Agro-Morphological Performance Evaluation of Sorghum Bicolor (L) Moench Under Integrated Management in Forestry Zone, Central African Republic

Author(s): Ephrem KOSH-KOMBA, Michel NDOTAR, Julie Léancy GOUGODO DE MON-ZONI, Mohammed ZAMAN, Mokonou YANDOBA

Agricultural intensification is a necessity to ensure food security. The objective of the study conducted under integrated management in the forest zone with the participation of members of an agro-pastoral group was to determine the system and identify the doses of fertilizers required for sorghum cultivation in the forest zone. For this purpose, an experimental set-up consisting of three distinct plots that constitute the integrated management types (flat land, open ridges and furrows, and closed ridges and furrows) was set up in a completely randomized block design with the use of mineral and organic fertilizers of different doses grouped into five treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5), of which T1 is the control and does not receive any fertilizer. These five treatments were randomized into three replicates, with one plot having fifteen subplots and forty-five subplots in total for the three plots. Fertilizers were applied using the micro-dose technique. The results obtained showed that the best grain yields of sorghum are obtained in T5 (Sorghum + N=18kg/ha + P= 37kg/ ha + DAP=14kg/ha) on the ridges and open furrows with a production of 720 kg/ha and T5 on the flat land with the production of 710 kg/ha followed by T3 (Sorghum + N=60kg/ha + P= 36kg/ha) on the flat land with a production of 700 kg/ha It should be noted that the sorghum crop on the flat land showed a better agronomic performance and a better yield compared to the other plots. By default, ridges and open furrows could be considered. The results of the economic analyses show that the use of fertilizers does not give any benefit according to the treatments.