Edaphic Aptness of Subarid Soils to Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Production in Social Dynamics Context of Diffa, Niger

Abstract

In the eastern Niger, vegetable crops such as lettuce are cultivated along the Komadougou Yobé river and near Lake Chad. Insecurity linked to terrorist groups prevents the exploitation of these areas and leads population to explore other lands. This study aims to find out whether sub-arid soils have in some places potentialities that can allow lettuce cultivation. A pedological survey was first carried out in the study area and some physicochemical soil parameters were analyzed. Then, a randomized experimental design with three cultivars (“Blonde de Paris”, “Iceberg Tahoma”, and “Iceberg edem”) and three replicates was carried out on soils which present favorable conditions for vegetable crops. The lettuce fresh mass was determined at harvest. The results show a significant influence of the geomorphological gradient on texture classes, nitrogen contents, pH values, cation exchange capacity and level of exchangeable bases. The lowland soils are more apt for vegetable crops like lettuce. The mean of lettuce fresh mass obtained for the three cultivars is 4.8±0.5 kg.m-². Iceberg Eden records the highest values and seems well adapted to eastern Niger.