VI Newsletter 2010-11-30
david....@gmail.com
The past few months have been a whirlwind for us. In September, I attended the World Cowpea Conference in Senegal where I had a great opportunity to network with breeders and researchers from around the world and especially from across Africa. After the conference, I flew to Burkina Faso to check up on two projects – a rangeland restoration project funded by VI and cowpea project funded by McKnight Foundation in collaboration with Texas A&M University. In November, Cheryl also traveled to Mali for her research project related to micronutrient deficiencies also funded by McKnight Foundation.
I had previously described our project in Burkina Faso in the last issue of “Bridging the Gap”, but here I will provide a brief update. I met with the PhD student we are funding and a representative from the council of Selbo (near Dori) which includes four nearby villages. Their interventions for reclaiming 23 hectares of degraded communal rangeland is showing progress despite dust storms and poorly timed rains. They used a modified Zai technique which involves running an instrument across the land that digs thousands of small holes. These holes trap windblown soil and rainfall which encourages infiltration. They are also using rock bunds to prevent wind and water erosion. They reported that these interventions nearly doubled plant biomass and increased the diversity of plant species including 5 species of tree seedlings. The latter is of particular interest because it suggests that there may be a natural potential for reforestation if grazing is controlled. A key element of their interventions was to pay a guard to keep animals out of the protected area. This was especially important because they cannot afford to build fences and herders from over 100 km away migrate south into their rangelands.
In the same region, they are conducting several research projects made possible by VI, donors like you, and other donor agencies. They are evaluating differing grazing management schemes in order to optimize fodder production and economic gain. They are also evaluating different diet supplements meant to keep oxen alive during the hungry season when forage is scarce. The loss of oxen directly reduces the number of hectares a farmer can cultivate for the next planting season. They are also studying the commercialization, availability, and economics, of fodder production in the region. All of these projects are meant to ultimately improve the livelihoods of agro-pastoralists in the Sahel.
Figure 1. Dust storms in Dori, Burkina Faso. | Figure 2. Rock bunds protecting degraded pastures from wind and water erosion in Selbo, Burkina Faso. |
Figure 3. Project planning meeting in Selbo, Burkina Faso. | Figure 4. Meeting in the village of Léré, Burkina Faso. |
The cowpea project funded by the McKnight Foundation addresses a very different issue. West Africa has some of the oldest and most highly weathered soils in the world. They have been depleted of most nutrients and are high in iron oxides which bind up phosphorus making it unavailable to the crop. They do not have the technology to manufacture phosphorus fertilizers that we use here in the U.S. but they do have some rock-phosphate mines. Rock-phosphate is not immediately available to a growing plant; however, some varieties of cowpea have been identified that release acids from its roots. This helps dissolve the rock-phosphate making it available for plant uptake. The project is aimed at identifying these phosphorus-efficient varieties in Niger, Burkina Faso, and here in the U.S. and breed elite lines that combine this trait with other preferred traits.
Figure 5. Cheryl on eroded rock ledge in Mali. | Figure 6. Cheryl's helper and translator in Mali. |
Cheryl's project is also related to soil fertility but from the perspective of human nutrition. She returned to Mali in mid-November to collect more soil samples and sorghum grain samples from remote villages and brought 150+ lbs of soil back in her suitcases (with proper permits of course). The grain was also sent to the U.S. via the mail. Her project is to determine to what extent geology (or rather the parent material that weathers to create soil) affects zinc and iron concentrations in the soil and in the grain which may affect micronutrient deficiencies in people who consume the grain. She is also investigating to what extent trees take up zinc and iron from deep within the soil, concentrate it in the leaves, and deposit it on the soil as plant litter making zinc and iron available to sorghum growing underneath the tree. Growing sorghum near trees is a common practice in the Sahel.
The second terms end for several of our board members this December and we need to refill these positions. If anyone is interested in serving as a board member and has a desire to help us facilitate international development work, please email us (in...@verbree.org) so we can provide more information and answer any questions you might have. We are particularly in need of those with experience in finance/accounting, fundraising, business/non-profit law, employee payroll/benefits, or those with international experience. However, anyone who feels they could contribute to VI's overall mission and goals are encouraged to volunteer. The current Board of Directors will vote on incoming candidates. Currently, the time commitment for Board Members is minimal requiring only occasional meetings (up to 3 times per year) by teleconference and correspondence by email.
Last but not least, we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
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