Cereals are central to food security and livelihoods in the West African Sahel. However, their productivity is limited by poor soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and increasing weed pressure. Given the limited availability of mineral fertilizers and the declining efficacy of herbicides, there is an urgent need for sustainable strategies that can enhance crop productivity and soil resilience. This study evaluated the potential of shrub-pruning mulches to improve sorghum yields, suppress weeds and buffer the cereal systems against rainfall variability. A total of thirteen treatments replicated four times were implemented using a randomized complete block design. Field experiments assessed prunings from three shrub species (Gliricidia sepium, Guiera senegalensis and Piliostigma reticulatum), applied with or without mineral fertilizer over three consecutive years (2021–2023) in Katibougou, Mali. Two controls, with the locally recommended fertilisation dosage and without any fertilisation were included. Mulched treatments produced significantly higher sorghum grain yield than the unamended control and yields comparable to the mineral-fertilized control. Among mulched treatments, sorghum amended with G. sepium mulch produced the highest grain yields consistently across years. Mulched treatments showed a significantly lower weed pressure than the control without mulch. These results demonstrate the potential of shrub-pruning mulches to enhance the productivity of sorghum in Sahelian cereal-based systems. Future research should refine combinations of multiple species of mulch and quantify the optimal application rates of biomass.
Acacia senegal (L.) Wild colonizes the Western Sahel of Mali. This agroforestry species plays an important role in the socio-economic life of local populations. The density of this species has declined sharply recently because of climate change and anthropogenic factors. However, the influence of this density on soil fertility has been documented in very few studies in Mali. This study reports the influence of the density of natural Acacia senegal stands on soil fertility. Three municipalities of the region (Gadiaba, Nioro, and Korokodjo) were selected for the study. At each site, three plots of 2500 m2 each were marked out. The Acacia woody stand within each plot was measured (basal circumference, total height, and circumference total height and circumference at 1.30 m). These measurements were preceded by an exhaustive inventory of the woody plants. Juvenile plants with a circumference of 10 cm were systematically counted and considered as regeneration. In parallel with these measurements, soil samples were taken from the tops and undersides of four-foot trees at the ends and centers of the plots. A 500 g composite sample was taken from these samples. These samples were sent to the Sotuba soil-water-plant laboratory for particle size and chemical analysis. Natural stands are very dense in Gadiaba, with an average of 690 plants/ha, medium density in Nioro, with 430 plants/ha, and very low density in Korokodjo, with 120 plants/ha. The natural stands in the study area are characterized by small, medium-diameter trees. At Gadiaba, the soil is sandy-loamy, while at Nioro and Korokodjo, the proportion of sand dominates at over 90%. The soils were all deficient in organic carbon, nitrogen, and assimilable phosphorus. Comparison of the magnesium content, sand, and silt proportions between the sites studied showed highly significant differences (p ˂ 0.001). The C/N ratios and phosphorus levels were not significantly different between the three sites. The C/N ratio is 4.55% at Gadiaba, 5.95% at Korokodjo and 3.36% at Nioro du Sahel. Phosphorus levels were 3.79% in Gadiaba, 1.73% in Korokodjo, and only 0.21% in Nioro du Sahel. For other mineral elements and pH, however, the differences are significant at the critical threshold of 5%. Therefore, it is important to identify suitable management methods for these resources.
La Commission de Gestion des Eaux de Sélingué et Markala (CGESM), conformément à ses attributions a mis en œuvre des recommandations afin de résoudre les problèmes liés à l’utilisation des eaux de ces ouvrages entre les différents usagers lors du déficit hydrique de l’année 2017. Des réunions et ateliers (réunion à Tamani, atelier sur l’économie de l’eau à Ségou etc.) délocalisés par la CGESM ont permis de venir à bout de cette crise. La gestion actuelle des ressources en eau implique plusieurs acteurs et usagers (institutions gouvernementales (Ministères), organisations de la société civile, secteur privé, presse publique et privée, etc.). Le débit d’étiage du fleuve à l’aval du Barrage de Markala y compris le Delta intérieur est fortement tributaire des apports (artificiels) du Barrage de Sélingué et des prélèvements effectués le long du cours d’eau. C’est dans ce cadre qu’a été initiée une étude « d’évaluation des impacts de la gestion du déficit hydrique 2017 par la CGESM ».
This systematic literature review addresses the critical gap in synthesised evidence regarding occupational health hazards and their mitigation for informal sector workers in Kampala's markets and transport hubs. It systematically identifies, appraises, and synthesises peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2021 and 2026 to characterise prevalent risks and evaluate documented protective practices. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was executed across major academic databases and African institutional repositories, with included studies subjected to a rigorous critical appraisal. The findings reveal that workers, including market vendors, motorcycle taxi (*boda boda*) riders, and load carriers, face a multifaceted burden of hazards. These are categorised as physical (notably musculoskeletal disorders from manual handling and traffic accidents), biological (exposure to waste and poor sanitation), and psychosocial (chronic stress and violence). Documented mitigation strategies are predominantly informal, individual, and reactive, with a pronounced scarcity of evidence for effective, systemic interventions. The analysis underscores a stark disconnect between the scale of the problem and the institutional response, highlighting the pervasive exclusion of informal workers from national occupational health frameworks. This synthesis provides an urgent, consolidated evidence base to advocate for inclusive, context-specific regulations that acknowledge the informal sector's centrality to urban economies and its workers' right to health protection.
In sub-Saharan Africa, livestock farming in general, and cattle farming in particular, is a source of income for many people. This activity tends to intensify in urban and peri-urban areas. Like many other livestock-raising countries, Mali faces several constraints, including African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT), which affects herd productivity and thus threatens food security. Several factors can influence the transmission of this disease, including the host-parasite-vector relationship, animal phenotypes, and climate. In Mali, the susceptibility of cattle breeds to trypanosome infection has been poorly documented. This study was aimed to determine the factors influencing the transmission of AAT in the sub-humid zone of Mali. Bi-seasonal sampling was carried out in 2011 on 720 cattle taken in a stratified and random fashion. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein and the WOO diagnostic technique was used. Factors such as phenotype, season, prophylactic treatment, and infection rate were considered. The results showed that among these variance factors, phenotype, prophylactic treatment, and haematocrit level were positively correlated with the infection rate of cattle (P<0.05%). The variation in the infection rate recorded during the different seasons was not significant (P>0.05%).
