3. The study was conducted in the Banamba zone of Mali, located west of the Niger River and about 150 km north of Bamako, the capital of Mali. The zone is typically semi-arid, lying within the isohytes of 600 and 800 mm of annual rainfall, and has approximately 120 plant-growth days on average. It experiences a short rainy season between June and September, followed by a long dry period from October to May.
