Effect of litter of some plant species of the Great Green Wall of Ferlo (Senegal) on the growth of onion (Allium cepa L.) under semi-controlled conditions

The objective of this research was to make a comparative study of dose and type of litter of some woody species from the great green wall of the Ferlo on the growth of onion. Litters of Acacia senegal (L.) Wild, Acacia tortilis var. raddiana (Savi) Brenan, Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del, Boscia senegalensis (pers.) Lam. ex Poir. and Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst were crushed and mixed with 1.5 kg of soil in pots at three doses of 1 %, 3 % and 5 %, watered for 10 days before planting of the onion variety yellow Texas Grano. The results showed that the growth parameters of onions vary depending on the quality or the dose of used litter. Thus, litters of S. birrea and A. tortilis stimulated all growth parameters of onions for all applied litter rates. Indeed, for the treatment S. birrea, 1 % dose better stimulated root biomass. On the other hand, 3 % of A. tortilis dose gave better growth of root biomass and collar diameter. The other parameters of these two litters were better boosted by the high dose (5 %). Furthermore, the dose of 1% of B. aegyptiaca, A. senegal and B. senegalensis litters positively stimulates all growth parameters contrary to the strong dose (3 %) which tended to inhibit them.

Keywords: Onion, dose, litter, parameters of growth, great green wall, Ferlo