EFFECT OF THE OPTIMIZED GUIERA SENEGALENSIS SYSTEM ON CROP PERFORMANCE (MILLET, GROUNDNUT) IN THE NORTHERN PEANUTBASIN (SENEGAL)

Agroforestry systems combining indigenous shrubs and crops are recognized as promising ways of restoring degraded soils and improving agricultural yields in the Sahel. Research is attempting to optimize these systems to maximize their benefits. In this context, the comparative effect of optimized (OSS) and traditional (TMS) Guiera senegalensis management systems on the performance of groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.) and millet(Pennisetum glaucum L.) was studied in the Meckhe zone from 2019 to 2022 under farmer conditions. OSS involves increasing the density of Guiera senegalensis, cutting and chopping the biomass, and incorporating it into the soil. This contrasts with TMS, where shrub density is low, and the cut shrub biomass is burned. The trial is a randomized block design with fifteen replications and two treatments. Measurements were taken of height, LAI, NDVI, yield components and rainwater use efficiency. The optimized system improved groundnut and millet growth. It also significantly improved yield components and crop rainwater use efficiency. Overall, compared with the traditional system on the farm, the optimized system increased crop performance.