Agro-pedological impacts of different crop rotations on a ferric acrisol in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Low crop yields are often explained by unfavourable rainfall conditions, the natural poverty of the soil in terms of nutrients and the low  use of fertilisers. In order to find appropriate solutions for the sustainable management of soil fertility, a study was carried out on the  Fertility Maintenance Trial (FTM), an experimental system established in 1960 in central western Burkina Faso, where organic and/or  mineral fertilisation regimes combined with crop rotations have been tested. The approach of this study consisted of a synthesis of  existing agronomic data from 2011-2019 on the three (03) crop rotations. Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-20 cm for physico- chemical analysis. We also measured yields on the cotton and sorghum plots during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The results show that  yield variability can be attributed not only to fertilisation, but also to crop rotations and the annual rainfall recorded over the period. The  sorghum-cotton and sorghum-cowpea rotations produced the highest average sorghum yields, at 547 kg.ha^-1 and 642 kg.ha^-1 respectively. Sorghum monoculture recorded the lowest sorghum production. Chemical analyses revealed higher phosphorus use in the  sorghumcowpea rotation compared with the other rotations. The study of cropping system efficiency also revealed the role of legumes in  crop rotations in maintaining and preserving soil fertility. In addition, we can be recommending integrated soil fertility management  (organic and mineral fertilisation, crop rotations, etc.) for sustainable management of productive capital on cotton farms in Burkina Faso.