PERFORMANCES AGRONOMIQUES DES SYSTEMES D’IRRIGATION DANS LA ZONE SOUDANO-GUINÉENNE DU MALI

The present study was carried out in the Sikasso region, following adoption difficulties marked by the abandonment by producers of drip irrigation system infrastructures on farms. The aim was to propose an irrigation system adapted to the authorities' concerns for water savings and high harvest yields for producers. In an experimental Fisher block design, three irrigation systems were used on okra: drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and the predominantly gravity-fed control system. The effects of each of these systems on the growth and yield of the crop were evaluated. The results of the study showed that the irrigation system had a significant influence on the size, number of leaves, number of fruits and yield of okra. In all cases, the best results were observed under the sprinkler irrigation system (136.1 kg), followed by the gravity irrigation system (98.2 kg) and the drip irrigation system (84.2 kg). With a view to reconciling the positions of technical and financial partners and users of the innovations, the study recommends popularizing the sprinkler irrigation system, which gives a significantly higher yield than the other two, and saves more water than the traditional gravity-fed system. Keywords: Abelmoschus esculentus L, Irrigation systems, Mali, Sudano-Guinean zone.