TITLE:
Effective Strategies to Encourage the Cultivation of Sorghum and Corn in the African Sahel: An Analysis of Chad
AUTHORS:
Sabre Idriss Absakine
KEYWORDS:
Sorghum, Corn, Guera Region, Sahel, Chad
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.15 No.10,
October
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: The research explores traditional sorghum and corn cropping systems in the Guera region of the Sahel, focusing on social, economic, and ecological criteria. The region faces challenges due to its tropical climate, droughts, and land characteristics, affecting sorghum and corn cultivation. A comprehensive framework, developed in collaboration with national and international organizations, is needed to improve agricultural production in infertile land. Chad’s smallholders use a low-tech, risk-averse rainfed system, but diversified techniques and new cultivation patterns can increase profits. Modern technologies and innovations can increase diversity and create new cultivation forms, involving scientific, commercial, credit, and industrial organizations. Chad faces severe water stress and crop yield issues, with up to 95% of water resources lost due to evapotranspiration. Proper water management techniques, assisted irrigation, efficient rainwater harvesting, and effective seed selection and crop management are crucial for improving agricultural production, reducing poverty, and ensuring the survival of the region’s agricultural sector. Chemical poverty complicates crop management, but fertilizers and skips can improve soil and provide good cereals. Urea can be added to legumes to increase plant growth and nitrogen fixation, while microorganisms and mycorrhizal fungi can strengthen rhizobia and enhance plant recovery. Handling tradeoffs is crucial, as environmental shocks can lead to social consequences like hunger and unemployment. The Sahel region’s sorghum and corn plant species face food production stagnation and chronic insufficiency due to increasing population and pests. Integrated pest management strategies and market access are crucial for smallholder farmers, but quality standards are weak. Public-private partnerships can improve value chains and market linkages, leading to increased farmer income, traders’ income, and consumer prices.