Impact of Agroecological Practices on Fertility of Hydromorphic Soils for Sweet Potato Cultivation in the South Sudanian Zone of Burkina Faso
Alain P.K. GOMGNIMBOU *
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique/Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherche Agricole, Laboratoire Sol-Eau-Plante, Station de Farako-Bâ, 01 BP 910 Bobo 01, Burkina Faso and Université Nazi Boni, Institut du Développement Rural, Laboratoire d’étude et de Recherche sur La Fertilité du Sol (LERF), BP 1091, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Abdramane SANON
Centre Universitaire de Tenkodogo, Université Thomas SANKARA, 12 BP 417, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
DEMBELE Basirou
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique/Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherche Agricole, Laboratoire Sol-Eau-Plante, Station de Farako-Bâ, 01 BP 910 Bobo 01, Burkina Faso.
David Alexander CARROLL II
Centre Universitaire de Tenkodogo, Université Thomas SANKARA, 12 BP 417, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Hassan B. NACRO
École Friedman de Sciences et Politique de la Nutrition, Université Tufts, Boston. 419 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155, États-Unis, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study aims is to assess the effects of agroecological practices’ effects on soil chemical parameters in the irrigated area of the Tiébélé plain.
Study Design: The cropping systems used can contribute to significant changes in the physical and biochemical properties of the soil. This study combined data collected on a developed plan and laboratory analyses.
Place and Duration: The data was collected from producers' plots in the dry season (March-April) of 2022.
Methodology: 24 farms were monitored during the cropping season 2021-2022, based on the existing practices: crop rotation on upland areas; vegetable growing - irrigated rice rotation; potato - irrigated rice rotation; irrigated rice - fallow rotation; short fallow; long fallow. In each plot, soil samples were taken from 0-20 cm depth for laboratory analysis.
Results: The results show that the sweet potato - irrigated rice rotation leads to an increase in total carbon of 22.5% and 48.5% compared to the fallow - irrigated rice and vegetable - irrigated rice systems, respectively. This practice resulted in a 12.5% increase in total nitrogen compared to the irrigated rice - vegetable rotation. Compared to the irrigated rice - sweet potato rotation, the irrigated rice - vegetable rotation resulted in a 16% increase in pH. The vegetable - irrigated rice system resulted in a 269.05% increase in available phosphorus compared to the fallow - irrigated rice system. Compared to the sweet potato - irrigated rice rotation, the vegetable - irrigated rice rotation resulted in a 17.63% increase in cation exchange capacity and a 24.7% increase in the sum of exchangeable bases.
Conclusion: The adopting of agroecological practices based on crop rotation improves soil fertility in irrigated rice production.
Keywords: Soil fertility, crop rotation, rice, agroecology