Authors : Amit Kumar Srivastava, Claude Kanninkpo and Thomas Gaiser
Abstract: With growing population pressure and food demands, which are expected to multiply manifold in the coming years, combined with a steady increase of rice consumption per capita and a looming shortage of rice on the world market, the use of inland valleys of the sub-humid savannah zone of West Africa for rice production has become imperative. This study aims to investigate, the potential productivity of rice in the lowlands of the sudano-guinean savannah in Benin Republic (West Africa). A split-split-plot field experiment over three years with three factors (slope position, bunding, fertilizer application) and four replications has permitted to obtain the following results: The plots at the upper slope position produced on average 3.8 Mg ha-1 of paddy rice and the yield was significantly different from the yield produced in the down slope position which amounted to 2.5 Mg ha-1. The disliked plots gave on average 3.5 Mg ha-1 of paddy rice and were significantly different from plots without dikes, which produced only 2.8 Mg ha-1. The fertilized plots (130 kg of urea and 87 kg of TSP/ha) produced 3.3 Mg ha-1 of paddy rice and were not significantly different from the non fertilized ones which produced 3.1 Mg ha-1. The tissue analysis of rice leaves in connection with the field observations showed that yield variability in the different treatments were due to iron toxicity and difference in nitrogen concentration.The results indicate considerable production potential of inland valleys in West Africa and revealed that at down slopes bunding of plots and fertilizer application dampened negative yield effects of iron toxicity and improved nitrogen supply.
Amit Kumar Srivastava, Claude Kanninkpo and Thomas Gaiser, 2009. Response of Lowland Rice to Iron Toxicity at Different Slope Positions: A Case Study in Upper Oueme Basin, Benin Republic. Agricultural Journal, 4: 226-230.