Ecological intensification of banana cropping systems
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Accompanying plants and agro-ecological services
RTB Workshop - Abidjan
Marc Dorel - Charles Meynard - Raphaël Achard CIRAD-UR 26
Adapted from M. Griffon 2013 Natural Ecosystems Intensive conventional systems high inputs Ecologically intensified systems Diversification Simplification Technical Management Natural dynamics Traditional systems low inputs Ecological intensification
Banana
Accompanying plants
Services
Régulation - Support
- Pests control
- Soil fertility improvement
Banana Service Cash-crop production Technical system - Cultural practices - arrangement of species in space and time
Agro-system representation
Environment (soil – climate)
Expected agro-ecological services
. Pest control (nematode, weevil borer,….)
. Weed control
. Soil fertility improvement Soil structure
Nutrients bio-availability
. Effect on production
Low competitiveness with banana for resources uptake
Accompanying plants can provide agro-ecological services => “Service plants”
1. Installation of cover-crop competing with weeds during fallow period
H2O, N, K, Ca, Mg,..
Use of service plants for weed control
Competition for light
Highly competitive plants . Brachiaria
Rapid covering
High root density and biomass
. Pueraria, Neonotonia, Mucuna
Rapid covering climbing habit
These plants also compete with banana => Use only during fallow period
2. Installation of cover-crop under banana canopy
. Cover-crop competing with weeds but not with banana
Low size or creeping plant Low root density
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 60 à 70 cm 50 à 60 cm 40 à 50 cm 30 à 40 cm 20 à 30 cm 10 à 20 cm 0 à 10 cm nombre d'impact/dm2 Banana / Paspalum Banane Paspalum 0 5 10 60 à 70 cm 50 à 60 cm 40 à 50 cm 30 à 40 cm 20 à 30 cm 10 à 20 cm 0 à 10 cm nombre d'impacts/dm2 Banana / Arachis Banane Arachis Root density
Banana/cover-crop competition
Bunch fruits number
Banana/ Arachis 189 A Banana /Bare soil 172 AB Banana/Paspalum 143 B 0,00 10,00 20,00 30,00 40,00 50,00 60,00 70,00 80,00 90,00 100,00 23/12/11 11/02/12 01/04/12 21/05/12 10/07/12 29/08/12 18/10/12 07/12/12 P se udo -s tem g ir th ( cm) Banane growth (1st cycle) Banana/Arachis Banane/bare soil Banana/Paspalum
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 16/01/12 14/02/12 14/03/12 17/04/12 16/05/12 12/06/12 Banana nitrogen nutrition indicator
(SPAD chlorophyll-meter) 1st cycle
. Shade tolerance
=> Plants with optimal growth at low light
intensity
Banana on Impatiens cover
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0 10 20 30 40 50 0% Ombrage 60%Ombarge 90% Ombrage Biomasse fraiche (g/plte)
Jours après reprise
a)
60 % shading =
under banana canopy light intensity
Banana on Arachis Pintoï cover
Shade tolerance
=> Adaptability to low light intensity
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 0 10 20 30 40 0% d'ombrage 60% d'ombrage 90% d'ombrage Jours après reprise Biomasse fraiche/plante (g) a) Effect of shading on Arachis Pintoï growth
60 % shading =
1. Sanitation during fallow period
Use of service plants for plant-parasitic nematodes regulation
Installation of cover-crop non-host of banana nematodes
-2,5 -2 -1,5 -1 -0,5 0 0,5 1 1,5 2 C ro ta la ri a Pa l. Di gi ta ri a Dec . Pa sp al u m N o t. C ro ta la ri a Ret. N e o n o to n ia W ig . Pu e ra ri a Ph a. Ri z SB T 1 C ro ta la ri a Za n . Ac ac ia Aur. M o ri n ga C aj an u s C . G u ad C ro ta la ri a Ju n . Ta ge te s Pa t. C ro ta la ri a Sp e . Ri ci n u s C o m. Impa ti e n s N e e m G lir ic id ia S e p . B ra ch ia ri a Dec . El e u si n e C o r. Sé sa me La o s cc C yn o d o n Da c. Ri z SBT 17 5 M ac ro p ti liu m At r. Pa n ic u m M ax. B ra ch ia ri a Ruz . Sé sa me La o s cm Ar ac h is P. G u ad Axo n o p u s Aff. Sty lo sa n th e s G u i. Ri z IRA T 1 7 7 Do lic h o s La b . C e n tr o se m a Pa s. Se sb an ia S e r. C aj an u s ka ki 1 M ac ro p ti lo n a axil ai re Ar ac h is P. Am ar V ig n a In g. M o n d Sa rr as in So rg h o p ap e ti e r M aï s C ri sta l V ig n a In g. Da v V ig n a In g. C N C So rg h o M u sl B al V ig n a In g. U4 6 2 So rg h o BF80 C aj an u s C . M an d V ig n a In g. S PLM Log d u t au x d e mul ti p lic ati on
Multiplication rate of nematodes (Radopholus Similis) by cover-crops
Nematode-free plants on nematode-free soil
3. Favoring nematodes predation
Comparison of free-living soil nematodes communities in :
• Bare soil
Djigal et al. 2011 Cover-crops increase predators populations
Nb. / 100g of soil
Carnivores & omnivores
BS SC PN NW PP SG 0 100 200 300 400 500 BS: Bare Soil SC: Spontaneous Cover PN: Paspalum N. NW: Neonotonia W. PP: Pueraria P. SG: Stylosanthes G.
Effect of cover-crops on weevil-borer control CINHP / G . Mc Co rm ac k Cosmopolites sordidus
In soil litter general predators contribute
to weevil borer control:
• Ants
• Earwigs…
Camponotus E. caraibea
Cover-crops increase predators abundance
Mollot et al. 2012
Site 1 Site 2 Bare soil
B. decumbens + C. dactylon cover
Captures of ants Solenopsis geminata 5 times more ants in plots with cover-crops
Predators increase the predation rate of weevil borer eggs
Site 1 Site 2
Predation rate by ants Predation rate of weevil borer eggs by ants
2 to 7 times more predation in plots with cover-crops Bare Soil
B. decumbens + C. dactylon cover
Crotalaria:
. Atmospheric N2 fixation
=> Symbiosis with Rhizobium
. Increase of P bioavailability
Mycorrhiza
Root nodules
Use of service plants to improve nutrients recycling and bioavailability
Neonotonia Wigthii => cover-crop with
deep root system (tap root)
Banana
Sub-horizontal root system
Use of service plant to improve nutrients recycling and bioavailability
C/N et mineral nitrogen release Species C/N Stylosanthes G. 16 Pueraria P. 18 Banana 66 Crotalaria 29 Cajanus 23 Neonotonia W. 14 Brachiaria 90 Paspalum N. 33
Brachiaria root system
Earthworms, ants, Termites
Biological prosity
1. Action of roots
2. Indirect action : favoring macro-fauna (earthworms,
ants, termites,…) involved in soil structure building
. Biological soil structure
=> Tubular porosity (root path,… )
=> Aggregates created by biological activity
=> Better stability than structure created by soil tillage
Dorel et al. 2010 2 2,2 2,4 2,6 2,8 3 3,2 3,4 0 2 4 6 8 10 V o id In d ic e
Months after plantation
Soil porosity
No-Till under cover soil
Installation of shade tolerant cover-crop
Banana plantation on the cover -crop
Crotalaria / Brachiaria
Arachis Pintoï
Banana / Arachis Pintoï
Fallow : 12 months
Soil fertility improvement Sanitation (pest
suppression)
