Abstract
Abstract. Land degradation is an environmental problem which weakens agro-sylvo-pastoral productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. The most common manifestation of land degradation is the appearance of denuded land. We carried out an experiment to test the effect of three soil and water conservation techniques on survival and growth of Jatropha curcas seedlings transplanted onto two completely denuded lands in the Sahelian and Sudanian zones of Burkina Faso. We implemented an experimental design with three replicates per restoration technique. A total of 174 seedlings were planted in each study site. The results showed that the soil water content varied according to the restoration technique used (df = 2; F = 53.21; p < 0.00) as well as according to study site (df = 1; F = 74.48; p < 0.00). Soil water content was significantly lower in the Sahel than in the Sudanian zone. Seedling survival rate varied significantly according to technique used (df = 2; F = 8.91; p = 0.000) and study site (df = 1; F = 9.74; p = 0.003). Survival rate, diameter and seedling height were highest at the Sudanian site. At the Sahelian site, all seedlings died 2 years after establishment. These results suggest that J. curcas is unsuited to denuded land in the Sahelian zone. Most of the plants died in the Sahel between April and May, which is the peak of the dry season; this may be an indication that J. curcas may not be as drought-resistant as suggested by the prolific literature which has reported on diverse claims surrounding this plant.
Highlights
Land degradation is a global environmental problem threatening the survival of more than 250 million people in the arid lands of developing countries and jeopardizing sustainable development (Sop et al, 2012; Fleskens et al, 2014)
The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficiency of several soil restoration techniques in the growth performance of J. curcas on completely barren and denuded soil in two agro-ecological zones in Burkina Faso
In the Sudanian zone, 78 % of seedlings survived from August 2011 to April 2014 under the half-moon treatment, confirming the capability of this technology to improve soil properties and plant productivity. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of three soil and water conservation techniques on the growth parameters and survival rate of J. curcas at two denuded sites in Burkina Faso
Summary
Land degradation is a global environmental problem threatening the survival of more than 250 million people in the arid lands of developing countries and jeopardizing sustainable development (Sop et al, 2012; Fleskens et al, 2014). In Burkina Faso, one of the most common manifestations of land degradation is the appearance of the “zippelés”, which, in the local Mooré language, refers to barren, encrusted whitish soil surfaces which have become useless to local people for agro-silvo-pastoral activities (Sop et al, 2012). The actions to combat land degradation generally consist of mitigation and restoration interventions (Zucca et al, 2013). The latter often involve the improvement of vegetation cover through, for example, the (re)introduction of adapted species, the control of invasive species and reforestation (Zucca et al, 2014). Planting trees in degraded lands can stabilize soils, mitigate erosion and increase fertility
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