Crop rotation and soil amendments: impacts on cotton and maize production in a cotton-based system in western Burkina Faso.

Crop production in the semi arid zone is limited by nutrients availability. Farmers in the area are unable to afford chemical fertilizers because of their low financial conditions. The design of cropping system with low inputs is therefore of importance for farmers. A crop rotation and soil amendment techniques study was carried out from 2000 to 2005 in Farakô-Ba research centre, western Burkina Faso to observe effects on maize and cotton seed yields. The treatments included six crop rotation systems and four soil amendments. The results showed a significant impact of crop rotation on both maize grain and cotton seed yields when a legume was included in the rotation. The yields were low when the rotation included only cereals and cotton. Soil amendment techniques including farmyard manure and phosphate rock generated the highest impact on crops yields while they were lowest when the straight fertilizers (urea, KCl, phosphate rock) were used. No significant interactions were found between crop rotation and soil amendment techniques. This suggests the possibility to save on fertilizers for maize while a minimum input is essential to support good cotton seed production. A crop rotation including a legume combined with organic manures is suitable to ensure a sustainable crop production in the semi arid zone of Burkina Faso. International Journal of Biological & Chemical Sciences Vol. 1 (2) 2007: pp. 143-15