1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Manual of Good Practices in Small Scale Irrigation in the Sahel (GIZ )

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) - Germany

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Replanting and cultivating bourgou improves the availability of forage for livestock

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Bourgou (Echinochloa stagnina) is an essential food for livestock in the Niger River’s inland delta region. Given the lack of forage and pastureland for livestock, farmers have taken to replanting and cultivating bourgou in order to improve the availability of forage for animals.

This activity focuses on several objectives, namely: increasing forage production by regenerating bourgou; restoring the environment and biodiversity around lakes and ponds; improving the diet and reproduction of local livestock; producing plant extracts for beverage making; increasing producers’ incomes; extending bourgou growing into the Niger River’s inland delta.
Bourgou pastures can produce up to 3,101 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in the first year. The pastures can support between 782 and 885 tropical livestock units from the March to June period. Fauna and flora (biodiversity) reappear. A cow feeding on green bourgou gives milk all year round and a cow that has spent a season in a bourgou pasture produces one calf per year. Steamed and macerated bourgou stalks produce a highly prized sweet juice. Bourgou seed is
incorporated into human diets. Bourgou helps to increase incomes.

The regeneration activities are carried out under the supervision of the Korientzé forestry officer and the local SADeF facilitator. Regeneration is possible from the month of January and can be carried out as soon as the waters recede. The regeneration techniques used are the layering and transplanting of bourgou cuttings or divisions.
The access of animals to growing sites is regulated and reserved for working oxen, calves, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys and horses. Cow, horse and donkey access costs 500 CFA francs per head, while other animals are charged at 250 CFA francs per head. A 15% share of the earnings is paid to the Korombana commune authority for the benefit of the community. The remaining funds are allocated to areas that contribute to developing the cooperative’s activities.
The commune authority plays an institutional support role, making officers available to the cooperative. Furthermore, it oversees the correct application of the local agreement on managing bourgou pastures. The Deputy Prefect, through the commune authority, makes security officers and technical service officers available to the cooperative. A rotation system is adopted for farming plots.
The project team provides funding and training. The cooperative implements the regulations and participates in works, management and farming.

The main beneficiaries are the 200 members of the organisation and other livestock farmers from the villages of Korientzé, Bagui and Kéra. An area totalling 310 hectares has been regenerated.
Regenerating bourgou by directly sowing seed goes back to the 1970s. However, regeneration using cuttings began in 1984 with the development of a demonstration plot. From 1999, the Near East Foundation (NEF) became interested in the activity, going on to provide financial support for the Korombana livestock farmers’ cooperative.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• 10-50 years ago

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Regenerating bourgou by directly sowing seed goes back to the 1970s. However, regeneration using cuttings began in 1984 with the development of a demonstration plot. From 1999, the Near East Foundation (NEF) became interested in the activity, going on to provide financial
support for the Korombana livestock farmers’ cooperative to regenerate seven hectares.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Yes

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agro-pastoralism (incl. integrated crop-livestock)

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): lack of forage and pastureland for livestock
Livestock density: 1-10 LU /km2

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• pastoralism and grazing land management

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Type of vegetative measures: scattered / dispersed

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main causes of degradation: overgrazing, population pressure

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

other/ national currency (specify):

CFA Franc

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

517.0

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	layering and transplanting of bourgou cuttings or divisions

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Other	Total construction	ha	1.0	138.0	138.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					138.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					0.27

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The total investment cost for 310 hectares is 22,144,465 CFA francs (42'891 Dollar), which equates to 71,400 CFA francs per hectares (138 Dollar). The fees charged during the first season of bourgou pasture farming in June 2009 brought in 3,142,500 CFA francs. The price of a bale of bourgou ranges from 50 to 250 CFA francs depending on the time of year. The second season (April 2010) brought in 2,241,000 CFA francs. Some 687 kilograms of bourgou seed were collected, which served to provision other localities.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Population density: < 10 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 2% - 3%
10% of the land users are rich.
50% of the land users are average wealthy.
30% of the land users are poor.
10% of the land users are very poor.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Comments:

The irrigated land is allocated by the chief

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	well
local windstorm	well

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	well

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
reduced growing period	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

Comments:

There is a moderate trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology
The Korombana livestock farmers’ cooperative is now passing on its experience to others in the West African sub-region and, in so doing, is promoting its replication.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Increased fodder production. Bourgou pastures can produce up to 3,101 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in the first year. A cow feeding on green bourgou gives milk all year round and a cow that has spent a season in a bourgou pasture produces one calf per year.
Bourgou helps to increase incomes.
Bourgou seed is incorporated into human diets. Steamed and macerated bourgou stalks produce a highly prized sweet juice.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Organisationally, there are several weaknesses: failure to respect meeting times and poor attendance; noticeable confusion between the roles of the management board and the monitoring commission when carrying out the practice; the lack of strategies for coping with lean periods, such as fodder storage; insufficient knowledge among the parties to Mali’s 'Pastoral Charter’.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Manual of Good Practices in Small Scale Irrigation in the Sahel. Experiences from Mali. Published by GIZ in 2014.

Available from where? Costs?

http://star-www.giz.de/starweb/giz/pub/servlet.starweb

Title, author, year, ISBN:

SADeF (n.d.): Les bourgoutières régénérées par la cooperative des éleveurs de Korombana [The bourgou pastures regenerated by the Korombana livestock farmers’ cooperative]