ABSTRACT
Most soils in the semi-arid Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa are liable to crust formation which produces considerable run-off during heavy rainstorms. The run-off water selectively washes away any organic matter and nutrients from the surface layers. Thus, not only water but also soil fertility are lost. Several traditional soil and water conservation (SWC) techniques to fight this phenomenon can be found in this region (Roose, 1988). Mulching, which is one of them, will be treated in detail here. Mulching is examined in the province of Sanmatenga and the village of Tagalla.
