Agronomic Evaluation of Artificial Termite Mound Waste for Enhancing Rainfed Rice Production in Central-Western Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Aims: To contribute to improving the productivity of rainfed rice by amending the soil with a waste product. Study Design: The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates, each comprising ten treatments. Place and Duration of Study: The field trial was conducted in 2018–2019 in Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire. Methodology: A sandy soil was amended with the waste product “Termisol.” Six doses of Termisol (29.1 t ha⁻¹ to 175 t ha⁻¹) and four controls (zero fertilizer, NPK fertilizer (0.15 t ha⁻¹), manure (7 t ha⁻¹), and natural termite mound soil (116.5 t ha⁻¹) were tested. Observations focused on leaf area, plant height, biomass production, and yield. Results: The results showed that in the first cycle, the dose of 116.5 t ha⁻¹ produced the largest leaves (56.11±10.48 cm²), the highest plant biomass (21.32±7.75 g), while the dose of 175 t ha-1 produced the tallest plants (67.43±1.95 cm) and the dose of 87.30 t ha-1 produced the highest fresh yield (5.71±1.26 t ha-1). The 175 t ha-1 dose produced the widest leaves (48.24±1.95 cm2), the tallest plants (47.60 ±4.04 cm), the largest biomass (11.50 ± 1.60 g), and the highest yield (4.43 ± 0.15 t ha⁻¹) in the second cycle. Conclusion: The use of the waste product “Termisol” as a soil amendment to improve soil fertility could be a viable method for reducing production costs and increasing rice yields. However, this study needs to be expanded to refine the economically viable application rates for widespread use.