Abstract

In Senegal, rice is a widely consumed food, making it a strategic product for food security. However, the productivity and yields of traditional local rice varieties face various abiotic constraints, including climatic variability in the Senegal River Valley. A study was conducted over two contrasting seasons with the aim of evaluating the impact of sowing dates,sowing method and temperature variations on the production potential (more than 10t.ha-1) of new rice varieties. A splitsplit plot design was set up with four sowing dates in the warm counter-season (March to May 2020) and in the rainy season (July to September 2020), two sowing modes and eight new rice varieties. The data collected included height,number of tillers, 50% flowering date, 80% maturity date, thousand grain weight and grain yield. The sowing date has an effect on the rice plant mainly by lengthening the production cycle and during low temperatures. Rice reproduction was disrupted, causing spikelet sterility, up to 100% for late winter sowings. Of all the new varieties tested, four achieved good yields estimated at over 8t.ha-1. The analysis of the results showed that the best sowing dates in the off-season and in the winter season were, 04 March and 09 August respectively. The best yield was obtained with direct seeding,although there was no significant difference between the two seeding methods. The results of this study could help improve technical itineraries and rice yields by farmers in the Senegal River Valley.

Keywords: Sensitivity; Temperature; Sowing date; Sowing method;Yield