Senegal Crop Calendar

This is the wettest part of Senegal, located immediately after the Gambia. It is characterized by a Sudanese climate in its northern border with Gambia and half a Sudano-Guinean climate in the southern border another half to two Guinea. The annual maximum temperatures are from 34 ° C to Ziguinchor and minimum averages 20 ° C. As for the average annual rainfall of 1015.5 mm they go in Kolda to 1245.1 mm in Ziguinchor. The main types of soils in the area are: the waterlogged soil, lateritic soils, leached tropical ferruginous soils pseudo-gley, acid sulphate soils, Vertisols and brown eutrophic soils. Arable land accounts for 20% of the national farmland.

Practices: With levels of rainfall, this area is very favorable to agricultural activities, and migrant groundnut basin and even eastern Senegal are down more recent years. The upland rice and cotton farming also occupy an important place in the activities of the zone; we also find the traditional fishing on the river, extensive farming with the forest like path (where the forest are noted clearings and abusive cuts).

It is somehow in Senegal Oriental, and is different from other areas in particular by its relief and geology. the higher elevations indeed We meet the country (about 500 m around the hills Kedougou), forming plateaus and hills cut by a network of rivers (river Gambia, a tributary of Falémé and Niokolo-Koba) . The climate ranges from sub Sudano-Sahelian to Guinean an axis northwest to southeast. The annual average maximum temperatures are 36 ° C to 35 ° C and Tambacounda to Kedougou. The average annual minimum temperatures at these positions are at 22 ° C. As for the average annual rainfall varies between 762.7 mm and 1192.3 mm Tambacounda to Kedougou. The main soil types encountered are: the gravelly soils on the trays, soil slightly evolved lithic origin of the hills and glazes, ferruginous tropical soils and waterlogged soils. The arable land of the area form 10% of the national farmland.

Practices: They are quite varied. The low population density has made the land of the migratory current host populated areas such as the groundnut basin to extensive farming, but also livestock transhumance with precarious pastures pastoral area contiguous. We also practiced inland fisheries in the level of water Falémé, Gambia and Niokolo. Logging takes place under the unclassified area, with annual quota of about 500,000 quintals of coal and 60,000 cubic meters of wood. The presence of the National Park Niokolo-Koba and important wildlife sanctuaries promotes hunting tourism, and a strong mining potential was revealed in the zone. The development of these mineral resources also carries risks of ecological upheavals, which will complement the major causes far identified land degradation, namely: bush fires, grazing, timber and water erosion .

This vast plain built on a previous erg extends between the Niayes, forest grazing area and the Gambian border. The climate is Sahelian north to south Sudanese. The highest mean annual temperature calculated Diourbel and Kaolack are 37 ° C and annual average minimum of respectively 20 ° C and 21 ° C. The annual rainfall is between 324.5 mm in Louga, Thies 475,4mm, 510.4 mm in Diourbel, Fatick and 557.4 mm to 609.6 mm in Kaolack. The soils here are met: the ferruginous tropical soils, brown sub-arid soils, slightly developed soils non-climate and soil acidified saline soils (tanned) along the rivers Sine and Saloum. Arable land area of ​​57% of arable land nationwide.

Practices: They are dominated as indicated by the name of the area by the cultivation of groundnuts, alternating with millet and rainfed (irrigation does not exceed 1% of the land). Agricultural practices are also characterized by the virtual disappearance of fallow because of the pressure on land and the inadequacy or absence of a policy of maintaining soil fertility. This also explains the various degradation factors recorded on the land, and amplified by extensive farming that attacks periodically some residual woody vegetation and protected areas with dominant Combretaceae, Mimosaceae (especially albida).

It is the coastal strip parallel to the Atlantic coast stretching from Dakar to Saint Louis. It consists of a succession of dunes overlooking cuvettes with a flush water table in places. It enjoys a microclimate sub-Canarian characterized by constant influence of maritime trade winds allowing maintaining a relatively cool in the area throughout the year. In Dakar, the maximum average annual temperatures are around 30 ° C and the average minimum to 18 ° C. Rainfall very variable display an annual average of 406.8 mm in Dakar-Yoff. The soil types are found there: waterlogged soils, lithomorphic soils, mineral soils and soils évolués.Les little arable land in the area represented 1% of the national farmland.

Practices: About 80% of horticultural production in the country is provided by the area, with only about 7% of its land is irrigated. Breeding is quite intensive (cattle breed and poultry). The pressure on water resources and soil combined with the decrease in rainfall cause the progressive salinization and siltation due to degradation of vegetation cover and threats bright dunes.

It extends from the far north east of the country, along the Senegal River. The climate is dry, Sahelian, with annual average maximum temperatures of 37 ° C to 38 ° C and Podor to Matam, the minimum average annual being 18 ° C and 23 ° C respectively. The annual rainfall recorded is between 214,6mm in Podor, 360.5 mm in Matam and Bakel 522,2mm. The dominant soils are slightly evolved non-climate soils, brown subarid waterlogged soils, ferruginous tropical soils, salt-affected soils and waterlogged soils. Arable land in the area account for 8% of total arable land national.

Practices: Rice farming, market gardening under irrigation and flood recession agriculture is practiced in the Walo (adjoining area to the river). These recession crops are mainly sorghum and maize, installed on the floodplain of Walo, after the withdrawal of river water following the annual flood occurring in the rainy season. As for rainfed crops, they are mostly conducted in Diéri (dewatered southern part of the valley), and address various crops (millet, groundnuts, vegetables tropical type, etc.). We also note scale fishing on the river, Lake Guiers and their different branches and ranching mainly in the Dieri. The development of rice and intense deforestation has resulted in the area of ​​chemical degradation problems of water, wind and water erosion, salinization and alkalization of soils.