Abstract

About 15% of irrigated and irrigable lands in Mali are unsuitable for agricultural crops. A pilot irrigated afforestation project on these abandoned lands could aid in meeting the commercial timber needs of agricultural workers and communities. The objectives of this project are to investigate the responses of certain tree species when grown under irrigated conditions, develop silvicultural techniques for irrigated tree crops, and determine the potential economic benefits of irrigated forest plantations.

Post-Project Summary

Research was carried out at the experimental station at N'Debougou, a 66 ha plot completely irrigated by a canal running along its length. The project got off to a slow start because of administrative and institutional problems. Elimination tests were done on 21 species and provenances. The test sites were beds planted in 1976 and mounds planted in 1977. This gave the researchers an opportunity to compare irrigation by submersion (in the beds) and controlled irrigation (on the mounds). Placette height and width were measured every year. The survival rate was in general better for the plants on the mounds than for the plants in the beds, probably because flooding at planting time caused many plants to die. After 3-4 years, it was obvious that several species yielded satisfactory amounts of fire wood and the canes needed for the construction of houses and huts.

Recipient Institution(s)