Soil nutrient deficiency and rainfall variability impair the production of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L). Moench) in Sudano-Sahelian zone. The aim is to study the environmental factors that can determine the effect of fertilizer application on sorghum grain yield and to formulate tailored fertilization strategies according to sorghum varieties (hybrid and open pollinated improved varieties) and environmental context. Field experiments were conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in Nioro du Rip and in Sinthiou Malème (Senegal). In a randomized complete block design arranged in a split-plot with four replications, three factors were tested: sorghum genotype (G: Fadda, Faourou, Soumalemba and Soumba with different cycle lengths), environment (E: irrigation and rainfed, different soil types and fertility levels), and fertilization management (M: five different combinations of application dose and application time) including T1 = no fertilizer applied; T2 (recommended practice, 100%) = 150 kg/ha of NPK (15-15-15) at emergence + 50 Kg/ha of urea (46%) at tillering + 50 kg/ha of urea at stem extension; T3 = 50% T2; T4 (100% delay) = 150 kg/ha of NPK +50 kg/ha of urea at stem extension +50 kg/ha of urea at heading ; T5 = 50% T4. Results showed that: (i) in most environments, stressed plants under late application treatments (T4 and T5) recovered biomass once the fertilizer was applied (ii); grain yield with T5 was higher than with T4 under well-watered conditions (sufficient and well distributed rainfall and eventual complementary irrigations) ; (iii) Fadda, a hybrid, responded differently to fertilization than the other varieties only for biomass production, (iv) late fertilizer application treatment (T4) gave higher grain yield than the recommended practice (T2) in the environment with low yield potential, and (v) long cycle duration genotypes benefited better from late fertilization compared to short cycle duration genotypes. This study showed that under Sudano-Sahelian conditions late fertilization of sorghum can be beneficial to grain yield if the rainy season has a slow start, depending on sorghum genotypes (i.e., cycle length), and on the initial N content of the soil.
Ganyo et al., J. Appl. Biosci. 2018 Optimisation du NPK et urée basée sur les informations climatiques pour accroitre la production du sorgho en zones soudano-sahéliennes du Sénégal ABSTRACT Optimizing NPK and urea based on weather forecast to increase sorghum production in Sudano-Sahelian zones in Senegal Objective: Rainfall variability and soil nutrients deficiency accentuated by climate change affects sorghum production in Senegal. This work aims to study the responses of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) to contrasting application of NPK and urea that could be based on weather forecasts. Methodology and results: A split-plot experiment with four replications was carried out at "Nioro du Rip" and "Sinthiou Malème" (Senegal) on sandy soils in rainfed conditions. Four sorghum varieties (Fadda, Faourou, Soumalemba et Soumba) were submitted to five fertilizer treatments defined as T1 = no fertilizer; T2 = 150 kg/ha of NPK (15-15-15) at emergence + 50 kg/ha of urea (46%) at tillering + 50 Kg/ha of urea at stem extension (recommended practice in Senegal for sorghum); T3 = half rate of T2 applied at the same stages; T4 = 150 kg/ha of NPK + 50 kg/ha of urea at stem extension + 50 kg/ha of urea at heading (delay T2) and T5 = half rate of T4 applied at the same stages. Late fertilization allowed plants stressed to recover growth as if fertilizer is applied early in-season. Yield varied according to locations. The application of full dose late inseason (T4) was more beneficial to late application of half rate (T5). Varieties responded differently to fertilization with Soumalemba wich responded better to late application. Conclusion and application of results: It appears from this study that late fertilization has been beneficial for both grain and biomass. It remains an alternative to fertilization management as recommended or practiced by farmers in the event of an unfavorable rain season, especially in agro-pastoral countries like Senegal. Technical support structures for farmers should integrate rainfall forecasts or observations into fertilization recommendations in order to optimize fertilizer efficiency and sorghum productivity.
Soil nutrient deficiency and rainfall variability impair the production of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L). Moench) in Sudano-Sahelian zone. The aim is to study the environmental factors that can determine the effect of fertilizer application on sorghum grain yield and to formulate tailored fertilization strategies according to sorghum varieties (hybrid and open pollinated improved varieties) and environmental context. Field experiments were conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in Nioro du Rip and in Sinthiou Malème (Senegal). In a randomized complete block design arranged in a split-plot with four replications, three factors were tested: sorghum genotype (G: Fadda, Faourou, Soumalemba and Soumba with different cycle lengths), environment (E: irrigation and rainfed, different soil types and fertility levels), and fertilization management (M: five different combinations of application dose and application time) including T1 = no fertilizer applied; T2 (recommended practice, 100%) = 150 kg/ha of NPK (15-15-15) at emergence + 50 Kg/ha of urea (46%) at tillering + 50 kg/ha of urea at stem extension; T3 = 50% T2; T4 (100% delay) = 150 kg/ha of NPK +50 kg/ha of urea at stem extension +50 kg/ha of urea at heading ; T5 = 50% T4. Results showed that: (i) in most environments, stressed plants under late application treatments (T4 and T5) recovered biomass once the fertilizer was applied (ii); grain yield with T5 was higher than with T4 under well-watered conditions (sufficient and well distributed rainfall and eventual complementary irrigations) ; (iii) Fadda, a hybrid, responded differently to fertilization than the other varieties only for biomass production, (iv) late fertilizer application treatment (T4) gave higher grain yield than the recommended practice (T2) in the environment with low yield potential, and (v) long cycle duration genotypes benefited better from late fertilization compared to short cycle duration genotypes. This study showed that under Sudano-Sahelian conditions late fertilization of sorghum can be beneficial to grain yield if the rainy season has a slow start, depending on sorghum genotypes (i.e., cycle length), and on the initial N content of the soil.
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