Physico-chemical and chemical characterization of soils and water under market gardening cultures in South-West of Benin

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental and health consequences of the use of agrochemical inputs in market gardening in South-West Benin. The working methodology is organized in three stages: the prospective visit to identify the target groups to be investigated and the sampling points, a field survey following a reasoned choice involving a sample of 279 people. Finally, sampling campaigns and physicochemical analyzes were carried out. Statistical Analysis System version 9.2 software was used for Analyzes of variance. The mean values were then compared with each other using the Student Newman-Keuls test at the 5% threshold. From our results, it appears that 85% of the people surveyed drill for watering crops. Analyzes show that the intensive use of fertilizers has impacted the quality of cultivated products, soils and water resources.