SummaryA Peace Corps Volunteer and his host community achieved more than 600% improvement in corn harvest and nearly doubling of millet harvest by using improved techniques and affordable fertilizer inputs. Return on investment of inputs for corn was 425%. These practices are scalable, replicable and sustainable in other communities.
Context
Senegal’s domestic food production has not kept up with its rising population. While Senegal’s southern regions, such as Kolda, have adequate rain to support food self-sufficiency, average field crop yields are much lower than they could be with improved techniques and soil fertility. PCV Hans Spalholz (2007-2009), an agriculture graduate of Cornell University, worked with the farmers in his community in the Kolda Region to change practices and dramatically improve yields.
In the Pulaar village where Hans serves, subsistence farmers have recently lagged in being able to grow enough food to meet the needs of their families. The problem of food security is further compounded year after year by loss of soil fertility. This is due to soil erosion (from both wind and rain), loss of organic matter, and not re-applying nutrient content taken up by the crops. This situation creates a cycle where farmers reap less and less from their fields. This in turn leads to them not having the resources to purchase fertilizers to invest into the next year’s crop. Soil fertility is a holistic issue that is addressed at many different levels through a deeper understanding of crop nutrient requirements, “on the farm” nutrient cycling, and knowing the benefits of soil organic matter. Through this understanding farmers can make better decisions and obtain the most cost effective yields while protecting the soil.
Although the continual use of synthetic fertilizers may cause other issues in the field several years later, it does provide farmers an opportunity to break the cycle of depleting the field before all its attributes of fertility are devastated. By gaining immediate advantages provided by the use of fertilizers, coupled with improved growing techniques, farmers are given a window through which they can create the means to invest in their farms and improve soil fertility and yields sustainably.
The Approach
 The focus on increasing crop yields started months before any fields were planted. One on one meetings were held with farmers to explain the significance of proper spacing, advantages of weeding, advantages of retaining (rather than burning) manure left in the fields, optimizing fertilizer application and why purchasing improved seed varieties can be beneficial. Improved seed and fertilizer were procured locally. Since farmers did not have the resources to buy all of the necessary fertilizer out right, a small loan program was created so that the proper amount could be procured and used. The typical loan to purchase fertilizer ranged from $25 to $75, which had to be matched by the farmer at the time of purchase. These “50/50” loans were all repaid through sale of grain the following dry season. Once the rainy season had arrived all key points were reviewed on a daily basis, both in and out of the fields, to monitor the current work progress and forecast upon any possible problems that may arise. Farmers, along with the rest of the family, were all shown how to execute techniques in the field. Much time and detail was to taken to show how to appropriately apply fertilizer and at what amounts to apply it due to the unfamiliarity of this new tool.
Results
 Through the use of fertilizers, proper spacing, timely weeding, and seeding with improved varieties yields were increased 6-fold for corn and nearly doubled for millet. 2008 yields in the improved managed plots averaged 3125 kg/ha of corn while 2007 yields for corn averaged 500 kg/ha. As for millet production, yields in untreated fields were 1250 kg/ha while yields using improved technique increased to 2200 kg/ha. These improvements were achieved despite rainfall being slightly less favorable in 2008 than in 2007 in this zone.
An average investment of $100/hectare in fertilizer, combined with improved techniques, resulted in an improved corn yield of 2625kg/hectare. At an average corn price of $0.65/kg in the Senegalese market, the average per hectare profit was over $1700, an annual return on investment of 425%.
Next Steps
 Looking forward at the community level, the focus will be how to properly manage this new resource in order to derive the most benefit from it, including: how best to ration food consumption, maintain post-harvest quality, utilize grain for spin-off projects (such as milk, meat and egg production), properly store seeds for the next season’s planting, and when to sell excess grain for a maximum profit. Only a small percent of the revenue generated is needed to buy fertilizer for the following year.
In an effort to replicate and scale up this example, over the next four years Peace Corps Senegal will leverage funding from USAID’s Global Food Security Initiative to build a cadre of 375 deeply trained Senegalese pilot farmers who will, in turn, share their expertise with over 40,000 farmers across the country. Together we aim to enable significant improvements in the ability of Senegalese farmers to feed their nation.
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