The University of Kassel is participating in two areas of the SustainSahel project: 'Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics (AHTS)' and 'Organic Plant Production and Agroecosystems Research in the Tropics and Subtropics (OPATS)'. The main research focus is the improvement of resource and nutrient use efficiencies for livestock and crop production in marginal environments as exist in West Africa.
The University of Kassel’s research focuses on assessing the role of selected shrubs and trees for improved livestock nutrition, health and productivity, as well as for efficient nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycling. The University of Kassel will provide site-specific recommendations for strategic feeding of trees and shrubs, and for N- and C-efficient manure and shrub-mulch use in integrated crop-shrub-livestock systems.
The first research activities of Mamadou Coulibaly, a PhD scholar at IPR/IFRA Katibougou, Koulikoro in Mali comprise an ethnobotanical survey on the use of tree/shrub fodder in the agropastoral areas of the rural commune of Méguétan in Koulikoro. Following this survey, Mamadou will evaluate animals’ preferences for selected browse species and the effect of supplementary feeding of browse species on feed intake and digestibility as well as on prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in on-station feeding trials. Similar research is ongoing by two other PhD students in Saria, Burkina Faso and Dahra, Senegal.
Mamadou said, “I am particularly looking forward to learn new methods, such as measuring enteric methane emissions for the different feeding strategies that will be developed within the project. My PhD work will contribute to improved livestock nutrition and will help livestock keepers better integrate fodder from shrubs and trees into animal diets.”
Siriki Fané joined the OPATS team as a PhD scholar in October 2020, and focuses on soil fertility and productivity aspects of CSL systems. He currently runs trials on ‘Implementing best foliage manuring strategies’ in Koulikoro, Mali and Saria, Burkina Faso, where he compares the benefits of direct shrub foliage mulching with foliage-derived animal manure by means of litterbag experiments. From October 2021 onwards he will be funded by a PhD scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Siriki said, “I enjoy the strong collaboration of partners in the project. In the next years I intend to share my knowledge on indigenous shrub species as well as my experiences acquired at Uni Kassel with the project partners through field missions and workshops. I want to learn techniques for analysing nutrients in soil and foliar biomass, as well as GHG emissions, which will be facilitated through the project. Overall, my PhD work will contribute knowledge towards a sustainable intensification of soil fertility and cereal production in the project’s target region.”
The joint supervisors of the project’s PhD and MSc students (Regina, Eva, Sophie, Andreas) said, “We always enjoy cooperating with a range of students at PhD and Master level, who join our research projects for their theses. Students are introduced to current scientific methods and have the opportunity to carry out their own research project, and thus make an important contribution to data collection. At the same time, they have the chance to gain work experience within the setting of an international research project, which increases their career prospects.”
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