Characterization of three invading aquatic plants in Burkina Faso and their possible use for crop production

Crop production in the Sahel is limited by both nutrients and water availability. This study evaluated the possible use of three invading plants (Azolla pinnata, Ceratophyllum demersum and Typha australis) forcrop production. For that, two pots experiments and a single on-farm experiment were carried in Farako-Bâ research center in Burkina Faso in 2005 and 2006. The treatments compared the effect of raw and composted substrates application on the fonio (Digitaria exilis, CVF 477) and the maize (Zea mays, FBH-34 SR) production. Both raw and composted substrates were analyzed for their nutrient content before beingincorporated in the soil. The results showed that both substrates (composted and not) have higher phosphorus and nitrogen content for C. demersum compared to T. australis and A. pinnata. T. australis is a lignified substrate with a C/N ratio of 55 and 26, respectively for not and composted substrates. The composting process increased substrates pH of about a unit for A. pinnata and C. demersum and 4 units for T. australis. The fonio and the maize biomass production were not significantly different for substrates. The maize yield benefit was highest for C. demersum. The three aquatic invading plants represent a high potential for crop production in the Sahel. However, the long term effects of substrates are to be assessed