Knowledge of the characteristics of upland rice cultivation systems is a lever for the development of rice cultivation in Burkina Faso. This study aims to highlight the typology of upland rice cultivation systems in three localities: East, Hauts Bassins and Central Plateau regions of Burkina Faso. A survey was carried out among a sample of 293 producers in the localities concerned. The Multiple Correspondent Analysis identified three upland cultivation systems: the low-intensive Upland rice cultivation system with rotation (SCRPS1); the Intensive Upland Rice Cultivation System (SCRPS2) and the low-Intensive Upland Rice Cultivation System without rotation (SCRPS3). Elements that make it possible to distinguish the systems are: age, sex, level of education of the farmer, upland rice area, equipment, crop rotation, type, quantity and the number of fertilizers used in upland rice system. The practices of cropping systems differ from one locality to another. In short, the SCRPS1 type is the most practiced by producers and the SCRPS2 type with a high yield (2759.04 kg / ha) presents itself as an interesting prospect to promote for rice production generating income for an improvement of income women farmers.

Agro- economic performance of the micro- dose fertilizer on intercropping in the cotton belt of western Burkina Faso. The cotton zone of Western Burkina Faso, is characterized by a reduction of land reserves and soil fertility. Innovations techniques from hybridization of scientific and local knowledge have been tested in this zone. This paper describes the approach and gives experimental results on the diversity of cultural practices between the maize-mucuna and the maize-pigeon pea association and the effects of using micro-dose of fertilizer on the agronomic and economic performance of the two type of crop association. The study was conducted in 2012 with 36 farmers in two villages of the municipality of Koumbia (Burkina Faso). Mineral fertilizers were applied on the maize associated according to the conventional requirements (150 kg ha-1 NPK and 50 kg ha-1 urea) and micro-dose (75 kg ha-1 of NPK and 50 kg ha-1 urea). The results show that the time of planting, crop densities and the residual effects of previous crops are the factors of variation in associating maize-mucuna and maize-pigeon pea. It has been also noted that the micro-dose induces a non-significant increase in grain yield of maize 4 and 11% respectively for the maize-pigeon pea and maize-mucuna, compared to a broadcast application. Economic performance and the work time between micro-dose and broadcast application are not significantly different (p < 0.05). In a context of scarcity of agricultural land, the results of this study show that the maize-legume associations allow a diversification of production on the same unit area and ensure food and forage safety.