International Journal of Soil Science and Agronomy (IJSSA), ISSN: 1725-3497, Vol. 8(1), pp. 227-238, March, 2021.  © Advanced Scholars  Journals

Full length Research paper

Cropping in Plates under Green Mat": impacts, on depleted Ferralsol, regarding generation of fresh organic matter and saturation with exchangeable bases

Pyame MLD¹*, Mukandama N Jean-Pierre¹ and Baert G²

*¹Faculté de Gestion de Ressources Renouvelables, Université de Kisangani, BP 2012, Kisangani, RD Congo.

²University of Gand, Belgium 

*Corresponding author’s Email:[email protected]

Accepted 9^th Febuary, 2021

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in Kisangani (DR Congo) on depleted Ferralsol, to examine, faced with the Slash-and-burn system, to what extent and what degree the system of "Cropping in Plates under Green Mat" would favorably affect the regeneration of recyclable organic inputs and saturation with exchangeable bases. A device plan with 12 complete randomized blocks, divided into 6 plots each, was chosen to test the factors "production system" and "microdoses of NPK fertilizer" (two-factor ANOVA x Duncan's test). It emerges from this study the following performance points:

ü   A considerable improvement in total biomass, root biomass and soil saturation with bases under fallow (36.7 vs 4.9 t DM/ha, 12 vs 1.3 t DM/ha and 52.7 vs 12.4%, respectively). That is to say a Green Mat superiority of 7.5, 9.2 and 4.5 times.

ü   The production of root inputs under "Green Mat" is such that 16 tDM are opposed to each tof DM generated under Slash-and-burn, the synthesis of aerial inputs being limited to a ratio of 4/1. This exceptional root dynamic would explain the enrichment of the soil with humus and its saturation with bases, via mineral recycling.

ü   An improvement in the efficiency of rainwater recovery by 4 times (62.2 vs 16.2 kgMS /mm rain) and in the efficiency of fertilizer recovery by 18 times (529 vs 29.3 kgMS /kg of fertilizer).

In the opinion of many authors, crops and meadows managed in zero tillage report very high efficiency in the use of fertilizers, which is conferred by their high rooting density.

Key words: Sustained Land Management, Green Mat, Slash-and-Burn, Depleted Ferralsol, Recyclable inputs