Looking for soil amendments in Niger

Network member Ron in the Maradi region of Niger is looking for soil amendment options to improve crop yields! Farmers primarily grow millet though there is potential to grow other crops such as watermelon for higher-value markets in the local town. He has sent soil samples for evaluation and results indicate that the soil, which is sandy, is deficient in several micronutrients as well as Magnesium. Ron would like to source humic acid as well as coconut coir/fiber to use as soil amendments. Do you know of any local sources? Or other soil amendment options that he could utilize?

Whatever he does for the short term, he should go for integrating deep-rooted trees into his system, they will provide a lot of micronutrients from deeper layers for his fields in the longer term (besides having a lot of other benefits for tropical agriculture as well)… :wink:

Hi, I realize its been a long time since this question was asked but for what its worth I recommend using wood ash.

It raises pH which in most arable parts of Niger would help make nutrients more available and supply K, Ca, P and Mg and more…

In areas where crop residues are removed for fuel/fodder/building material… soils can become deficient in K and so the ash helps replace this.

Most people in Niger cook with firewood - so ash is plentiful and cheap. One can often obtain it for free or a small price. You just need to make sure you are getting ash and not ash mixed with a bunch of sand! (Quality control is hard) I used to buy cement bags full of approx 30kg for 150cfa (xof) and then pay 50 per sack for transport by ox cart to the field. It can by obtained from those that roast meat and in cities and towns its almost all just thrown away.

What ash doesn’t have is much Nitrogen so I’d complement it with urea in Niger.

Place it in cement bags or rice bags or it will be too heavy to carry.

If its the first time applying, its for peanuts or sesame and you have the means one can safely apply 100 cement bags (3 tons) per hectare which can be broadcast on a not too windy day and immediately incorporated by animal tillage. Alternatively apply it 2 weeks after crop establishment. Each bag covers 100 square meters.

Don’t just pour the contents of the sack on the ground and spread like manure or you can burn that spot and nothing will germinate there.

Rain will cause the potassium salts to leach out so it should be kept dry before using.

For millet or sorghum and or if you want to keep costs as low as possible one can use about 20 sacks/ ha to supply enough to reach a decent yield goal. One can use a heaped sardine or tuna tin can full around each plant station, apply in a ring 10-15cm away from base, preferably at 2 weeks before weeding and thinning so when those happen it will be incorporated without making extra work.

One great thing about it for peanuts is it high Ca content and peanuts need that for pegging or you can get a bunch of empties.

A long time ago in Europe I read that people used to collect brambles and the like to burn just to make potash… in every country where people are still cooking with wood and not using it… it seems a big waste.

I’ll attach a photo of a recent peanut crop. The foreground was fertilized with animal manure, the background with wood ash.

God bless.