Bilgo A. auteur aut IRD Masse Dominique auteur aut IRD Sall Saïdou auteur aut IRD Serpantié Georges auteur aut IRD Chotte Jean-Luc auteur aut IRD Hien V. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access In the soudano-sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, the short-term fallow effect on the soil chemical and microbial properties was evaluated. In four farm experiments, two types of fallows were compared with cultivated fields: a natural vegetation fallow and a fallow enriched with Andropogon gayanus. After 5 to 7 years of experiments, soil chemical and microbial characteristics were determined in laboratory for 0-10 cm soil depth. Soil organic carbon (+64%), nitrogen (+35%), microbial biomass (+76%), basal respiration (+141%), and beta-glucosidase activity (+86%) were significantly higher in fallows plots than in cultivated fields. The metabolic quotient was not significantly different on fallows compared to the cropped plots. Also, no significant difference was highlighted between natural vegetation fallows and the A. gayanus-enriched one. specialized fallow perennial grass soil organic matter soil respiration Burkina Faso 068 076 43 3 313-320 2007 0178-2762 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010037766 10.1007/s00374-006-0107-4 0178-2762 [F A010037766] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010037766 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2007/02/010037766.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2007-03-01 2017-08-23 fdi:010037766 fre