Dr Soro Dogniméton¹, Dr Koutoua Ayolié¹, Dr  Bakayoko Sidiky¹, Mr  Yéo Lacina¹, Dr  Zro Bi  Ferdinand Gohi¹, Professor KOUADIO Yatty Justin¹, Professor Angui Tehua Pascal²

¹University Jean Lorougnon Guede; Côte d’Ivoire, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire, ²University Nagui Abrogoua, Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Ivory Coast is experiencing a population growth of more than 3% per year, which reduces the area of arable land and increases land pressure. As result, land fertility decreases as well as crop yields. This decline in agricultural yield can also be explained by the effects of climate change. The present study is initiated to improve the yield of paddy rice using a local amendment produced by termites kept in captivity on agricultural residues in the context of integrated management of soils fertility in rice cultivation. This organic product, the termites’ waste product (TWP) is obtained by trapping termites to which crop residues are added for digestion and soil reworking. The resulting waste product is screened and analysed to determine its fertilizing quality before being used in the field. Physical and chemical parameters were compared to local soil on which productivity tests are made. Four doses of TWP (36, 72, 144 and 288 t.ha-1) were tested versus unfertilized soil (check) and common NPK fertilized plot. The experimental design was an RCBD with three replicates. The growth parameters measured are plants height, tillering, fresh biomass, counting of leaves at early heading, and yield. The results showed that all these agronomic parameters were improved due to the positive effect of termites’ waste amendment applied at 72 t.ha-1with 2484.3 kg.ha-1 of paddy. We can therefore, conclude in a possibility to value this organo-mineral waste resulting from termites’ activity in rice production for sustainable management of soil fertility and food security. However, we realized that the improvement in growth and yield parameters are not proportional to the increase in TWP dose. This refers to a fundamental law of fertilization. The TWP can be considered has an organo-mineral fertilizer with both organic and mineral content provided by termites’ activities.

Biography: Soil scientist, working on technology transfert in agriculture. Lecturer at University Jean Lorougnon Guede since 2007. Now working on soil organic matter for fertility sustainability and agricole wastes valorization as culture substrates.