Influence of soil preparation method on root and vegetative growth of rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis) in the southwest Côte d’Ivoire

• Published in: Soil & tillage research Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 3 - 11
• Main Authors: Dea, Goué Bernard, Assiri, Assiri Alexis, Gabla, Oulai Raymond, Boa, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Côte d’Ivoire; Ferrallitic soil; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Growth; Root system; Rubber tree; Soil tillage; Subsoiling; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; Africa; Ivory Coast; Rubber tree; Subsoiling; Root system; Growth; Côte d’Ivoire; Ferrallitic soil; Performance evaluation; Hevea brasiliensis; Laticiferous plant; Soil tillage; Root; Tropical zone; Arboriculture; Zero tillage; Experimental study; Stem; Tropical soil; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Euphorbiaceae; Spermatophyta; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-1987(00)00174-4

In Côte d’Ivoire, plantations of hevea ( Hevea brasiliensis) have been established in the southeast and southwest regions and these regions possess soils having distinct characteristics. Those in the southeast known as the traditional rubber cultivation area, are desaturated ferrallitic soils, derived from tertiary sands. They are highly leached. The more recent rubber plantations in the southwest are established on ferrallitic soils of migmatite and schist origin, with higher cation contents. A study was carried out, in June 1992, on these ferrallitic soils of the southwest of Côte d’Ivoire. This study aimed to assess rubber trees root and vegetative growth response to two soil preparation methods: subsoiling and planting holes as control. Results showed that the subsoiling applied to these shallow soils, as determined by the occurrence of a gravel-containing layers between 50 and 70 cm depth, improved significantly soil structure (loosening) and rubber tree growth. The taproot depth and lateral root length are higher and slightly vigorous in the subsoiled plots than those in treatment of no tillage. At 3 years (after rubber planting), the maximum taproot depth was around 100 cm, whereas it was only 65 cm when planting holes were made by hand. With the subsoiled treatment, the lateral roots explored the upper 30 cm of soil, while on no tillage plots they explored only the top 10 cm of soil. These effects resulted in obvious influences of the subsoiling on rubber vegetative growth, namely on trees height and circumference. Thus at 2 years, rubber height on subsoiled treatment was 50 cm higher than that on the control (no tillage). The average circumference was 21.7 and 18.5 cm with and without subsoiling, respectively.