Inorganic fertilizers are alternative ways of providing the necessary nutrients to rice crop and increase its productivity. In order to identify the factors determining inorganic fertilizer technology adoption and rainfed rice yield, a survey was carried out among 763 farmers in 11 municipalities in four agriculture development centers (ADC) of Benin. Composite soil samples were collected from 227 farmer fields and analyzed at the laboratory. Rainfed rice yields were determined in these different fields. Data collected was analyzed with R version 3.5.1 software. Results show that inorganic fertilizer technology adoption depends significantly on age, educational status, household size, contribution of rice to household income and organic fertilizer use (0.004 < p < 0.034). However, using intensity of inorganic fertilizer is significantly influenced by the age of the farmer, the quality of the training of the farmer on soil fertility management, filed areas under rice crop, contribution of rice to household income, years of farming experience, inorganic fertilizers availability and organic fertilizer use (0.0001 < p < 0.023). Inorganic fertilizer use intensity ranges from 12.6 to 248.9 kg•ha −1 with a mean of 74.68 kg•ha −1. The quantities of inorganic fertilizer applied differ more importantly from one farmer to another and range from 4.58% to 90.5% with a mean of 27.15% of the level recommended by research. However, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, organic carbon, pH water, and exchanging capacity cation determine the rainfed rice yield. The policies that aim at promoting inorganic fertilizer among rainfed rice farmers must take into account these factors.
Description of the subject:The problems linked to the decline in soil fertility, the losses caused by pests and diseases, the high cost of chemicals and the dangers linked to their misuse, require alternative strategies for sustainable production.Objectives: To assess the effect of two bokashis (Bs and Bf), compost (Co) and biopesticide solution (EM5) promoted by the Songhaï agroecological center of Benin on the productivity of a leaf vegetable (amaranth) in southern Benin. Methods:The field experiment was a split plot with 12 treatments. The main factor was the type of fertilizer used (Bs, Bf and Co) at a dose of 20 t/ha and the couple "amendment application -frequency of application of the biopesticide" as a secondary factor (T0 = no amendment-no biopesticide, T1 = amendment only, T2 = amendment + 1 biopesticide treatment/week and T3 = amendment + 2 biopesticide treatments/week). Results:The two bokashis significantly improved (p < 0.01) the production of amaranth compared to the control, whereas the application of the compost marketed by Songhaï did not result in a significant improvement in yields. The best results in terms of amaranth biomass production were obtained from treatments combining the supply of bokashi with one or two biopesticide sprays per week. The application of biopesticide significantly reduced the mortality rate (P < 0.05). The control treatments (CoT0, BsT0 and BfT0), bokashi Bf alone (BfT1) and with one biopesticide treatment per week (BfT2), and bokashi Bs alone (BfT1) generate a positive Gross Added Value (GAV). Conclusion:Bokashis apply to 20 t/ha are likely to contribute to improving soil fertility and the productivity of vegetables including amaranth. Further investigations combining different application rate of bokashis are necessary to assess the effectiveness of bokashis on the productivity of vegetable crop. Songhai needs to improve its compost production process to increase its organic matter content and its fertilizing value.
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