Burkina Faso Farmers Embrace Zai Pits in Vegetable Production
Written by Mercy Achieng
Farmers in Burkina Faso have found a unique gem in using zai pits as a remedy for some of the challenges they have been facing on their farms.The PlantVillage team in the country, through extensive research and consultations has introduced the farmers to the technique to boost large-scale production of vegetables.
Zai is a traditional system for rehabilitating the productivity of poor and crusted soils that involves manually digging holes to concentrate runoff and organic matter. The technique consists of digging a hole with the help of a daba (tillage tool) 10 to 15 cm deep and 20 to 40 cm on each side.