TY  - JA
AU  - Aune,J.B.
AU  - Coulibaly,A.
AU  - Woumou,K.
TI  - Intensification of dryland farming in Mali through mechanisation of sowing, fertiliser application and weeding
SN  - 0365-0340
PY  - 2019///
CY  - United Kingdom
PB  - Taylor & Francis
KW  - Sorghum
KW  - AGROVOC
KW  - Pregermination
KW  - Planters
KW  - Weed control equipment
KW  - Labour
KW  - Appropriate technology
KW  - Agricultural mechanization
N1  - Peer review
N2  - This study focuses on the role of mechanised sowing and weeding in combination with seed priming and fertiliser microdosing in Mali. Mechanised sowing and weeding were based on using a combined donkey-drawn planter/weeder and a motorised planter/weeder. The research methods included studies of seed delivery in manual and mechanised sowing, field experiments on different levels of mechanization/intensification, labour studies on mechanisation and an economic assessment of the different levels of intensification. The average sorghum grain yield across three years increased by 352 kg ha−1 (43.7% increase) by combining mechanisation with seed priming and microdosing of 0.2 g NPK 15-15-15 fertiliser per pocket compared to a control with manual sowing but without seed priming and microdosing. The labour demand (sowing and weeding) for manual, donkey-drawn and motorised operations was 184, 67 and 47 hours ha−1, respectively. An economic analysis showed that the donkey-drawn planter/weeder is the appropriate mechanisation below six ha while above this land size it becomes increasingly interesting for the farmers to invest in a motorised planter. The use of mechanisation will result in earlier and uniform crop establishment, facilitate microdosing application, timelier weeding, higher yields, better economic return and reduced labour demand
T2  - Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
DO  - https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2018.1505042
ER  -