PERCEPTIONS PAYSANNES DES EFFETS DE LA SALINITE DU SOL SUR LES CULTURES MARAICHERESDANS LA REGION DE TAHOUA AU NIGER

Vegetable crops production is one of the main activities of the population in Tahoua region but which is threatened by land degradation, particularly by soil salinity.The main objective of this study was to evaluate farmers perception of effects of soil salinity on irrigated vegetable crops production in the Tahoua region.The study, conducted on two sites in Tahoua region, namely Bagga and Kehehe, was based on socio-economic surveys of 200 vegetable crops small-farmers.The results of this study showed that 84% of surveyed farmers on sites of Bagga and Keheheclaimed to have observed signs of soil salinity in their plotswhich they mainly appreciatedby whitish spots on soil or by blackishhard layer on soil surface. According to 38% of surveyed farmers, this soil salinity has a natural origin while 33.7% of these surveyed farmers affirmed that irrigation water is the cause of soil salinity in the cultivated plots.According to these surveyed farmers, soil salinity reduces crop yields because of limited growth of vegetable crops and also crops become very sensitive to drought and attacks of diseases and pests.Farmers practices to managing of soil salinity in cultivated plots according to surveyed farmers were mainly water ponding and surface drainage often coupled with plowing, apply of manure, use of plants salt-tolerant plants.Thus, this study confirmed the existence of soil salinization degradation on sites of vegetable crops production in Tahoua region that farmers are well aware of threat to their productive potential.Future studies can be conducted both to characterize and prevent the salinization of irrigated soils and to implement effective solutions for soil salinity remediation in irrigated systems in Tahoua region and in all regions of Niger.