ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

and farmer’s organizations.
• Planting was done by farmers, who
also ensure the protection of young
seedlings.
Promotion of
Pomme du
Sahel (Ziziphus
mauritania)
• Production of young plants through
grafting by 20 trained producers
• Income generation: For example, one
farmer who has three Pomme du Sahel
trees in his African Market Garden in
Sampelga in village earned up to $4 per
day by selling the fruit
• Production of 1.28 t of Pomme du Sahel
in the Katchari station from 195 trees in
their 3rd year of production during 2005-
2006
• About 26,915 plants were produced and
planted
33,250 plants were
expected to be produced
and planted in six
villages (Oursi, Banh,
Bougou,Goroldbalé,
Yakouta and Katchari)
• Various stakeholders/partners are
involved in these activities including
government agencies, NGOs and
research institutions.
C. Senegal
1. The context
Land degradation constitutes a major constraint to agricultural production in the desert margins of Senegal. It leads
to the loss of the biodiversity and to low yields of major crops as a result of low soil fertility. To arrest land
degradation and thereby improve productivity of lands and conserve biodiversity various strategies and technologies
are being implemented by DMP-Senegal. These include:
• The promotion of Pomme du Sahel;
• The establishment of African Market Gardens and home gardens;
• The establishment and management of the ‘mis en defens’ or protected areas of biodiversity and natural
community reserves.
Other activities relate to the regeneration of mangrove and the establishment of the Sahelian Eco-Farm (SEF).
2. Description of the technology/strategy
2.1 Dissemination/promotion of ‘Pomme du Sahel’ or Ziziphus mauritania
Pomme du Sahel (Ziziphus mauritania) is an improved fruit tree, which has a lot of potential of providing nutritious
fruits with high market value and can also be planted to restore degraded lands.
2.1.1 How is it implemented?
In Senegal this technology is being promoted using various mechanisms:
a) Production of plants ‘porte greffe’ or rootstock and ‘parc a bois’
The rehabilitation of the nurseries of Hann, Nioro and Bambey enable the production of 350,000 rootstocks of
Ziziphus mauritania. In 2006, approximately 600,000 plants will be produced.
b) Reconversion of local populations of Ziziphus mauritania
A reconversion of the local population of Ziziphus mauritania is done in home gardens and fields, fruit tree
plantations and live fences to address the problem of the slow growth of Ziziphus rootstock and to enhance the
dissemination of Pomme du Sahel. In the first instance, 120 plants, about 10 years old, were grafted using scions
from six-year old trees.
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