Contribution to the assessment of the natural fertility level of Armoured soils in maize-based cropping systems in the department of Tengréla in northern Côte d'Ivoire

Assessing the natural fertility of hardened soils in sub-Saharan Africa is essential for understanding agricultural challenges. This complex subject requires a thorough understanding of the factors affecting soil fertility, including agricultural practices, soil chemical composition, and environmental impacts.

This study aims to evaluate the fertility level of hardened soils in maize-based cropping systems in the Tengréla department of northern Côte d'Ivoire, in order to contribute to their agricultural development. Agronomic experiments were conducted on maize plots (red-grained variety) on hardened soils (AS) and non-hardened soils (NAS) used as controls. The parameters measured included germination rate and grain yield. Soil samples were collected at different depths for physicochemical analyses. The data were statistically analysed using XLSTAT, including analyses of variance (ANOVA).

The hardened and control soils exhibited a sandy and sandy-loam texture with a shallow depth.

The studied soils showed low levels of carbon, cation exchange (CEC), exchange bases (EB), nitrogen (N), and organic matter (OM). Deficiencies in sodium (Na⁺), nitrogen (N), and OM were observed specifically at site 2. The pH of the hardened soils was slightly less acidic (6.3) than that of the non-hardened soils (5.8). The hardened soils showed higher carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content than the non-hardened soils, but remained low in organic matter. The lateritic soils showed a higher yield (1.08 t/ha at site 1 and 1.52 t/ha at site 2) compared to the control soils (0.65 t/ha at site 1 and 0.72 t/ha at site 2)