Role and status of plantain in agroforestry systems of South West Cameroon: which pathways to productive and sustainable system?
Achard R., Malézieux E., Robin P., Ganry J.
Author Affiliation: Unité Mixte de Recherche sur les Systèmes de Culture Tropicaux et Méditerranéens, CARBAP/CIRAD-FLHOR, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
: 101-108
Abstract : A study was conducted in the main cocoa-growing region in Cameroon to determine recent trends and identify sustainable cropping systems. The characterization of the present agricultural situations, was combined with a historical study of crop successions and intercrop structure. Data were collected by both oral surveys and observations in farmers' fields. Twenty-three cropped species were observed. Fruit trees were mandarin (Citrus reticulata), orange (Citrus sinensis), lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), kola nut (Cola anomala), African pear (Dacryodes edulis), avocado (Persea americana) and mango (Mangifera indica). Pineapple (Ananas comosus) was a non-fruit tree. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), coffee (Coffea canephora) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) were the cash crops. Food crops were diverse: yam (Dioscorea sp.), banana (Musa sp. subgroup banana AAA cv. Gros Michel), plantain (Musa sp. subgroup plantain AAB), cassava (Manihot utilissima [Manihot esculenta]), cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), taro (Colocasia antiquorum), maize (Zea mays), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), melon (Cucumeropsis mannii), okra (Hibiscus esculentus [Abelmoschus esculentus]), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and chilli pepper (Capsicum frutescens). Only 4% of plots were single-cropped (cocoa or plantain), and 20% exceeded 7 associated species. The more frequent woody perennial crops were cocoa (73% of the observed plots), citrus (36%) and coffee (30%). The most frequent annuals or semi-perennials (non-woody) were plantain (82% of the plots), cocoyam (66%) and cassava (32%). Plantain and cocoyam were observed, respectively, on 84 and 71% of plots with cocoa, 98 and 83% of plots with coffee, 95 and 74% of plots with oil palm, and 89 and 61% of plots with fruit trees. In coffee plots, plantain and cocoyam were more frequent. Cocoa, coffee, oil palm, fruit trees, and cocoyam were observed on 84, 98, 95, 89 and 74%, respectively, of the plantain plots.