Fieldwork in Niger

The data collection in the Sahelian ecological zone of Niger by the team from the institutional partner at University of Abdou Moumouni in Niamey is ongoing since mid-July 2022. The team members include one PhD student and two master’s students under the lead of Dr. sc. agr. Mounkaila Mohamed. They are working on two sites namely N’Dounga and Kollo for soil sampling, vegetation inventories and the assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the two manually operated chamber system that are able to measure greenhouse gases from soil and/or ecosystem respiration with an integrated carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor. With these chambers, fluxes of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) can also be sampled and subsequently analyzed with our gas chromatograph in Burkina Faso.

The team has also set up an experimental site for fertilizer application for Sorghum and Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) crops according to the recommended and farmers’ practices. Here, the measurements of GHG emissions and other environmental parameters are ongoing as the institutional partner in Niger is about to receive the DIY chamber systems purchased from Germany. Stay tuned to read more about those!