Zai Pits are a longstanding and well-documented tradition in the Sahel region, specifically in the north of Burkina Faso. Zai Pit System are “planting pockets” and “small water harvesting pits”. Seeds are sown into the pits after filling them with one to three handfuls of organic material such as manure, compost, or dry plant biomass. This leads to increased termite activity which, in turn, increases the rate of water infiltration when the rains come.
