Article abstract

Journal of Agricultural and Crop Research

Research Article | Published October 2023 | Volume 11, Issue 3. pp. 51-59.

doi: https://doi.org/10.33495/jacr_v11i3.23.116

 

Major Constraints to Maize Production in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon and Different Control Techniques Against Striga hermonthica Adopted by Maize Producers

 



 

 

Sounou Paul Alioum1*

Philippe Kosma3

Foncha Felix4

Mafouasson Apala Hortense Noëlle2

 

 

Email Author

 

 

1. Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Garoua, P.O. Box 415, Garoua, Cameroon.

2. Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), P.O. Box 2123, Yaounde, Cameroon.

3. Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and By-Products. National Advanced School Enginering of Maroua (Cameroon), P.O. Box: 46 Maroua, Cameroon.

4. Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui, P.O Box 51 Bamenda, Cameroon.


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Citation: Alioum SP, Kosma P, Felix F, Noëlle MAH (2023). Major Constraints to Maize Production in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon and Different Control Techniques Against Striga hermonthica Adopted by Maize Producers. J. Agric. Crop Res. 11(3):51-59. doi: 10.33495/jacr_v11i3.23.116.

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 Abstract 


In the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon, Striga hermonthica constitutes a major threat to maize production. Maize producers have many practices or techniques to control S. hermonthica but these practices or techniques have not yet been documented. The objective of this study was to do an inventory the practices used by the farmers to control S. hermonthica in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. The present study was carried out in six (6) localities including Bocklé, Gaschiga, Pitoa, Meskine, Gazawa and Bogo in the North and far-North regions of Cameroon. Nine hundred (900) maize producers i.e. hundred and fifty (150) per locality were randomly chosen and surveyed. According to the sociocultural characteristics of the respondents, maize was more cultivated by the males (61.2%). Many producers (54.2%) were youths and most of them (78.4%) were educated. Majority (86.6%) of the respondents were married. Majority of those surveyed were Christians (59.1%) followed by Muslims (33.8%). A good number (33%) of the respondents had some experience in maize production ranging from 5 to 10 years. Many of the farmers preferred to use local seeds (77%). To prepare their farms, many (48.7%) of the farmers often used animals for ploughing. A good number (34.7%) of those surveyed were cotton producers while the others (65.3%) produced only food crops. The most important constraints included: the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, the loss of soil fertility, the unfavorable climatic conditions, the weak access to the credit, the intermittent dryness, the low price of the agricultural products, the high cost of farm inputs, irregular rainfall, the lack of labour, the damage due to the fall armyworm, heavy rainfall, crop diseases (striation, coal,…), poor accessibility of the high production zones, and ignorance of appropriate agronomic techniques by producers. According to maize producers of the study sites, the symptoms of S. hermonthica were: maize stunting (84%), bad formation of ears (93.2%), seedling deaths (87.7%) and poor yield (96.9%). To face this threat, the maize producers used seventeen techniques of which the most used included: the chemical fertilization (99.1%), roguing (95.3%), use of post-emergence herbicides (87.9%), crops rotation (78.6%) and fallowing (66.8%).

Keywords  Striga hermonthica   Zea mays L.   control techniques   Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon 

 

 

Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

 

 

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