A regional experiment to test green manure cover crops and evaluate the role of Internet-based networkingq 'lntem~lional~mtihue o/71opimt~griaikw, i&a&n,Nigeria li~ntwnatid inrtituteof ~ i ~ i cA@a* l &on04 Benin
Land degra&&on in the West A6icm subregion is threatening the food security and Live~oodsof both n d and urban populations. Green manwe cover crops have the potential ofreversing such trends.A wide m g e of stakeholdeishave been involved h the promotion ofthesetechnologies and it became apparent that a network was needed to provide a common f o m whew these cover crop enthusiasts could discuss their problems and identify oppomrnities for synergy* With the advancement of-ICT (hfiormation Communication Techn010gy) it was also conceived that the use d hernet-based technologies would enhance such a sustainable research atid development program. It was against this backgmund that CCROFMX (Cover Crops Network) was formed in January 1999 b test these novel concepts. Funds for this network were provided by USAID. As part of this exercise, researchers are testing the contri'bution of two cover-crop species to s u s W 1 e agriculture and simultaneowIy evaluating the effectiveness of the Znternet in conductingsrrch a trial. Results so fixhave show &at ICThas potentid in promoting the quality ofresearch in the region, but some constraints have arisen, including technical and financial probtems with connectivity and unfamiliarity with h e use of e-mail sohva~e,ek. Continued efforts to alleviate these c 0 1 1 s ~ t and s encouwge exchange of i n f o d o a , especidy amongst peers, are recommended.
D m la sous-rdgion d'mque occidentale7 la d6grahtion des terra menace la skurib5 alimentdre et les moyens d'existence des populations aussi bien nzrales qu'urbaines. Les plantes de couverture utilisdes c o m e e n p i s vert ont Za capacitt! de reaverser cette tendance. Une vaste gamme de parties prenantes p d c i p e B la promotion de ces technologies et il est devenu evident que la mise en place d'un rkseau Tlris is IlTA manuscript number HTA/OO/CP/O4.