Ramial wood amendments (Piliostigma reticulatum) mitigate degradation of tropical soils but do not replenish nutrient exports

FÉLIX, GEORGES F.; TITTONELL, PABLO

Land Degradation and Development

Wiley

Año: 2018

1099-145X

Restoring degraded soils to support food production is a major challenge for WestAfrican smallholders who have developed local innovations to counter furtherdegradation. The objective of this study was to evaluate a local farmer´s technique thatuses ramial wood (RW) as soil amendment (Piliostigma reticulatum shrub). Three treatmentswere applied in an experimental plot in Burkina Faso: control (no amendment),low RW (3 Mg fresh mass·ha−1·yr−1), and high RW (12 Mg fresh mass·ha−1·yr−1). RWwas chipped to