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CARBON AND NUTRIENT LOSSES THROUGH BIOMASS BURNING, AND LINKS WITH SOIL FERTILITY AND YAM (DIOSCOREA ALATA) PRODUCTION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2018

AYA B. N'DRI Open the ORCID record for AYA B. N'DRI [Opens in a new window] ,
ARMAND W. KONE ,
SEBASTIEN K. K. LOUKOU ,
SEBASTIEN BAROT  and
JACQUES GIGNOUX
AYA B. N'DRI*
Affiliation:
UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Station de Recherche en Ecologie de Lamto/CRE, Pôle de Recherche Environnement et Développement Durable (PE2D), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
ARMAND W. KONE
Affiliation:
UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Station de Recherche en Ecologie de Lamto/CRE, Pôle de Recherche Environnement et Développement Durable (PE2D), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
SEBASTIEN K. K. LOUKOU
Affiliation:
UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Station de Recherche en Ecologie de Lamto/CRE, Pôle de Recherche Environnement et Développement Durable (PE2D), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
SEBASTIEN BAROT
Affiliation:
IEES-Paris (CNRS, IRD, UPMC, INRA, UPEC), UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France
JACQUES GIGNOUX
Affiliation:
IEES-Paris (CNRS, IRD, UPMC, INRA, UPEC), UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France
*
‡Corresponding author. Email: [email protected], [email protected]
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Summary

Biomass burning has links with a number of global concerns including soil health, food security and climate change. In central Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa), we conducted a field study to compare nutrient losses, soil fertility and yam yield in slash-and-burn versus slash-and-mulch agriculture. Trials involved five sites established in the dominant Chromolaena odorata fallows of the region, each consisting of paired plots: slash and burnt biomass (SB) versus slashed and unburnt biomass, but left to serve as mulch (SM). Carbon and five elemental nutrients were assessed in the aboveground biomass prior to burning and in ash after fires; losses were assessed by subtraction. The greatest proportions of loss occurred with C (95%), N (95%) and K (74%), corresponding to losses into the atmosphere of 3532 ± 408, 200 ± 36, 132 ± 36 kg ha−1. Six weeks after the fire, soil properties were assessed: soil organic C, total N and Mg2+ were higher in SM than in SB sites. At final harvest, yam tuber yield was twice as large in SM as in SB (18 ± 4 vs. 9 ± 2 Mg ha−1) with soil C, total N and K+ as the main influential soil parameters. The key finding was that the elements lost in greatest proportion during burning were those mostly influencing yam yields. Because a clear negative relationship between biomass burning and yam production has been established the promotion of the more productive, alternate slash-and-mulch system compared to slash-and-burn system, is warranted. The findings of our research can be used in support of developing a sustainable yam production system in the region and in West Africa more generally.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 55 , Issue 5 , October 2019 , pp. 738 - 751
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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