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\hypersetup{pdftitle={Economic Profitability of Organo"=Mineral Fertilisation in Cotton Farming System in Northern Benin},pdfauthor={Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, Zakari F. Tassou, Raoul Adeguelou},pdfsubject={Tropentag 2016: Abstract},pdfkeywords={Crop residues, legumes, manure, northern Benin, organo-mineral, profitability},pdfpagemode=None,colorlinks=true}
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\parbox[b]{13.4cm}{\centering \large{\textbf{Tropentag, September 18-21, 2016, Vienna, Austria}}\\[1ex] \Large{``Solidarity in a competing world ---\\fair use of resources''\\[2ex]}}
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\Large{\textbf{Economic Profitability of Organo"=Mineral Fertilisation in Cotton Farming System in Northern Benin\footnote{\textbf{Contact Address:} Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, University of Parakou, Faculty of Agronomy, Parakou, Benin, \mbox{e-mail}: \email{tsilvere@yahoo.fr}}\\[0.8ex]}}
\normalsize{\textsc{Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, Zakari F. Tassou, Raoul Adeguelou}}
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\begin{itemize*}
\item[]{\small{\textit{Universty of Parakou, Fac. of Agronomy, Benin}}}
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\index[author]{Tovignan, Dansinou Silvere}
\index[author]{Tassou, Zakari F.}
\index[author]{Adeguelou, Raoul}
\begin{center}
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\textbf{Abstract}
\begin{abstract}
\normalsize{
The promotion of organic materials (OM) in cotton production constitutes an important challenge for a sustainable soil fertility management in West Africa. Farmers face problems such as the availability of sufficient OM and their transportation. Some attempts to overcome these constraints, rescue to combinations of mineral fertilisers (MF) and OM. Considering that OM are from various sources, one important question is what types of OM optimise the output and profitability in cotton farming? This study assesses the economic profitability of organo"=mineral fertilisation consisting of combinations of mineral fertiliser (MF) and organic fertilisers such as manure, crop residues and legumes in cotton farming system in northern Benin. 



Survey data from 198 cotton farmers randomly selected is used (including 110 for MF and 88 combining mineral and organic fertilisers). Analysis methods combine the calculations of net margin, return on family labour, return on capital and variance analysis. 



The findings show higher profitability indicators for organo"=mineral combinations than the use of MF except for the integration with legumes. For example, the returns to capital are respectively 0.48, 0.49, 0.57 and 0.63 for combined MF with legumes, MF alone, MF and crop residues and MF and manure. These suggest that manure and crop residues improve cotton farmer's profitability whereas legumes reduce it. Moreover, the variance analysis indicates that there is no significant difference between mean values of profitability indicators for the use of MF and its integration with crop residues and legumes but the mean difference is significant between MF and its integration with manure. Thus, manure constitutes the best option of organic fertilisers to increase cotton farmer's profitability in northern Benin. This implication is consistent with earlier economic analyses which showed that manure was more productive and profitable for farmers than mineral fertiliser.



Based on findings, combination of manure and mineral fertilisers is recommended, and we suggest more sensitisation of farmers about the role of manure in the soil and to improve policy support needed for enhancing manure uptake in cotton farming system. Like most West African governments subsidise MF, similar policy can be recommended to promote private sector investments to develop OM market.



}

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\noindent \textbf{Keywords:} Crop residues, legumes, manure, northern Benin, organo"=mineral, profitability
\index[key]{Crop!residues}
\index[key]{Legumes}
\index[key]{Manure}
\index[key]{Benin}
\index[key]{Cotton}
\end{document}
