[ Effet de la fréquence d’irrigation et de la coupe sur la phénologie et la production fourragère de deux variétés de luzerne en zone sahélienne du Niger ]
Volume 83, Issue 1, February 2026, Pages 122–132
Ibrahim Adamou Karimou1, Harouna Abdou2, and Adamou Abdou Amoud3
1 Département des Productions Animales et Technologie des Aliments, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université Djibo Hamani de Tahoua . BP: 255, Tahoua, Nig, Niger
2 Département des Productions Animales, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et Technologies Alimentaires, Université Boubacar BÂ de Tillabéry, BP: 175 Tillabéry, Niger
3 Département des Productions Animales, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et Technologies Alimentaires, Université Boubacar BÂ de Tillabéry, BP: 175 Tillabéry, Niger
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Animal feed remains the principal constraint to livestock development in the Sahel. This study aims to examine the influence of irrigation frequency and cutting interval on the productivity of two alfalfa varieties (Dynamo and Sunter) cultivated under irrigation in the Sahelian zone of Niger. The experimental set-up consisted of an initial split-plot trial in which the main factor was the variety and the secondary factor the irrigation frequency. Following this first experiment, the same design was reproduced, this time considering the cutting interval as the secondary factor. The results revealed emergence rates of 10% for the Dynamo variety and 8% for the Sunter variety. The irrigation regime involving two consecutive days of watering followed by two days of rest produced the highest number of shoots (12.5 ± 3.1), a main stem height of 36.3 ± 2.0 cm, and an average forage yield of 130 kg DM/ha for Dynamo. For Sunter, daily irrigation resulted in 10.4 ± 5.6 shoots, a main stem height of 31.3 ± 12.1 cm, and a high yield of 85.5 kg DM/ha. Regarding cutting frequency, the highest forage production for Dynamo was obtained with an 18-day cutting interval (133.9 kg DM/ha), compared with the other treatments. For Sunter, the 21-day interval yielded the highest production (135 kg DM/ha). Consequently, the average dry-matter forage production over a two-week period under the irrigation-frequency treatments was 27.8 kg DM/ha for Dynamo and 19.9 kg DM/ha for Sunter. Under the cutting-frequency treatments, average forage production over a 24-day period was 28.8 kg DM/ha for Dynamo and 19.6 kg DM/ha for Sunter. Given the conditions under which this experiment was carried out, alfalfa cultivation appears highly promising. Substantially higher yields can be expected when it is grown under more favourable conditions.
Author Keywords: effect of irrigation frequency, effect of cutting, Forage production, Alfalfa, Sahelian zone, Tahoua.
Volume 83, Issue 1, February 2026, Pages 122–132
Ibrahim Adamou Karimou1, Harouna Abdou2, and Adamou Abdou Amoud3
1 Département des Productions Animales et Technologie des Aliments, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université Djibo Hamani de Tahoua . BP: 255, Tahoua, Nig, Niger
2 Département des Productions Animales, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et Technologies Alimentaires, Université Boubacar BÂ de Tillabéry, BP: 175 Tillabéry, Niger
3 Département des Productions Animales, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et Technologies Alimentaires, Université Boubacar BÂ de Tillabéry, BP: 175 Tillabéry, Niger
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Animal feed remains the principal constraint to livestock development in the Sahel. This study aims to examine the influence of irrigation frequency and cutting interval on the productivity of two alfalfa varieties (Dynamo and Sunter) cultivated under irrigation in the Sahelian zone of Niger. The experimental set-up consisted of an initial split-plot trial in which the main factor was the variety and the secondary factor the irrigation frequency. Following this first experiment, the same design was reproduced, this time considering the cutting interval as the secondary factor. The results revealed emergence rates of 10% for the Dynamo variety and 8% for the Sunter variety. The irrigation regime involving two consecutive days of watering followed by two days of rest produced the highest number of shoots (12.5 ± 3.1), a main stem height of 36.3 ± 2.0 cm, and an average forage yield of 130 kg DM/ha for Dynamo. For Sunter, daily irrigation resulted in 10.4 ± 5.6 shoots, a main stem height of 31.3 ± 12.1 cm, and a high yield of 85.5 kg DM/ha. Regarding cutting frequency, the highest forage production for Dynamo was obtained with an 18-day cutting interval (133.9 kg DM/ha), compared with the other treatments. For Sunter, the 21-day interval yielded the highest production (135 kg DM/ha). Consequently, the average dry-matter forage production over a two-week period under the irrigation-frequency treatments was 27.8 kg DM/ha for Dynamo and 19.9 kg DM/ha for Sunter. Under the cutting-frequency treatments, average forage production over a 24-day period was 28.8 kg DM/ha for Dynamo and 19.6 kg DM/ha for Sunter. Given the conditions under which this experiment was carried out, alfalfa cultivation appears highly promising. Substantially higher yields can be expected when it is grown under more favourable conditions.
Author Keywords: effect of irrigation frequency, effect of cutting, Forage production, Alfalfa, Sahelian zone, Tahoua.
Abstract: (french)
L’alimentation animale constitue le véritable frein au développement de l’élevage au Sahel. La présente étude a pour objectif d’analyser l’influence de la fréquence d’irrigation et de la coupe sur la productivité de deux variétés de luzerne (Dynamo et Sunter), cultivées en irriguée dans la zone sahélienne au Niger. Le dispositif expérimental est constitué d’un premier essai en Split plot où le facteur principal était la variété et le facteur secondaire la fréquence d’irrigation. Après cet essai, le même dispositif est reconduit en considérant la fréquence de la coupe comme facteur secondaire. Il ressort des résultats un taux de levée de 10% pour la variété Dynamo et 8% pour la variété Sunter. L’irrigation de deux jours de suite et deux jours de pause est le traitement qui a permis d’avoir le nombre de rameaux le plus élevé qui est de 12,5±3,1, avec une hauteur de tige principale de 36,3±2,0 et une production fourragère moyenne de 130kgMS/ha pour la variété Dynamo. Pour la variété Sunter, c’est l’irrigation de tous les jours qui a permis d’obtenir un nombre de rameaux de 10,4±5,6, une hauteur de la tige principale de 31,3±12,1 et un rendement élevé de 85,5kgMS/ha. Pour la fréquence de coupe, la production fourragère la plus importante est la coupe à 18jours (133,9kgMS/ha), par rapport aux autres traitements, pour la variété Dynamo. Pour la variété Sunter, c’est la coupe au 21èmejours qui est la plus importante (135kgMS/ha) par rapport aux autres traitements. Ainsi la production fourragère moyenne en matière sèche en deux semaines pour la fréquence d’irrigation est de 27,8kgMS/ha pour la variété Dynamo et 19,9kgMS/ha pour la variété Sunter. Pour la fréquence de coupe, la production fourragère moyenne en 24jours est de 28,8kgMS/ha pour la variété Dynamo et 19,6kgMS/ha pour la variété Sunter. Cette culture est prometteuse, vue les conditions de réalisation de cet essai. Elle peut mieux produire lorsqu’elle est cultivée dans des conditions meilleures.
Author Keywords: fréquence d’irrigation, fréquence la coupe, production fourragère, Luzerne, zone sahélienne, Tahoua.
How to Cite this Article
Ibrahim Adamou Karimou, Harouna Abdou, and Adamou Abdou Amoud, “Effect of irrigation frequency and cutting on the phenology and forage production of two alfalfa varieties in the Sahelian zone of Niger,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 83, no. 1, pp. 122–132, February 2026.
