TITLE:
Effects of Shallow Tillage versus Fallow on Soil Physical Fertility in the Semi-Arid Context of Burkina Faso
AUTHORS:
Daouda Guébré, Harouna Ouédraogo, Aminata Ganeme, Adama Ilboudo, Zédara Isaïs Boussim, Koulibi Fidèle Zongo, Salifou Traoré, Edmond Hien
KEYWORDS:
Sahelian Agrosystems, Soil Organic Carbon, Fallow, Shallow Tillage, Soil Physical Parameters, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.17 No.8,
August
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: In sub-Saharan Africa, soil fertility is declining due to inappropriate agricultural practices, which means that greater efforts are needed to increase crop production. Conservation strategies like fallowing are crucial for this, but population pressure and decreasing land are reducing fallow periods, hurting soil regeneration. This study examines the benefits of two agroecological management systems on soil physical fertility in a semi-arid context. The aim was to compare, on the one hand, plots that had been shallowly tilled and sown with sorghum with, on the other hand, fallow plots left to remain uncultivated. The experiment was conducted in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. The experimental design consisted of completely randomised blocks with a single factor, which is the soil management system representing the treatments. Each block contained two plots: one that was shallowly tilled (to a depth of 5 cm), and one that was left fallow for the same period (2013-2023). The results revealed contrasting soil organic matter dynamics between the different treatments and the two target years (2022 and 2023). The results show that Fallow led to a 25% increase in soil organic matter in 2022, compared to a 5% increase resulting from shallow tillage in 2023. Silt content also varied between +4 and −7%, respectively. In contrast, shallow tillage led to a decrease in soil moisture between 2022 and 2023 (−2% and −8%), a slight increase in infiltration (−3.89 and +0.33 mm s−1) and bulk density (+0.20 and +0.23 g cm−3), probably due to the effect of repeated tilling of soils. However, the results showed that the effects of shallow tillage on microaggregate formation are gradual, with contrasting benefits for the overall physical soil fertility. Nevertheless, this practice could offer an alternative solution to the problem of a scarcity of fallow land in the Sudano-Sahelian farming systems.