Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Département Gestion des Ressources Naturelles et Système de Production, INERA-Farako-Ba, Laboratoire Sol Eau Plante, BP 910 Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
This study was initiated to evaluate the effects of the combined use of organic fertilizers and micro-dose fertilization on the agronomic and economic performance of maize cultivation. The trial was conducted in a completely randomized Fisher block design with 4 repetitions and 9 treatments: T0 (micro-dose) NPK 62.5kg/ha+ Urea 62.5kg/ha, T1 (micro-dose+5t/ha compost+ mulch+ zaï), T2 (micro-dose+ 5t/ha manure+ mulch+ zaï), T3 (micro dose+ 5t/ha compost+ Moringa extract+ mulch+ zaï), T4 (micro-dose+5t/ha compost+ Magnesium sulfate+ mulch+ zaï), T5 (micro-dose+5t/ha compost+ Liquid fertilizer+ mulch+ zaï), T6 (Micro-dose+5t/ha manure+ Moringa extract+ mulch+ zaï), T7 (micro-dose+5t/ha manure+ Magnesium sulfate+ mulch+ zaï) and T8 (micro-dose + 5t/ha manure + liquid fertilizer + mulch + zaï). Fertilizers and crops were also the subject of an economic evaluation to see their profitability. The economic evaluation showed that the T7 treatment gave the best margin which varied between -4185 and 309535 FCFA/ha depending on the selling prices of corn which can vary from 135 to 250 FCFA/kg. However, the RV/C of all treatments was less than 1.5 and would therefore be subject to rejection if they were offered to producers. In view of these results, we suggest that a socio-economic assessment be made between conventional and agroecological production by integrating the social and environmental dimensions to measure the impacts.