Assessment of the Agronomic Potential of Soils in Dimbokro (Côte d’Ivoire) for Improved Agricultural Production

In Ivory Coast, a pedological study was carried out in the locality of Dimbokro (6°38'48'' North and 4°42'18'' West) to find out about the agronomic potential of the soils in this locality due to the insignificant harvests observed among the area’s farmers. To this end, the soils of 12 villages were characterized in situ using soil pits, and samples were taken from the 0 - 20 cm and 20 - 40 cm layers for analytical data. Mean values of soil parameters in savannah zones were compared with those in forest zones, using analysis of variance (ANOVA). In both savannah and forest areas, silt (53.5% - 49%) accounts for almost half of the fine soil. Sand and clay are moderately present in these soils. In forest zones, the soils are highly acidic (pH: 5.1) with a high moisture content at depth. In contrast, savannah soils are slightly acidic (pH: 5.8) and dry. Overall, in both savannah and forest, organic matter (1.01% - 1.8%), nitrogen (0.03% - 0.07%), potassium (K: 0.09 - 0.11 cmol·kg^-1), calcium (Ca: 0.64 - 0.79 cmol·kg^-1) and magnesium (Mg: 0.39 - 0.64 cmol·kg^-1), as well as chemical properties (S: 1.21 - 1.62 cmol·kg^-1, CEC: 4 - 9 cmol·kg^-1 and V: 43% - 18.26%) are relatively low for agricultural production, requiring the addition of organic matter in the form of compost. It is also important to raise the pH levels of the soils at the sites studied by means of limestone amendments. These different techniques would help to improve the physical and biological properties of the soils and mobilize certain chemical nutrients needed for better harvests in these populations.