Influence of Soil Type and Tillage Practices on the Yield of Two Cassava Varieties (Bocou 1 and Yacé) in the Forest-Savanna Transition Zone of Taabo, Côte d’Ivoire
EKRA John Anis-Fabrice
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
KONAN Kouamé Firmin
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
KOUASSI Koffi Djinkin Samuel
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
TOURE Bessimory *
Department of Biology -Geology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Alassane Ouattara University, Bouaké, 01 BPV18, Côte d’Ivoire.
ZORO Bi Gohi Ferdinand
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
KOUASSI N’dri Jacob
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
BAKAYOKO Sidiky
Department of Agro-Pedology, Agroforestry Faculty, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Daloa, Bp 150, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) occupies a strategic place in Ivorian agriculture, contributing both to food security and to the incomes of rural populations. Despite national production exceeding six million tons per year, farmers' yields remain low due to empirical farming practices and a poor match between varieties, soil types, and tillage methods. This study, conducted in the Taabo region (a forest-savanna transition zone in south-central Côte d'Ivoire), aimed to evaluate the combined effect of soil type, tillage method, and variety on cassava productivity. The experiment, conducted using a randomized complete block design, crossed three factors: soil type (clay or sand), tillage method (ridging or leveling), and variety (Bocou 1 or Yacé), for a total of 24 plots. The results show that clay soils and ridge cultivation significantly improve plant growth and tuber yield. The Bocou 1 variety proved to be the most productive (bocou 1 = 42,07 t/ha and Yacé = 31,63 t/ha), while the IAC variety showed greater vegetative growth but lower yield. The combination of ridging, sandy soil, and the Bocou 1 variety is therefore the most effective combination for the agroecological conditions in Taabo. These results offer prospects for the development of sustainable technical itineraries adapted to cassava production in Côte d'Ivoire.
Keywords: Manihot esculenta crantz, production, land use, soil texture, variety