Effects of Spacing Between Stone Rows on the Chemical and Biological Fertility of Lixisoils in Eastern Burkina Faso

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Résumé

This study assessed the effects of stone-rows spacing on soil fertility and the potential for a fertility
gradient to occur in a farming setting. The study was conducted in a rural area of Sampieri, eastern
Burkina Faso, within a Sudano-Sahelian environment on Lixisols with a medium slope of up to 5%.
The experimental design included three plots, each with a different stone-rows spacing: 15.5 m
(P1), 18.5 m (P2) and 22 m (P3). Soil samples were taken at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm, with
interval ranging from 0 to 15 m from the rows. Soil organic carbon(C), total nitrogen (N), pH and soil
microbiological activity were measured. The study showed that C, N, P and pH levels improved
more on plots P2 and P1 than on plot P3. Although differences were noted for microbiology, they
were not statistically significant. A correlation was found and most soil fertility parameters.
However, no soil fertility gradient was evident as a function of slope when moving away from the
first stone-rows line. It can be concluded that the optimal spacing between stone-rows is 18.5 m and
that it is difficult to deduce a fertility gradient within this interval. However, further research is
needed for validation and confirmation of these findings.

Mots-clés

Agro-ecological; stone-rows; soil parameters; Lixisols; Burkina Faso.