Ferralsols of southern Côte d'Ivoire under strong land pressure: What alternative to an improving soil fertility for a sustainable cassava production?

Abstract A study carrying on the morphological and physical properties of soils has been conducted in the South of Côte d'Ivoire, in the locality of Dabou. This region is submitted to a strong land pressure and a competition between food and industrial crops. This competition took place to the detriment of cassava on ferralsols poor in organic matter. In order to understand the behavior of these soils, the main physical parameters have been described. The transects of about 300 m were opened in three villages and the pedological profiles have been described on a scale of 1/5000. The pH has especially been put in evidence because the soils under industrial crop are frequently fertilized to the detriment of food crops. The studies put in evidence an acidification phenomenon of the ferralsols. The soils were modal ferralsols or typical in absence of coarse element. It has also been noted an enrichment of the soils in thin element in depth but neither of cuirassing nor compactness. The morphology of soil was not a constraint for plant but an important constraint bound to the acidification of soils exists. To overcome this constraint, the use of organic manure was recommended in a good cropping system