributed according to an increasing concentration gradient as one approaches the central core, going from 12.6 Meq / 100g of the soils in the transition zone to 15.5 Meq / 100g of soil in the buffer zone. These results underline the need to promote integrated diversified soil fertility management practices with an in order to stabilize the agricultural front in the peripheral zone of the W reserve in Niger.