Effect of chemical fertilizers on production of yams (nyù) of passore in farmers’ environment

Abstract

Nyù is the main morphotype of yams of Passoré. It is generally cultivated without chemical fertilizer. The study aims to determine the effect of one rate of chemical fertilizers on the yield of yams « nyù » of Passoré in farmers’ environment of Burkina Faso and to collect the appreciations of the various actors about tubers in the production chain. The results reveal that chemical fertilizer involved a better expression of the agro-morphological parameters and an increase of the tubers yield which reaches 42.5 t / ha compared to the field not fertilized where tuber yield is slow (9 t / ha). However, tubers obtained of treated field have not a good organoleptic quality whereas the tubers of untreated fields have good taste. Moreover, the chemical fertilizer changed also the morphology, taste and consistency of the tubers. These results could help all actors to choose the best method of nyù production according to their objectives.

Keywords: nyù, yam, mineral fertlizer, Passoré, Burkina Faso