Résumé
The motorization of large farms in Southern Mali did not achieve the expected results.Crop yields did not increase and labor productivity only increased when the cultivated area was significantly increased. The profitability of the tractor is mainly achieved by services carried out on other farms (treshing, ploughing and transport). The cropping systems were barely modified: tillage using disc plough and de-stumping of fields could cause a reduction in soil fertility. To accompany this innovation (or to advise against it, depending on the case) it would be necessary to design an innovating motorized farming production system that would take into account the various components of the farm.