November 21, 2022

DOUMIZE KOULI-KOULI : The magic millet seed ball

Staple Crops

Niger

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 1 billion people, the majority of whom (about 60% on average) live in rural areas. Although poverty is not only a rural phenomenon, people living in rural areas are more likely to be poor than those living in big cities.

In Niger, the agricultural sector employs the majority of the working population (up to 90%). But with the advancing desert and recurrent drought coupled with low rainfall, Niger's soil is struggling to meet the primary and crucial needs of the population. In addition, there is the prevalence of attacks by crop pests, poor access to quality inputs, a dysfunctional input supply chain, and poor promotion of millet-based products and traditional production techniques. Among all these challenges, wastage of seeds during sowing is adding to production costs.

In its various agribusiness development efforts, the 2SCALE program has placed emphasis on improving the agricultural productivity of small-scale farmers. Soil fertility and plant nutrition management is a basic component in sustainable agricultural intensification efforts. Therefore, the extension of innovative solutions that reduce the burden on producers is needed. The ambition of 2SCALE is to develop inclusive agribusiness arrangements that enable farmers to sustain their activities, innovate and remain competitive in national and regional markets. These innovation schemes are based on inclusive opportunities for participation and fair rewards for the effort and performance of small-scale producers as well as other actors in a given value chain.

The 2SCALE program, through its Mooriben partnership on the production and promotion of Chakti millet in Niger, has introduced within the different agribusiness clusters (ABCs), an innovative locally created solution to fight against seed wastage which is affordable and safe for consumption. DOUMIZE KOULI-KOULI, in Zarma language: it is a ball of seed and ashes which comes to answer the needs of the producers of millet. 2SCALEfacilitated its popularization through training sessions in room and a campaign of sensitization and practice on the production plots.

A simple, economical, affordable and sustainable practice.

Also called magic ball, the DOUMIZE KOULI-KOULI is a mixture of seed, ash, clay, sand and water and is generally used to save seeds. For three consecutive years, the magic ball has been introduced as a pilot in the various agribusiness clusters of the Mooriben-2SCALE partnership in Niger. Nearly twenty hectares have been planted by over 100 producers. As part of its rollout, an awareness caravan was organized for 3 days in 15 villages during which the advantages of the technology were explained to farmers.

The producers of the MADDA-BEN union of the farmers' groups of Niger Mooriben welcomed the introduction of this innovation and committed themselves to using it in many more hectares. Mr. Yacouba Tanda, a producer and member of the Maddaben union, said:

In the future, we want the practice of the ball to be effective by all millet producers in Niger and in all ABCs because of its advantages. In 1 or 2 years we want the magic ball to be widespread to limit the waste of seeds and improve the yield of production.

A technology with several advantages

Easy to manufacture, the seed ball DOUMIZE KOULI-KOULI ash ball also saves on seeds used.. For one hectare, 1 kilogram of millet seed would be enough, against 10 to 15 kg which is the conventional practice. The technique also promotes plant development and significantly improves millet yields per hectare.

After the success of the caravan, 250 producers (including 150 youth and women) were trained on how to make the seed balls and have recorded results of 80 to 85% success in the areas tested. However, one of the major challenges of using the ball is its ineffectiveness when the balls are buried too deep. Faced with this observation, the program intends to strengthen the capacities of the producers of the partnership in the mastery of the techniques of use of the seed ball.

Share this update: