Minimum tillage reduces variability and economic risks in cotton-maize rotations in Northern Benin

Abstract

Context: In sub-Saharan Africa, farmers are still perceiving minimum or no tillage to come at the expense of shorttermeconomic profits.Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of strip-till one-pass (ST) and direct seeding (DS) on crop yieldand profitability within a cotton-maize rotation system, in comparison with conventional tillage (CT) and striptill plus hoeing and ridging (STHR), as a farmer adaptation of minimum tillage.Methods: An experiment was conducted in a split-plot design in 2022 and 2023 in northern Benin. Agronomicperformance and economical profitability of cotton and maize were measured.Results: Yield penalties were observed in both years with ST and DS while STHR resulted in a 4–9 % increase incotton yield with respect to CT. The highest number of bolls per cotton plant was observed with ST and DS.Compared to CT, STHR led to a 3–8 % increase in gross income and a 20–70 % increase in gross margin forcotton. Regarding maize, the STHR resulted in an increase in gross income and margin by 13 % and 27 %,respectively, in comparison to CT in 2022. In 2023, the later exhibited the highest gross income and margin.Conclusions: In our case, STHR appears to be reasonable compromise to minimize yield penalties while increasingprofitability in an early transition to Conservation Agriculture.Implications or significance: Although STHR led to improved performance, it resulted in extensive soil disturbancein the subsequent year. Continued research efforts are needed to refine farmer-targeted CA practices in cottonbasedcropping systems of Benin.