Exploitation of early rains by a traditional cultivation technique in the West African Savanna

Abstract A traditional cultivation technique for cereals in the West African Savanna is described. Measurements of soil moisture showed that at the start of the rainy season when rainfall is erratic, the technique assists an early-planted crop to survive dry spells by providing the maximum amount of available water close to the planting position. This is achieved by the ingenious device of making planting hills in the furrows between existing ridges. The essential features of this hill-in-furrow technique could be retained advantageously in mechanised cultivation systems.