▁damage ▁to ▁so ils ▁caused ▁by ▁over gra zing ▁and ▁int ensive ▁far ming . ▁Later ite ▁so ils ▁have ▁a ▁high ▁cl ay ▁content , ▁which ▁means ▁they ▁have ▁higher ▁c ation ▁exchange ▁capacity ▁and ▁water - hold ing ▁capacity ▁than ▁sand y ▁so ils . ▁However , ▁when ▁they ▁become ▁de grad ed , ▁a ▁hard ▁cr ust ▁can ▁form ▁on ▁the ▁surface , ▁which ▁h ind ers ▁water ▁in fil tr ation ▁and ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁seed lings . ▁The ▁B DL ▁system ▁involves ▁using ▁ind igen ous ▁water - har vest ing ▁methods ▁( such ▁as ▁plant ing ▁p its ▁and ▁tren ches ), ▁applying ▁animal ▁and ▁plant ▁resid ues , ▁and ▁plant ing ▁high - value ▁fruit ▁trees ▁and ▁ind igen ous ▁veget able ▁cro ps ▁that ▁can ▁toler ate ▁dr ought ▁conditions . ▁ ▁I CR IS AT ▁has ▁employed ▁this ▁system ▁to ▁re h abil itate ▁de grad ed ▁later ite ▁so ils ▁in ▁Niger ▁and ▁increase ▁small holder ▁far mers ' ▁in comes ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁Tri als ▁have ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁a ▁ 2 0 0   m 2 ▁plot ▁can ▁yield ▁an ▁income ▁of ▁around ▁US $ 1 0 0 , ▁which ▁is ▁what ▁men ▁tradition ally ▁ear n ▁from ▁mil let ▁production ▁per ▁hect are ▁( 1 0 , 0 0 0   m 2 ) ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁Niger ' s ▁rural ▁women ▁are ▁often ▁marg inal ised ▁and ▁tend ▁to ▁only ▁be ▁given ▁land ▁once ▁it ▁has