TITLE:
Analysis of the Zaï Practice Combined with Organic Manure in the Municipality of Ndiob (Fatick, Senegal)
AUTHORS:
Jean Henri Bienvenue Sene, Paul Marie Dieng, Seynabou Seck, Isidore Birame Diouf, Malaïny Diatta, Saliou Ndiaye
KEYWORDS:
Rainfed Agriculture, Improved Zaï, Organic Manure, Ndiob
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment,
Vol.15 No.4,
November
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: In Senegal, family-based, rainfed agriculture faces land degradation and rainfall variability, which together create two major constraints on agricultural production: the loss of soil fertility (physical, chemical, and biological) in cultivated land, and the availability of water for crops, both of which compromise agricultural yields. This study aims to provide a preliminary assessment of the agronomic effectiveness of improved zaï on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) cultivation, and to gather the perceptions of farmers who trialled this technology, which was entirely unknown in their area before 2020. Improved zaï technology was tested on four demonstration farm fields in the municipality of Ndiob during the 2021 cropping season. A basic comparative design consisting of eight (8) plots of 50 m × 25 m—four (4) improved zaï plots and four (4) control plots (managed under traditional farming practices)—was established across four soil types. Grain yields were measured using two 25 m2 yield-assessment quadrats per plot. Surveys using a questionnaire were conducted among 113 farmers who had practiced the zaï technology in the 18 villages of the municipality to assess the agronomic effects of the improved zaï method compared to those of traditional farming practices. The results show that improved zaï combined with organic manure increased millet yields by 110 to 270 kg/ha compared with traditional farming practices in three of the four demonstration fields. Most farmers surveyed (95.4%) considered that zaï contributes to increased yields. For 61.1% of respondents, zaï improves soil fertility and optimizes the use of organic matter, and 55.1% considered that zaï improves soil water retention. The main constraints reported were the physical strain of the work (57.7%), its slowness (51.4%), and the high labour demand (45.1%). These results confirm the agronomic relevance of improved zaï and point to the need to develop mechanized tools to facilitate its adoption at scale.