News from Bala seeds farm, Senegal

The Bala seed production garden, located within the Kaicedrat health center, is part of the organic farmer seed production program launched by The Ivory Foundation and its partners Agrosemens and the Fondation Marie Pierre Crosnier Mangeat in Senegal.The greenhouse produces … Read More

The “wintering” period is not the most favorable for seed production, with its heavy rains favoring the development of diseases such as mildew.Abdhouramane, the man in charge of the Bala garden, has nevertheless maintained a varied production during this period, … Read More

The Ivory Foundation has financed the establishment of a small agroforestry seed production farm in Bala, eastern Senegal, within the health center of the Le Kaicedrat association.Crops are grown in a 200m2 greenhouse, with insect-proof netting, and on beds planted … Read More

On the Bala seed farm, a new agroforestry technique has been introduced outside the greenhouse. It involves creating growing corridors surrounded by Morigna trees, planted in rows and trimmed to form a hedge. These corridors are 4 metres wide and … Read More

Abdhouramane, manager of the Bala seed farm, tells us about the crops grown in the greenhouse: aubergines, turnips, lettuces, onions… the greenhouse combines several species, but in a single variety to preserve the varietal purity of the species selected by … Read More

At the Bala seed farm, a different agroforestry technique has been introduced. Until then, fertiliser trees had criss-crossed the land. On this new plot, the corridor cultivation technique was used. The moringa plants are planted in a tight row, and … Read More

As part of the seed production project launched in West Africa by The Ivory Foundation in collaboration with Agrosemens, Abdourahmane, the gardener at the Bala seed farm, is currently transplanting courgettes into beds in the seed greenhouse. Courgettes are preferred … Read More

At Bala, Abdourahmane has set up a variety of crops. Two varieties of basil are grown for seed production. One is in flower and will soon be producing seeds. Okra will also be harvested once the fruit has ripened for … Read More

At Bala, gardener Abdourahmane has planted a variety of local crops, including okra, chilli peppers and cassava.

During the training course organised by The Ivory Foundation and Agrosemens in Senegal, Louis Marie Broucqsault and Cyriaque Crosnier Mangeat presented BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) as a solution for treating the pests that attack Moringa. Louis Marie noted that Moringa leaves … Read More

Ndioum2 is one of three villages on the outskirts of the Bala medical center where a community market garden project has been implemented with support from The Ivory Foundation. The plot has been fenced off to prevent the intrusion of … Read More

Sentiou Maka is one of the community vegetable gardens set up on the outskirts of Bala. The solar pump has allowed good irrigation of the garden and within three months, it has been fully cultivated. Thanks to the expertise of … Read More

Since its creation two years ago, the garden in Bala has developed well, thanks to the work of Abdurahman. The plot produces both vegetables for consumption and seed production.  It combines fruit trees such as papaya with fertilizer trees that … Read More

The women of the village of Sentiou Maka have harvested bissap leaves from their communal vegetable garden, which they will be cooking to accompany the semolina. This traditional plant is used both as a drink, by decocting the flowers, and … Read More

To guarantee the tightness of the greenhouse and thus the varietal purity of the seeds produced in Bala, we have installed an airlock lined with an “insectproof” textile to avoid cross-pollination. A project supported by Agrosemens and The Ivory Foundation.

The Ivory Foundation, in partnership with the French seed company Agrosemensand APAF Senegal to encourage the production of reproducible organic seeds adapted to both climatic conditions and the local market, while developing, with the expertise of Agrosemens, accessible tutorials adapted to … Read More

The Bala seed farm has been set up within the Kaicedrat health centre with the support of The Ivory Foundation. It includes a 200m2 greenhouse ideal for guaranteeing the varietal purity of the species. Around the greenhouse, plots have been laid … Read More

Abdourahman, the head gardener of the Bala garden, is also in charge of three gardens in three outlying villages.  With the support of The Ivory Foundation, stakes and fences have been purchased to delimit market gardening areas operated by about … Read More

The seedlings prepared by Abdourhamane, the head gardener of the Bala garden, are a success! The shoots of the different varieties of tomatoes and aubergines have emerged from the plates with a very satisfactory germination rate. As part of the … Read More

The Ivory Foundation has developed a reproductive seed production project in Senegal with the organic seed company Agrosemens. The Bala medical centre in eastern Senegal, near Tambacounda, is one of the pilot sites associated with this initiative. Abdourhamane, head of … Read More

On agroforestry schemes, fertiliser trees and fruit trees are intercropped to maximize the productivity of the market garden schemes. The former fertilise the soil for market garden production, and the latter provide additional income through fruit production.  Here in pictures … Read More

The Bala seed farm follows the principles of agro-forestry, where a fertiliser tree nursery has been set up.  The seedlings are prepared in plastic bags deep enough for the trees to develop strong downward roots. The seedlings are prepared in … Read More

The greenhouse of Bala is part of the seed production programme developed in Senegal by The Ivory Foundation on three sites. Abdourahmane, who is in charge of the Bala greenhouse, has obtained very encouraging results for this first season for … Read More

The children of the center and the staff are interested in the installation of this new garden. Today, planting peppers with the children of the staff members of the health center of Bala.

“A fertilizer tree is a tree whose activity enriches the topsoil of a land, improves its texture and favors its structuring” – Dupriez-de- Leener, 1993. There are several methods for planting fertilizer trees around the perimeter of a market garden. … Read More

The children of the center and the staff are interested in the installation of this new garden. Today, we planted peppers with the children of the midwife, Anne-Marie, and the head nurse, Ousmane Barry.

The Ivory Foundation has made available a clod press at the Bala center that is used to make compact blocks of soil for seedlings that require larger cups. With seeds from the seed project’s partner, Agrosemens, Abdourahmane and Aurélien, on … Read More

With the installation of the greenhouse, it is the right time to transplant tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, peppers and lWith the installation of the greenhouse, it is the right time to transplant tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, chili peppers and lettuce. These … Read More

The greenhouse for the Bala health center, ordered from a designer based in Dakar, was brought to the site and assembled by 3 technicians with the help of Abdourahmane and the employees of the medical center.  The greenhouse is made … Read More

Rainy season or winter season in Senegal starts slowly in April with the arrival of the monsoon which gradually invades the country. Rainfall increases slowly at first until August when it peaks. In September, the decrease is marked and in … Read More

Following a plan, the crop beds were prepared by Abdourahmane, the person in charge of the garden, and Aurélien, on a mission for the foundation, before the installation of the greenhouse, according to a grid allowing free movement in and … Read More

By partnering with APAF, an association for the promotion of fertilizer trees, The Ivory Foundation wishes to use the benefits of agroforestry in the seed production process. Several species of trees have been planted in the nursery: Mellifera, Leucaena, Gliricidia, … Read More

After only 3 days, the first shoAfter only 3 days, the first sprouts of different varieties of tomatoes or eggplants are emerging from the patches. In the cultivation protocol, a regular report of the number of successfully germinated seeds and mature … Read More

At the Bala health center, trays are being prepared with seeds from the project’s partner, Agrosemens: tomatoes, eggplants, chili peppers, bell peppers and lettuce. The trays were purchased in the region of Mbour, in Sandiara, because they are not available … Read More

Every day, the center’s kitchen prepares the staff’s meals and the cooks make vegetable and fruit peelings available f Every day, as the center’s kitchen prepares meals for the staff, cooks provide vegetable and fruit peeling for the recently-set-up compost.A … Read More

The Ivory Foundation has chosen to set up a pilot garden in the Bala health center, which will be dedicated to the production of organic seeds that will provide seeds for the populations of the 40 villages that are visited by … Read More