Live Fencing & Tree Nurseries

Live fencing protects gardens and fields from animals without requiring expensive materials, and tree nurseries provide the seedlings needed for reforestation, windbreaks, and live fences. This unit covers the vocabulary and techniques for both.

Live Fencing Vocabulary

Zarma	English	French
kali turi windi kan gonda karji	live fence	la haie vive
adda	machete	la machette
halassi	to protect	protéger
dumbu bene	to prune	tailler
karji	thorns	les épines
maanu / manante	close together	rapproché
bataray	spacing	l’espacement
dumiizey	seeds	les graines
tilam	to transplant	repiquer
gusu	hole	le trou
birji	manure	le fumier
hanandi	to water	arroser

Niger Live Fencing Species

Latin Name	Local Name (Zarma)	Advantages	Disadvantages	Other Uses
Acacia nilotica	Bani	Very thorny; strong fence; fixes nitrogen	Slow growth	Gum arabic; tannin from pods; fodder; medicine
Acacia senegal	Danga	Thorny; fixes nitrogen; gum arabic	Slow growth; needs pruning	Gum arabic production; fodder
Acacia seyal	Say bani	Fast growth; very thorny	Can become invasive	Firewood; fodder; medicine
Euphorbia balsamifera	Yaa turi	Very easy to establish from cuttings; grows fast	Not thorny; toxic sap	Latex used traditionally; living boundary marker
Ziziphus mauritiana	Darey	Very thorny; produces edible fruit	Can harbor bird pests	Fruit (darey) eaten fresh or dried; wood for tools

Live Fence — Key Phrases

Zarma	English
Kali turi windi ga kali halassi almaney se.	A live fence protects the garden from animals.
Turi kan gonda karji ga boriyandi — almaney si hin ga furo.	Thorny trees are best — animals can’t enter.
Ni ma turi tilam maanu — santimeti waranza hinka bataray.	Plant the trees close together — twenty centimeter spacing.
Ni ma turi dumbu bene ka a te a ma ye ka kayna.	Prune the trees so they stay compact.
Jiiri hinka hal hinza banda, kali turi windi ga gaabi.	After two or three years, a live fence is strong.
Turi windi si ba nooru takaa kali windi namu.	A live fence doesn’t cost money like a traditional fence.

Nursery (Pépinière) Vocabulary

Zarma	English	French
pepinyeer	tree nursery	la pépinière
sakket	plastic bag / pot	le sachet
dumiizey	seeds	les graines
labu	soil	le sol
birji	manure	le fumier
tasi	sand	le sable
margante	to mix	mélanger
hanandi	to water	arroser
tilam	to transplant	repiquer / transplanter
hinay	shade	l’ombre
turi zanke	seedling	le plant

Nursery — Useful Phrases

Zarma	English
Pepinyeer ya do kan turi zankey ga girma hal i ma ye ka tilam.	A nursery is a place where seedlings grow until they’re transplanted.
Ni ma labu nda birji nda tasi margante sakket ra.	Mix soil, manure, and sand in the plastic bags.
Dan dumiize hinka hal hinza sakket kulu ra.	Put two or three seeds in each bag.
Ni ma hanandi juma kulu, subbaahi da wiciri.	Water every day, morning and evening.
Turi zankey ga ba hinay gaa sintin.	Seedlings need shade at first.
Waato kan turi zankey boriyandi, ni ma tilam i fari ra wala kali do.	When the seedlings are ready, transplant them to the field or around the garden.

Dialogue — Starting a Live Fence

Mamane and Bill discuss putting a live fence around Mamane’s garden.

Speaker	Zarma	English
Bill	Mamane, ni kali windi ya ifo no?	Mamane, what kind of fence does your garden have?
Mamane	Kwaari windi no. Amma a ga lalandi hergu. Jiiri kulu ay ga ye ka te taaley.	It’s a millet stalk fence. But it deteriorates quickly. Every year I have to make a new one.
Bill	Ni man tamtam kali turi windi teyan?	Have you ever thought about making a live fence?
Mamane	Kali turi windi? A ya ifo no?	A live fence? What’s that?
Bill	Ni ga turi tilam ni kali kuuru. Turi kan gonda karji. Almaney si hin ga furo.	You plant trees around your garden. Thorny trees. Animals can’t enter.
Mamane	Turi waney ga te goyo?	Which trees work?
Bill	Bani ga boriyandi gumo. A gonda karji beeri. Say bani mo ga hergu girma. Darey mo — a gonda karji nda dumiize kan ni ga hin ga ŋwa.	Acacia nilotica is very good. It has big thorns. Acacia seyal also grows fast. Jujube too — it has thorns and fruit you can eat.
Mamane	Amma ay ga turi zankey du mam?	But where do I get seedlings?
Bill	Iri ga hin ga pepinyeer te. Ay gonda dumiize. Iri ga dumiize dan sakketey ra nda labu nda birji. Usuba hinza banda, zankey ga hin ga tilam.	We can make a nursery. I have seeds. We’ll put seeds in bags with soil and manure. After three months, the seedlings can be transplanted.
Mamane	Amma zankey ga girma waate gumo bisa i ma gaabi, wala?	But the seedlings take a long time before they’re strong, right?
Bill	Haalli. Jiiri hinka hal hinza. Amma waato din, kali turi windi ga gaabi, a si lalandi. Ni si hima ga ye ka te jiiri kulu.	True. Two to three years. But then the live fence is strong and doesn’t deteriorate. You won’t have to redo it every year.
Mamane	Nda goyo kayna gaa sintin, a ga boriyandi gaa ban. Ay ga ba iri ma sintin.	With a little work at the start, it’s better in the end. I’d like us to begin.
Bill	Kala iri sintin suba. Ay ga kande dumiize.	Let’s start tomorrow. I’ll bring seeds.