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Effects of oxen yoke and donkey collar on traction force and their consequences on sorghum production in the northern Burkina Faso
Abstract
The realization of mechanized zaï with draft animal encounters the weakness of hitch traction capabilities. To overcome this issue, a study was conducted in three villages in the northern Burkina Faso with the aim at evaluating the effect of improved yoke and improved collar respectively with oxen and donkey harnessing on the traction force delivered. The experimental design was a simple randomized bloc comparing improved yoke to classic yoke and improved collar to classic collar. The results showed that the improved yoke allows oxen harness to get 57% more traction force compared with the harness of classic yoke which was 53 daN (P < 0.0001). For the donkey harness there was no statistical difference between the improved collar and the classic one (24 daN and 23 daN). Tillage quality was better with the improved yoke and generates more soil roughness index. This led to increase in sorghum grain yield by 60% (694 kg.ha-1) and sorghum straw yield increase by 91% (2688 kg.ha-1). The improved yoke increases oxen traction force, dry soil tillage efficiency and sorghum production. These results showed that improved yoke can contribute to an increase in sorghum yield in the northern Burkina Faso.
Keywords: Sahel, animal, harness, traction, force, sorghum.
