Improving soil and crops productivity using contour bunding technology southern-Mali

Watershed encompassing the lands of the villages of Kani and Noumpinesso (Koutiala) is highly active. Soils are severely degraded, leading to reduced crop productivity; indeed, water erosion is the primary cause of this disastrous phenomenon. In this area, tillage methods are ineffective for managing rainfall runoff and conserving soil. Contour bunding technology (CBT) is one of the best soil and water conservation technology. It can reduce runoff and erosion, increase soil moisture and nutrients, and consequently boost crop yield. Subsistence crops in this area include sorghum, millet, maize and cotton. Infiltration rate was higher in CBT plots compared to those managed using farmer practices, ranging from 5.02 to 2.52 cm/h and from 0.87 to 0.69 cm/h, respectively. The respective percentage of runoff coefficient in farmer practice plots were 34.89 to 38.79 % and were decreased by CB to 17.46 to 21.48 %. CBT has annually reduced runoff and erosion by 37 to 75 %; it has increased soil volumetric moisture content by 2 to 20 % at depths of 0 to 100 cm. The same technology has raised the groundwater level by 1.95 m at Noumpinesso. CBT significantly increased soil pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, organic carbon and ECEC by 24, 63, 46, 40, 59 and 42 % respectively. It also significantly increased the yields of sorghum, millet, maize and cotton, by 68, 37, 52 and 52 % respectively. CBT significantly improved the physical and chemical properties of soil and crop yields. Future studies will evaluate nutrient uptake by crops using CBT.