Effect of a Water Retainer on the Productivity of Millet (Pennisetum typhoids (L) R.Br.) at the Farako-Bâ Research Station in Western Burkina Faso

Author(s): Bazongo Pascal, Traoré Karim, Da Isdine Aziz Nambon, Bere Kiswensida Micheline, TRaoré Ouola

The degradation of soil fertility and the poor spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall are constraints on the improvement of Burkinabe agriculture. In order to find solutions to these constraints, the trial set up in rainfed conditions in Farako-Bâ in western Burkina Faso aimed at contributing to the improvement of millet yields by using a synthetic fertilizing water retainer, Polyter. The experimental set-up was in completely randomized Fisher blocks, comprising seven treatments and four repetitions. The only factor studied is the polyter. For the chemical parameters of the soil, the measurements concerned the pH-water; organic carbon; total nitrogen; the C/N ratio; assimilable phosphorus; and available potassium. As for the agronomic parameters, the measurements focused on the height of the plants; the diameter of the collar; the number of leaves; humidity levels; the weight of 1000 grains; grain and straw yields. The results showed that the application of Polyter, combined with organo-mineral fertilization, improved the agro-morphological parameters of millet. The moisture content measurement showed that the average moisture content of the Polyter treatments was better than those without Polyter. The best millet yields are the result of treatments with Polyter and organo-mineral fertilization for grain yields of 1993 kg/ha and 5772 kg/ha in straw. Polyter combined with organo-mineral fertilizers thus improves the productivity of millet. It is interesting to continue the study in other pedoclimatic zones in order to propose adapted formulas to better contribute to the improvement of millet productivity.