The present study was carried out in the cotton belt in the Far-North Province of Cameroon. It has been focused on the physical properties of soils under mulch-based cropping systems. The experimental design was drawn from one on Direct seeding Mulch-based Cropping system (DMC) trial location under a controlled conditions in the region of Kaéle (700-800 mm mean annual rainfall), and where a network of 20 farmers is carrying out on-farm trials in the region of Maroua (800 mm mean annual rainfall),. Plots under mulch-based cropping systems established 2, 3 or 4 years ago were compared against farmers' traditional plots under direct seeding without mulch or with tillage practice. These plots were cropped with sorghum or cotton. Using the gravimetric method it has been shown that the apparent density of soils on the upper horizons under DMC was lower compared to soils from the farmers' traditional cropping systems. Bulk density values lie between 1.2 g/cm3 to 1.5 g/cm3 against 1.6 g/cm3 to 1.7 g/cm3 for farmers' traditional control plots. These results are due to an increase in soil porosity induced probably by a higher soil biological activity. A better water infiltration was also obtained'under DMC against the farmers' traditional systems. These mean infiltration values were obtained using the double ring and «Beer can» methods, and lie between 0.9 to 5 mm min-1 for the mulch-based system against 0.6 to 1 mm min-1 for the farmers' traditional systems. This study shows that after a period of less than 3 years under DMC an improvement of the physical properties of the soil was clearly obtained, notably soil porosity and consequently soil water dynamics. This improvement affects the soil water availability and therefore water supply to the crops.

14 participants ont participé à cette première formation étalée sur 3 semaines (128 heures) au sein de l’UEPG et financée par le MAE dans le cadre du PTA 1ière phase. L’UEPG (Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa) est située dans l’Etat du Parana (sud Brésil, 12° sud latitude, 900 à 1000 m d’altitude, 1500 mm pluies / an). Cette région est le berceau du semis - direct au Brésil.La formation a été le fruit d'une collaboration ancienne de J.C.M. Sa (enseignant chercheur du Département des Sciences du Sol et de l’Ingéniérie Agricole) et de L. Séguy (agronome animateur de l’UR SCV).

Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is known as a very invasive weed, difficult to get rid of. All over the world, practices have been developed to try to eradicate this widely spread and common weed (Burton and Hanna, 1984). They are often based on intense land preparation with several ploughings and important work for removing the rhizomes and weeding. However, Cynodon dactylon is a good forage and has several properties of a good cover crop: growing on poor soil, rapidly covering the soil and thus preventing erosion, having a deep and dense rooting system (improving soil structure, recycling nutrients), suppressing most other weeds, etc. Trying to get benefit from these qualities, TAFA and CIRAD have developed with farmers techniques of direct seeding, using Cynodon dactylon as a soil cover.

Pour caractériser l'impact des systèmes de culture sur la biologie des sols, l'étude dresse le profil de la macrofaune du sol dans des parcelles paysannes de coton au Nord Cameroun au cours de la période allant du 16 Mai au 15 Octobre 2005. Trois systèmes de culture sont comparés : semis direct sur couverture végétale permanente du sol (SCV), semis direct sur sol nu (SD) et semis sur labour (SL). Pour ce faire, douze blocs ont été identifiés dans cinq terroirs test du projet ESA, répartis dans les zones de Garoua et Maroua. Les macro invertébrés du sol et de la litière sont échantil'onnés à partir du prélèvement de monolithes(cubes de 30cm3) au cours de la campagne. Par ailleurs, les infestations de pucerons (Aphisgossypii) et les dégâts de chenilles de la capsule, Helicoverpa armigera en particulier, sont relevés. MÊME DOC QUE PRECEDENT.

Traditional farming systems have drastically changed over the last fifteen years in southern Xayabury province through considerable agricultural development based on rainfed cash crops production such as maize, rice-bean (Vigna umbellata), peanut, Job's tears (Coîx lacryma), black cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and sesame. This development depends mainly on local market accessibility, transfer of technologies from Thailand and financial capacities of local traders (inputs, heavy mechanization and technical skills from Thailand).

Land degradation is an inevitable result of continuing shifting cultivation under these circumstances. There is an urgent need to change existing sloping land use by smallholder mountainous farmers to prevent potentially disastrous consequences. In a small country with high population density, like Vietnam, the problems are particularly serious. In this contextn the upland agro-ecology approach has become the most promising way of maintaining sustainable agricultural production. This research was implemented by VASI and CIRAD with promising results.

Rapport de Lucien Séguy au Nord Cameroun sur projet ESA, développement de l'agroécologie par les systèmes SCV novateurs combinant coton, riz pluvial, sorgho et plantes de couverture et fourrages, en continuant les systèmes déjà implantés et en testant les nouvelles fumures, nouvelles solutions salines pour substituer le glyphosate, et systèmes sur sol karé.

Rapport de mission, Résultats expérimentaux, Evolutions des rendements, Sorgho, Coton, Maïs, Riz.

Rapport d'activité annuel sur exploitations et expérimentations en milieu paysan, avec rendements, biomasse et temps de travaux sur SCV avec cultures de coton sorgho, maïs

Orientations ministère de l'agriculture & forêts du Laos, données macro-économiques, déforestation, érosion, agro-écologie,