Author(s)

Pauline Ouédraogo^1*, Mohamed Cissé², Philippe Bayen³, Salifou Traoré¹, Babou André Bationo⁴

¹Training and Research Unit of Life and Earth Sciences, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
²Banfora University Center, University Nazi Boni, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
³Training and Research Unit of Applied Sciences and Technologies, University of Dédougou, Dédougou, Burkina Faso.
⁴Environmental and Forests Department, Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

In degraded Sahelian agro-systems, livestock manures increase agricultural production and ensure natural regeneration through their selective seed potential. Yet, this seed potential that contributes to species dissemination is still poorly known. This study aimed to determine the seed potential of different livestock ruminant manures. To this end, cattle (Bos indicus), goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) manures were collected in 45 distinct enclosures in the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso following the three seasonal periods of the year. A total of 36 species in 13 families and 26 genera was identified in the coarse fraction of the three type of manure. The most abundant seeds in the manure are those of Fabaceae-mimosoideae, Fabaceae-caesalpinoideae, Rhamnaceae and Balanitaceae. The results showed that the contribution of goats to the total seed potential was 61% against 36% for sheep and 3% for cattle. The average number of seeds was 205 seeds/Kg of manure for goats, 125 seeds/Kg for sheep and 11 seeds/Kg for cattle. Depending on the collection period, the cold-dry season contributed 70% to the total annual seed potential against 22% of the hot-dry season and 8% for the rainy season. Following the species functional traits, goat spread more seeds of woody indehiscent pods (barochores species) containing one, 4 to 10 seeds with hard cores and integuments. Sheep spread more seeds of annual legumes having dehiscent pods (autochores) and more than 10 seeds. The most abundant seeds in the manure are those of agroforestry (Vachellia nilotica, Faidherbia albida, Piliostigma reticulatum), ruderal (Ipomoea eriocarpa) or invasive (Senna obtusifolia) species. The most frequently (RI < 50) herbaceous species in manures were: Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Eleusine indica, Corchorus tridens, Sporobolus festivus and Ipomoea eriocarpa. Taxonomic and functional characteristics of the seed potential of ruminants manures shape the regeneration traits of agro-ecosystems through selective seed dissemination.

Cattle, Goat, Sheep, Manure, Seed Potential, Species

Ouédraogo, P. , Cissé, M. , Bayen, P. , Traoré, S. and Bationo, B. (2022) Seed Potential of Ruminants Organic Manures in Sahelian Agro-Pastoral Systems. Agricultural Sciences, 13, 1186-1207. doi: 10.4236/as.2022.1311073.