Faidherbia Fertiliser

Georgina Smith writes about "...boosting soil fertility through planting of the nitrogen-fixing acacia tree, Faidherbia albida...":

It may be counter-intuitive for farmers, but instead of ploughing a whole field, farmers are taught at field days and through farmer-led extension to dig small holes or "basins," about 25cm deep, 25cm wide and a metre apart...With the planting of F. albida every ten rows, conservation agriculture is complete. Unusually, the tree remains leafy during the dry season, thereby offering the crop some protection from intense sun, but sheds its leaves during the rains.

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photo courtesy of Georgina Smith

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