Bowé represent an important part of highly degraded lands in the Sudanian
region of West Africa. The Sudanian region covers 6.7 mills ha in Benin.
Bowalization is a result of the exposure of ferricrete due to erosion of the
soil surface or soil hardening caused by a combination of drought and
deforestation (Padonou et al., 2015b). Bowé are characterized by a reduced
capacity to retain water, shallow topsoil and a low content of organic
matter, silt and nutrients (Padonou et al., 2015a).