Dans ce guide on parle de la fertilisation et du but principal des plantes, qui est de remplacer les éléments nutritifs soustraits au sol et exportés avec les récoltes, ainsi que de compenser les pertes d’éléments nutritifs occasionnées par ailleurs. Une fertilisation répondant aux besoins des cultures constitue la base d’une production durable de légumes de qualité (Finck 1979). Le développement qualitatif dépend impérativement de la disponibilité de chaque élément nutritif en quantité optimale, tout au long de la culture.
Declining soil fertility is a major threat to agricultural productivity and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Niger, where most farmers have few resources and depend on degraded lands. Large-scale adoption of soil fertility management technologies (SFMT) by small-scale farmers is among the proposed solutions, but this remains low because of various constraints. A better understanding of the socio-economic factors that influence farming practices is needed to adapt SFMT to farmers'use. A survey using semi-structured interviews with 101 household heads was conducted in 2013 in Karabedji, Niger. The influence of household socio-economic factors on soil fertility management practices (SFMP) was assessed through farmers that were involved in demonstration activities as part of a long-term research project (13 years) on the estoration of soil fertility on farmers’ fields. The results showed that the farmer's household size was between 9 and 14 people and that the majority of farmers did not attain formal education.