Effects of zaï hole sizing on maize yield in the South Sudan zone of Burkina Faso

Given the climatic variability of recent years, characterized by numerous pockets of drought in the western zone of Burkina Faso, the application of zai technology could be an alternative to cope with rainfall deficits. With this in mind, a zai trial was set up at the INERA station in Farako-Bâ in a completely randomized Fisher block design with seven (7) treatments, including T0 (no zai+compost+MD), T1 (zai 15 cm+compost), T2 (20 cm+ compost), T3 (zai 30 cm+ compost), T4 (zai 15 cm + compost +MD), T5 (zai 20 cm + compost +MD), T6 (zai 30 cm + compost +MD). The parameters observed were the size of the zai holes and the maize yield. The results show that treatments T5 (zai 20 cm + compost +MD) and T6 (zai 30 cm + compost +MD) have respectively the best performances in terms of grain yield (2.69 t/ha and 2.68 t/ha) and straw yield (4.1 t/ha and 3.6 t/ha). The results of this study show that zai technology associated with micro-dosing of fertilizer can be adapted in the South Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso and can be a means of adaptation to increasingly difficult rainfall conditions marked by pockets of drought. zai holes with diameters of 20 and 30 cm increase maize crop yields.