Abstract
Soil surface management practices under conventional farming systems were studied in Mali and India with reference to human-induced soil degradation. The purposes of this study were : 1)to record and characterize the conventional farming practices ; 2) to find some requisites for sustainable farming systems under semi-arid environment; and, 3) to seek the possibility of horizontal (south-to-south) technology transfer. Upland fields in Thiongoni village, Mali, have been cultivated with a oxen-driven plow which was introduced from France during colonial era. By deep plowing (15-20 cm) in sandy textured soil, soil degradation process has accelerated in these decades through soil surface crusting, accumulation of sand fraction in plow layer and soil loss both by water and wind erosion. On the other hands, the conventional farming systems in some villages near Udaipur, Northwestern India, where agro-ecological condition is similar to Thiongoni village, have been sustained the upland fields for more then some hundred years without causing conspicuous soil degradation. The difference from the Thiongoni’s case is explained by the mode of surface management practices, e.g. shallow plowing, improvement of the quality of crop residues lor feeding by dense planting, utilization of a wide variety of cultivation tools, manure application, and soil band for erosion control. The above information provides great hint to improve the current soil-human relations in Thiongoni village.
