Effects of farmers’ practices of fertilizer application and land use types on subsequent maize yield and nutrient uptake in central Benin

Abstract

Four on-farm experiments in central Benin examined whether land-use succession and fertilizer treatments for prior cotton would sustain subsequent maize crop yields and achieve balanced plant nutrition. Treatments consisted of three prior land use successions, i.e. before planting maize (egusi melon-cotton-cottonmaize, cotton-maize-cotton-maize and cassava-maize-cotton-maize) including for each, four replications of three fertilizer treatments: recommended practice [150 kg ha -1 of 14-23-14 (NPK) plus 5S-1B, applied 25 days after sowing and 50 kg ha -1 of urea on 40 days after sowing], NPK-SB mixed with urea (the recommended amount of NPK-SB and urea are mixed then applied 40 days after sowing) and reduced NPK-SB dose (recommended practice, but the amount of NPK-SB is reduced to 100 kg ha -1 ). Prior cotton and subsequent maize yields and nutrient uptake were not significantly affected by fertilizer treatments. Furthermore, fertilizer treatments had no significant effect on soil chemical properties before planting the subsequent maize crop. Land use types had significant effect on cotton yields, soil chemical properties, subsequent maize yields and nutrient uptake. The lowest yield and nutrient uptake were registered in the cotton-maize-cotton-maize land use succession and the highest in the egusi melon-cotton-cotton-maize succession. For sustainable soil fertility management, adoption of adequate crop succession system and recommended fertilizer application practice are suggested.

Evaluation of mineral composition of endogenous and improved varieties of maize (Zea mays) cultivated in Southern Benin

“…In addition, in these three areas corn is usually cultivated in association with other crops such as legume plants, and tuber and to a lesser extent cotton (MEPN, 2008). Based on these observations we can conclude that ecological conditions of production areas may have an impact on the mineral composition of corn varieties as reported by Hussaini et al (2008) and Saïdou et al (2012).…”

Fertilizer recommendations for maize production in the South Sudan and Sudano-Guinean zones of Benin

“…Therefore, maize contributes for 6.54% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Adégbola and Arouna 2003). Maize is a strategic crop in Benin's economy as it provides employment in rural area (Saïdou et al 2012). In general, maize cropping systems are heterogenous in the different agroecological zones (Diallo et al 2012).…”

“…Due to climate variability, short growing cycle maize varieties of 3 months are widely grown with attainable yield of 6 t ha -1 on station. The most limiting factors for maize cultivation in Benin are the erratic rainfall pattern and the low soil fertility (Saïdou et al 2012;Balogoun et al 2013;Igué et al 2013). The main causes of the low soil fertility are low organic matter content, the low use of fertilizer, poor soil fertility management practices and monocropping (Saïdou et al 2012;Balogoun et al 2013).…”

“…The most limiting factors for maize cultivation in Benin are the erratic rainfall pattern and the low soil fertility (Saïdou et al 2012;Balogoun et al 2013;Igué et al 2013). The main causes of the low soil fertility are low organic matter content, the low use of fertilizer, poor soil fertility management practices and monocropping (Saïdou et al 2012;Balogoun et al 2013). Typical farmer maize yields are low about 800 kg ha -1 (Saïdou et al 2003) and generally without fertilizer application.…”

Response of maize (Zea mays L.) crop to biofertilization with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and chitosan under field conditions

“…Unfortunately, the production of maize in Benin is not spared of one of the main constraints of agriculture in Southern Sahelian Africa. This constraint is the steady decline of soil fertility that induced the reduction of crop productivity (Saïdou et al, 2012).…”