Plantation growth performance of three forage woody and three forage grasses in Burkina Faso

Culture des ligneux et herbacées pérennes fourragers

Abstract

Livestock farming in Burkina Faso is heavily dependent on natural rangelands, which are now se verely
degraded in many areas. This situation calls for palliatives to be explored in order to make up for the livestock's food deficit. One alternative is to intensify forage production. To this end, three forage woody
(Leucaena leucocephala, Kigelia africana and Gliricidia sepium) and three forage grasses (Andropogon
gayanus, Cymbopogon schoenanthus and Vetiveria nigritana) were planted in a experimental design the
Saria research station where the soils are mostly Ferric Lixisols with generally low fertility. Survival rates
were calculated after twelve months of planting and growth parameters were determined every three
months. These data were analyzed using a linear mixed model to determine the effect of the season on
their evolution. The results indicated a 100% survival rate for G. sepium and V. nigritana, which are
woody and herbaceous forage species, respectively. These species also showed a positive relative growth
rate in their morphological parameters over a long period. These results show that thes e species have
adapted to difficult ecological conditions.