Land and water management practices have been widely implemented in rural Mali since the 1980s to improve agricultural productivity and erosion control. Under conditions of recurring droughts, these practices are expected to increase farmers' ability to cope with shocks. One of the most common practices applied in the central and southern parts of Mali is contour bunding (CB). In this study the impact of the CB technology is evaluated with a focus on biophysical and socio-economic benefits. Data were collected in two agro-ecologies of southern Mali and were generated through field experimentation and household survey. Field experimentation involved implementation of contour lines with farm ridges, agronomic trails and runoff and erosion measurements. Agronomic data was collected on sorghum, maize, groundnut and millet for three consecutive years (2015 to 2017). Socio-economic data on the use of CB was obtained from individual farmer surveys. CB involves the layout of contour lines with land leveling devices to identify points of equal elevation and construction of contour lines with draught animals and human labor. The majority of the labor input to construct and maintain the CB comes from adult men who are head of the household (58%) and youth male (33%). Results indicate that with the application of CB yield of crops was higher with the highest increase in grain yield and biomass obtained for maize and millet (P < 0.01). CB application was useful in retaining soil water and reduced erosion rate. In treatment fields, 162 mm of rainfall per year was saved as soil moisture and on average 13,090 kg per hectare of soil was lost from farm fields without CB, and CB implementation significantly reduced the soil loss by 163% (P < 0.01). The improvements in crops yield and biomass, and the retention of soil nutrients positively changed farm level productivity conditions. The majority of farmers (78%) perceived higher income from the sale of crops grown on CB plots. These results suggest the landscape wide application of CB.

中文翻译：

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马里南部半干旱地区等高线加固技术的证据和经验

自 1980 年代以来，土地和水资源管理实践已在马里农村广泛实施，以提高农业生产力和控制水土流失。在经常发生干旱的情况下，这些做法有望提高农民应对冲击的能力。马里中部和南部地区最常见的做法之一是等高线加固（CB）。在这项研究中，评估了 CB 技术的影响，重点是生物物理和社会经济效益。数据是在马里南部的两个农业生态系统中收集的，是通过田间试验和家庭调查生成的。田间试验涉及使用农场山脊、农艺小径以及径流和侵蚀测量的等高线的实施。收集了高粱、玉米、花生和小米连续三年（2015-2017）。关于 CB 使用的社会经济数据来自个体农民调查。CB 涉及使用土地平整设备布置等高线以识别等高点，以及使用牲畜和人工建造等高线。建造和维护 CB 的大部分劳动力投入来自作为户主的成年男性（58%）和青年男性（33%）。结果表明，施用炭黑后作物产量较高，玉米和小米的粮食产量和生物量增幅最大（CB 涉及使用土地平整设备布置等高线以识别等高点，以及使用牲畜和人工建造等高线。建造和维护 CB 的大部分劳动力投入来自作为户主的成年男性（58%）和青年男性（33%）。结果表明，施用炭黑后作物产量较高，玉米和小米的粮食产量和生物量增幅最大（CB 涉及使用土地平整设备布置等高线以识别等高点，以及使用牲畜和人工建造等高线。建造和维护 CB 的大部分劳动力投入来自作为户主的成年男性（58%）和青年男性（33%）。结果表明，施用炭黑后作物产量较高，玉米和小米的粮食产量和生物量增幅最大（磷< 0.01)。CB 应用在保持土壤水分和降低侵蚀率方面很有用。在处理田中，每年有 162 毫米的降雨量被保存为土壤水分，没有 CB 的农田平均每公顷土壤流失 13,090 kg，CB 的实施显着减少了 163% 的土壤流失。磷< 0.01)。作物产量和生物量的提高以及土壤养分的保留积极改变了农场水平的生产力条件。大多数农民 (78%) 认为出售在 CB 地块上种植的作物可以获得更高的收入。这些结果表明 CB 的广泛应用。