Effet à court terme de quelques pratiques agroécologiques sur les performances agronomiques du maïs (Zea mays L.) à Boma/Kongo Central en République Démocratique du Congo

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop for food security and the income of farming households in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, its productivity remains constrained by several factors, including low soil fertility, insufficient nutrient availability, and inadequate agricultural practices. The present study aimed to evaluate, in the short term, the effects of different agroecological practices on the agronomic performance of maize in Boma, in Kongo Central Province. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design involving two factors: soil preparation method (main factor) and fertilization method (secondary factor). The results of the analyses showed that fertilization significantly affected the vegetative parameters of maize. Maize–soybean intercropping showed the best vegetative performance, with a mean plant height of 184.78 cm and a mean collar diameter of 24.67 mm. For production parameters, mean yield was significantly affected by both soil tillage and fertilization. Conventional tillage recorded the highest mean yield (5.53 t ha⁻¹), whereas maize–soybean intercropping produced the highest mean yield among the fertilization treatments (6.55 t ha⁻¹). Some combinations, particularly conventional tillage combined with the recommended fertilizer rate and maize–soybean intercropping, reached a yield of 7.00 t ha⁻¹. Compost also improved crop performance compared with the unfertilized control. Entomological parameters showed variable responses depending on the fertilization treatments, with the recommended fertilizer rate showing a relatively higher incidence of fall armyworm (40,00%), whereas compost recorded a lower incidence (13,33%).