Drylands have harsh conditions with high risks and poor farmers who have low incomes, weak access to technologies, and complex, extensive farming systems. The challenges are how to improve systems and population wellbeing, what technologies or innovations, and what approaches. The document outlines activities to develop improved cropping systems and soil/water management, tools to restore degraded lands, and system analysis methods. Field experiments and workshops identified management practices improving productivity and 18 cases of degraded land restoration. 20 participants were trained in systems modeling. Interesting achievements in system analysis and restoration were initiated along with new partnerships for wider impact.

1. Drylands are hard environments with high risks poor farmers
with low incomes, weak access to technologies, complex, ex-
tensive and diversified farming system. The research chal-
lenges are: i) how do improve the systems and wellbeing of
population; ii) What kind of technologies or innovations and;
iii) What kind of approaches should be used.
• baCkground
Develop improved cropping systems to improve agricultural
productivity and resilience to risks.
Develop affordable options to improve the management of soil
and water the soil fertility
Tools and methods for restoration of degraded lands
Tools and methods for system analysis
• objeCtives
• Implementation of field experiments
• Critical review and workshop on successful experiences of
restoration of degraded lands in West Africa Sahel.
• Training workshop on system modeling.
• methodology
Field experiments on intercropping or rotation of millet-cow-
pea-tree cropping on soil and productivity
Long-term fertility experiment on cropping systems
Literature review of experiences of restoration of degraded
lands in West Africa Sahel (WAS)
Workshop on of restoration of degarded lands in WAS
Training on APSIM model.
• aCtivities
• Identification of management that improved the producti-
vity of cropping systems.
• Identification of 18 successful experience of restoration of
degraded lands
• 20 participants trained on APSIM model.
• results and main aChievements
• Current partnerships and future
engagements for out sCaling
Interesting achievements and strategic orientations on system
analysis and restoration of degraded land have been initiated.
More interesting perspectives are expected in 2016 with new
project obtained from EU. Partnership and synergies are ini-
tiated with PRODAF (funded by IFAD in Niger).
• ConClusions
• Current partnership with INRAN, INERA and ProDAF (funded
by IFAD).
• Engagement for collaborative work of scaling is initiated with
PRODAF.
Innovations to improve systems and Wellbeing
Corresponding author email: v.bado@cgiar.org
Partners:
• ICRISAT
• INERA