A characterization of rice-growing environments in West Africa

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 377 - 395
• Main Authors: Andriesse, W., Fresco, L.O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.1991; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: acclimatisatie; acclimatization; Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; agricultural meteorology; agriculture; agrometeorologie; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; bodemgeschiktheid; Climatic adaptation. Acclimatization; crop management; crops; Crops (General); ecologie; ecology; ecosystems; environmental factors; farming systems; fenologie; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; geographical distribution; gewassen; Gewassen (algemeen); grondvermogen; land capability; land evaluation; landbouw; landevaluatie; maize; maïs; Oryza sativa; phenology; plant communities; soil suitability; west africa; west-afrika; zea mays; Western Africa; Oryza sativa; Monocotyledones; Agronomical character; Gramineae; West Africa; Africa; Angiospermae; Classification; Environmental factor; Spermatophyta; Cereal crop
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/0167-8809(91)90059-7

Building on past classifications, this article proposes a comprehensive characterization of rice-growing environments in West Africa on the basis of ecological and agronomic parameters. Using climate, soils, toposequence, land types and rice cropping system as classificatory principles, 18 different environments are distinguished and their characteristics are summarized in three sets of tables. Current constraints to rice production in each of the environments and the implications for rice research are briefly highlighted, as well as the need for field-level verification of the characterization.