Université FHB, UFR des Sciences de la terre et des Ressources Minières (STRM), Laboratoire des Sciences du Sol, de l’Eau, des Géomatériaux, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
The degradation followed by the disappearance of fertile land in a context of climate change affects agricultural production in the world and in sub-Saharan Africa. In Côte d’Ivoire, soil degradation and scarcity linked to demographic pressure lead the farmers of Bouaflé, in the center-west region of Côte d’Ivoire, to seek new cultivable land, in particular hydromorphic land in the lowlands. bottoms and banks of river tributaries. To this end, a study on the morphopedological and physicochemical characterization was conducted in order to determine the agronomic potential of the soils of the lower slope of a toposequence of the watershed of the Bandama River (Marahoué). On the bottom of the slope of the longest open toposequence on a 1000 m strip, three soil pits were opened under three vegetation covers characteristic of this topographic segment consisting successively of the top of the steepest slope to the river (lowest level of slope), wooded savannah, grassy savannah and prairie leading to the river. The profiles of these pits were described and sampled in the 0 – 20 cm and 20 – 40 cm layers and a composite sample was made and then analyzed in the laboratory. The types of soil encountered in the lower slope are impoverished ferralitic soils (Arenosols) and hydromorphic soils (Gleysols). The morphological characteristics of these soils offer an average agricultural potential while the low levels of assimilable phosphorus and the low cation exchange capacity (CEC) constitute the major chemical constraints for agriculture.