Effects of Agro-Ecological Practices on the Productivity of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> (L.) Lam) and Soil Fertility in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Burkina Faso

Abstract

This study consisted to evaluate the effects of ecological practices on the yield performance of the JEWEL of orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam). The study was conducted in a Sudano-Sahelian cropping system (Lantargou, eastern region of Burkina Faso). Agro-ecological practices consisted of the inputs of 3.20 t/ha of compost + 2.45 t/ha of wood ash (CO + WA); 4.90 t/ha of wood ash (WA); 6.40 t/ha of compost (CO) were compared to control with no inputs (T 0 ). Each treatment was repeated four times. The crop management consisted of plowing, harrowing, raising of ridges with 40 cm height, burying of treatments, transplanting of cuttings, two weeding's, and using of biopesticide called PIOL for crop protection. Composite soil samples per treatment were also collected at tuber harvest and analyzed to determine the effects of treatments on residual soil fertility. Results showed that the plant heights and diameters under the CO were significantly (P < 0.001) improved by 16% and 12% compared to T 0 . The WA treatment significantly increased the number of large tubers by 43% (P ≤ 0.01) compared to T 0 . Total tuber numbers, large tuber numbers and tuber yields of sweet potato under CO + WA were significantly (P < 0.001) and respectively improved by 27%, 50%