Enhancing Agriculture through Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) in Burkina Faso
Description
Research indicates that the use of trees by farmers in agroforestry systems improves household nutrition consistent with local culture and food traditions. Additionally, it enhances climate change adaptation while contributing to environmentally friendly agricultural products. Nonetheless, some scientists argue that trees reduce soil moisture content in agricultural settings and that associated water demand could effectively compete with crops over limited available moisture. This research explored these competing claims in the context of Burkina Faso, focusing on farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR). To understand how FMNR impacts soil moisture, this research used a participatory approach, including citizen science, to collect soil matric potential data. Soil matric potential data were collected using the SR Series IRROMETER tensiometer marketed by the Irrometer Co., Inc., Riverside, CA. Data collection on croplands with FMNR consisted of the installation of two IRROMETER SR tensiometers within the canopy zone and in an open area, positioned 20 meters away from the canopy zone, at a depth of 45 centimeters. On croplands without FMNR, a single IRROMETER SR tensiometer was installed in an open area at the same depth. In this study, soil moisture tensiometers were installed under Vitellaria paradoxa (shea) trees, less than a meter away from the tree trunk within the tree canopy. Only mature trees with a trunk diameter of 50 centimeters or more at breast height were selected to ensure consistent evapotranspiration patterns. To analyze the data and assess the relationship between soil moisture within the canopy zone, away from the canopy zone on croplands with FMNR, and on croplands without FMNR, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, followed by a Games-Howell post-hoc test at the significance level of 0.05. Results indicate that FMNR increases soil water availability to plants and subsequent crop yield. Trees significantly increased soil moisture availability throughout the season, from croplands without FMNR to areas away from the tree canopy and areas within the tree canopy on croplands with FMNR.