Innovations are important for any agricultural development. Farmers, the private sector, or the research community may develop innovations. Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 present a few possible innovations for the Sahel. Cash crop farmers are more willing to use agricultural innovations such as mineral fertiliser and water harvesting systems (Ndjeunga and Bantilan 2005).

Demonstrations are efficient for introducing new technologies. A study conducted in Niger reveals that those who participated in demonstrations on the use of microdose or who have seen the tests tended to adopt the technology (Abdoulaye and Sanders 2005). In Mali, the information sessions and the ICRAF radio programs have contributed to the promotion of live fences (Yossi et al. 2006).

The farmer field school approach helps disseminate new technologies and teach farmers how to make their own diagnosis of their farming practices. The field school approach is to learn by observation and experimentation (FAO 1999). The field school approach may also be used to introduce themes related to livestock breeding or renewable energies.

Setting up of a field school in a village normally begins with a diagnosis in order to determine the constraints and opportunities in the village (FAO 1999). Based on the diagnosis, farmers choose a theme of interest to them. In each village, groups of 5 to 10 people are formed. Each group is supervised by a facilitator. The facilitator could be a farmer who has received an in-depth training or a resource person such as a researcher or an NGO agent.

Plots for testing new technologies are established such as plots for microfertilisation or integrated control of striga. New practices are always compared to farmers’ practices. Farmers’ associations from nearby villages regularly visit the village of the trained farmers. The group makes observations together in the experimental plots and discusses the lessons learned. In the course of each meeting, a table indicating participants’ major observations on, for example plant development and rodent attacks, is presented in the national language. Each member also has his own plot in which he/she may conduct his/her own tests. Each trained person is in turn responsible for training 5 other farmers in his/her own village. Another possibility is to establish experimental plots in each village and to invite trained farmers to visit them on a regular basis.

Use of innovation may also increase prices to farmers. The use of microdose and other yield increasing technologies influences the relation between product prices and input prices. As the price of millet increases (up to three times) during the 10 months after the harvest, the profitability of microdose is much higher if the farmers delay sales up to 10 months after harvesting. As the microdose method increases yields by at least 50%, farmers may delay the sale of a major portion of their crops in order to increase their profit.

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