Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
J. Anim. Plant Sci. [ISSN 2071 - 7024]
Volume 3 (1): 156 - 162. Published May 15, 2009.
Rainfed upland rice production on a derived savannah soil in west Africa
Brahima KONE^, Guillaume Lucien AMADJI**, Attanda Mouïnou IGUE***, and Ayoni OGUNBAYO*
*Centre du riz pour l’Afrique-ADRAO, BP 2031 Cotonou, Tel: 229 21 35 01 88, Bénin; **Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, BP: 499 Calavi. Tél: 229 95 05 84 04, Bénin; ***Laboratoire des Sciences du Sol Eau et environnement/Centre des Recherches Agricoles d’Agonkanmey/Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, 01 BP: 988 Cotonou, Tel :(229) 21 35 00 70/97 47 21 53 Bénin.
^Corresponding author email:b.kone@cgiar.org; Telephone: 229 21350188, Fax: 229 21350556
SUMMARY
To generate knowledge on rainfed upland rice production and to identify the existing nutrient constraints in a derived savannah soil of West Africa, trials were conducted in 2005 and 2006 on three major soils in central and southern parts of Benin. An acrisol, a ferralsol and a plinthisol were investigated at Avokanzou and Cana in the South and at Sowe in central Benin, respectively. The trial was duplicated at Sowe and conducted in one year (2006) only while one trial was conducted per year at the other sites. A randomized complete block design with four replications of eight treatments was used. The rice variety used was NERICA 4 grown in plots of size 3 x 5m, and a spacing of 20 cm within and between plants. The complete fertilizer treatment (Fc) was composed of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn and a specific nutrient was excluded from Fc in the other treatments (Fc-N, Fc-P, Fc-K, Fc-Ca, Fc-Mg and Fc-Zn). The zero fertilizer treatment (0) was used as the check. Respective fertilizer rates were 100 kg N ha-1 (urea), 100 kg P ha-1 (super triple phosphate), 50 kg K ha-1 (potassium chlorite), 50 kg Ca ha-1 (calcium sulfite), 50 kg Mg ha-1 (magnesium sulfite) and 10 kg Zn ha-1 (zinc sulfite). The pH, soil particle sizes, C, N, Ca, Mg and K contents were measured before the establishment of the trials. Rainfall data was also recorded as well as rice grain yield. Linear model analysis and analyses of variance of grain yield was done using SAS software. Results indicated the importance of soil texture and rainfall regularity during the cropping season. A significant (P<0.05) decreasing effect of Fc-N, Fc-K, Fc-Zn treatments was observed on rice grain yield in the southern part of Benin while additional effect of Fc-P was observed in Sowe. N, P, K and Zn fertilizers are therefore recommended for increased rice production in the derived savannah of West Africa. Areas with similar ecologies to Sowe would be more suitable when applying 100 kg ha-1 N and P, 50 kg K ha-1 and 10 kg Zn ha-1 for a target yield of about 4 t ha-1.
Key words
Rainfed rice, derived savannah, nutrient constraints, Benin
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