A good management of agricultural land based on scientific knowledge and farmer indigenuous knowledge is necessary to ensure sustainable agricultural production. Our research aims to evaluate the performance of farmers' strategies and improved soil fertility management practices in improving level of crop yields in the basin of the Okpara River European Scientific Journal November 2016 edition vol.12, No.33 ISSN: 1857 -7881 (Print) e -ISSN 1857 371 in Benin. Surveys using semi-structured questionnaire were conducted from October 11 to November 30, 2015 on a sample of 1048 farmers belonging to socio-cultural groups Tchabè, Mahi, Ditamari, Lokpa, Bariba and Fulani. Informations collected concerned farmers' soil fertility management practices and soil fertility improvement strategies introduced by the extension services. Crop rotation, long term natural fallow, fallow with perennial crops especially cashew trees, cassava "fallow" and cereal and leguminuous intercropping (respectively 91.11; 41.66; 48.53; 54.61 and 86.25% of respondents) are endogenous soil fertility management practices. However, mineral and organic fertilizers (respectively 25.45 and 20.38% of respondents) are improved soil fertility management practices introduced. Generally 42% of respondent mentioned that indigenuous soil fertility management practices could improve only by 25% crop (especially maize) yield level against 98.5% of respondents who mentioned that improved soil fertility management practices could improve by 50% of the crop yield level. Considering the efficiency of these soil fertility management practices our study suggests some issues to be taken into account for better land management in the study area.Keywords : Land restoration, indigenous knowledge, mineral fertilizers, organic fertilizers, cropping systems, farmer's rationality ResumeUne bonne gestion des terres agricoles basée sur les connaissances scientifiques et les savoirs paysans est indispensable pour assurer une production agricole durable. La présente recherche vise à évaluer la performance des stratégies paysannes et les pratiques améliorées de restauration de la fertilité des sols dans l'amélioration du niveau des rendements des cultures dans le bassin de la rivière Okpara au Bénin. Des enquêtes à l'aide d'un questionnaire semi structuré ont été conduites du 11 octobre au 30 novembre 2015 sur un échantillon de 1048 producteurs appartenant aux groupes socio-culturels Tchabè, Mahi, Ditamari, Lokpa, Bariba et Peulh. Les informations collectées ont porté essentiellement sur les pratiques paysannes de gestion de la fertilité des sols et celles introduites par les services d'encadrement. La rotation culturale, la jachère naturelle de longue durée, la jachère comportant les cultures pérennes en particulier l'anacardier, la jachère manioc et les associations culturales céréale et légumineuse respectivement par 91,11 ; 41,66 ; 48,53 ; 54,61 et 86,25 % des personnes enquêtées sont les principales stratégies endogènes de restauration de la fertilité des sols. Par c...
The Agro-Ecological Zone of the Center of Benin is facing a growing degradation of agricultural land with multiple consequences at social and economic levels. This study aims to estimate the economic value of this degradation. The experimental set up is a Fisher block with corn as vegetative material. This is an arrangement of separate blocks of one factor and two levels. The first level is without fertilizer and the second with mineral fertilizer as the dose recommended by the Agricultural Management Services. Each block is a repetition and each repetition is performed by a producer on his farm. Thus, there were a total of 12 producers at a rate of 4 for highly degraded lands, 4 for those moderately degraded and 4 for low degraded lands. The evaluated agronomic parameters are related to the growth in height and circumference of the plants' girth and the corn yield. The test shows on one hand, a drop in yield of about 50.85%, which is a monetary loss of 190,965 CFA per hectare for moderately degraded lands and about 84.41% for a
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