Soil and water conservation, and soil fertility management effects on rain water productivity of maize hybrid in Burkina Faso
This article (PDF) in the African Journal of Agricultural Research assesses the combined effects of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) practices and soil fertility management on rain water productivity of maize hybrid. On-farm experiments were carried out in two districts of Burkina Faso. The treatments were built as association of two SWC technologies combined with three fertilization options. The SWC combinations were: Stone rows and zaï pits (SR+Zaï), Grass strips and zaï pits (GS+Zaï), Earth bunds and contour ploughing (EB+CP). The fertilization options were: 5 t ha-1 organic fertilizer (OM), OM + 100 kg ha-1 urea (46% N), OM + 200 kg ha-1 NPK (14-23-14) + urea. The treatments were laid out in a randomized block design where each farmer constituted a replication. SWC had limited effect on maize yields in South-Sudan savanna zone where the mean annual rainfall exceed 1000 mm. But in the agro-ecological zone where the mean annual rainfall is less than 950 mm, these practices improved maize grain yields up to 75% over the control (oxen ploughing). This means that the efficacy of SWC practices decrease with the increase in the mean annual rainfall. The highest yields were recorded in the combination where organic
matter, NPK and urea fertilizer were applied, probably because of the improvement in water nutrition and nutrients uptakes that lead to more maize tissue formation. To improve maize yields and water productivity in rainfed agriculture, the use of the combination of SWC techniques and optimum organic and mineral fertilizer application is recommended.