Effects of Porous Material and Irrigation Frequency on the Survival Rate and Vegetative Growth in Mango Seedling at Burkina Faso

Abstract

Mango is one of tree crops in Burkina Faso. Young plant, which is propagated at nursery, is generally used for planting. The root system of young plants was poor in the nursery. This would be due to the excessive water stress caused by improper irrigation and poor drainage. Therefore, we examined the effects of a porous material as well as reduced irrigation frequency on the vegetative growth of the mango plants at the Saria station of Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles. The porous material was created from indigenous materials. The pot experiment was conducted with a two-factor factorial design; the porous material was placed at the bottom of pot (BTTM), mixed with the pot soil (MIX), or not used (CNTRL_P). The plants were irrigated once in the morning (AM) or afternoon (PM), or twice a day (CNTRL_I). Two-month-old mango plants were transplanted to the pots on July 20 and growth parameters were measured monthly. Survival rate and vegetative growth for MIX was enhanced; trunk diameter, plant weight and height, leaf number and length, and SPAD value for MIX were higher than for CNTRL_P. Vegetative growth for BTTM were also improved but the survival rate was not. Vegetative growth and survival rate for AM did not decrease compared with those for CNTRL_I, though those for PM decreased. Mixing porous material with pot soil would be effective cultivation method for young mango plant and reducing irrigation frequency would be possible at the nursery in Burkina Faso.