COVERING THE SOIL WITH A TYPHA AUSTRALIS MULCH in Senegal
This video was produced by the National Center for Agroecology (CNA) https://centre-national-agroecologie.fr/ as part of the URBANE project https://urbane-project.eu/, funded by the European Union.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the Research Executive Agency (REA)
This video was made as part of the URBANE project co-funded by the European Union. Website: https://urbane-project.eu/
The opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA)
This video was produced by the National Center for Agroecology (CNA) https://centre-national-agroecologie.fr/ as part of the URBANE project https://urbane-project.eu/, funded by the European Union.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the Research Executive Agency (REA)
This video was made as part of the URBANE project co-funded by the European Union. Website: https://urbane-project.eu/
The opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA)
Covering soils with Typha australis mulch in Senegal
This webinar presents the results of an agroecological experiment conducted as part of the Urbane project in Senegal, in collaboration with Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis. The work focused on a crop rotation including peanut and onion, two crops of major importance for the region.
The speakers, Camille Archambaud (Ver de Terre Production) and Abibbou Mbow (student at Gaston Berger University), detailed the effects of using invasive aquatic plants, Typha australis and Ceratophyllum demersum, as a lever for agroecological innovation.
Project Context and Objectives
The project aims to rethink agriculture as a living ecosystem within a “One Health” framework (one health: human, animal, and environmental health). In the Saint-Louis region, characterized by very sandy soils (95% sand), the objective was to test different types of organic matter (compost, manure, mineral fertilizer) with or without Typha mulching.
Typha and Ceratophyllum demersum are aquatic plants that proliferate massively in the Senegal River valley, causing blockages in irrigation canals and promoting mosquito proliferation. The project transforms this environmental nuisance into a resource for agriculture through compost production and direct use as mulch to cover soils.
Experimental Setup
The experiment follows a randomized factorial design with 16 treatments repeated four times, crossing three factors:
- Mulching (T): absence (T0) or presence of Typha (T1).
- Nitrogen (N): control without nitrogen (N0), 75 kg/ha (N1), 125 kg/ha (N2).
- Fertilizer (F): control (F0), conventional mineral (F1), cattle manure (F2), compost based on Ceratophyllum demersum (F3), or local traditional practice (F4 - reference).
Results on Peanut
- Yield and biomass: Typha mulching has a highly significant effect on yield and dry aerial biomass. Mulching improves plant growth regardless of the fertilizer type.
- Fertilization and nitrogen: Fertilizer type alone did not show a significant difference in yield. Similarly, the nitrogen input level had no significant effect, explained by the peanut’s ability, as a legume, to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
- Soil carbon: Mulching has an extremely positive effect on soil carbon content. Organic inputs (compost and manure) contribute to long-term fertility improvement.
- Weed management: Mulching significantly reduces weed biomass.
Results on Onion
- Sensitivity to fertilization: Unlike peanut, onion is very sensitive to fertilization and nitrogen level for its yield and bulb diameter.
- Role of mulching: Although mulching does not directly affect onion yield, it remains an essential management tool to drastically reduce weed biomass (divided by 5 in some cases), thus reducing weeding time.
- Quality and harvest: A three-week harvest delay allows a significant increase in yield. The use of natural biopesticides (based on garlic, neem, or chili) enabled avoiding chemical inputs throughout the trial.
Perspectives and Conclusions
Stakeholders emphasize that Typha represents a major opportunity for the Senegalese agricultural sector by transforming an invasive waste into a valuable resource.
Future considerations include:
- Extension: Establish demonstration plots directly on farmers’ fields to allow them to observe the economic effectiveness of the practices (reducing input and phytosanitary product costs).
- Quality: Analyze the nutritional quality and storage capacity of products from these agroecological practices, a crucial issue for Senegal, which imports a large part of its onion production.
- Research: Continue studying long-term interactions (microbial community structure, nematodes, soil enzymes) and refine technical itineraries according to local edaphic conditions.
In conclusion, the holistic approach adopted by the Urbane project allows “closing the loop” by simultaneously improving soil health, farmer profitability, and reducing local environmental nuisances.
