Potato farmers' typology in Menoua Department, West Region of Cameroon

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3399956/v1

As elsewhere, the Menoua agricultural basin is characterised by a diversity of agricultural practices and the use of a variety of inputs (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilisers). In order to assess the impact of agricultural practices and inputs on the biological and chemical quality of the soil, preliminary work has been carried out, the results of which have been used in the writing of this article. The objective was to create a catalogue of the different categories of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) farmers in the Department of Menoua, West Cameroon. A semi-structured survey was conducted on a random sample of 220 farmers in three localities of the Department of Menoua (Bafou, Baleveng and Fokoué). 55.91% of the farmers interviewed were women and 75% had never received any training in potato cultivation techniques. Mixed Data Factorial Analysis followed by hierarchical ascending classification revealed three groups of farmers. Group 1 consists of small potato farmers. They alternate potatoes with other food crops such as maize (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). They use very low doses of organic fertilizer (0.14 kg/m², less than the recommended 2 kg/m²). The dose of mineral fertilizer applied (0.068 kg/m²) corresponds to the recommended value (0.06 kg/m²). Group 2 consists mainly of farmers in flood plains (61% of farmers). These are small farmers with an average area of 3,017 m2. In this group, the organic input is 0.13 kg/m² and the mineral input is 0.063 kg/m². Group 3 farmers cultivate an average area of 15,912 m². As in the first two groups, the organic matter input is very low (0.17 kg/m²). However, this group is characterised by higher mineral fertilizer inputs (0.47 kg/m²higher than 0.06 kg/m²). As regards fungicides, Mancozeb is the most widely used (72.27%), followed by chlorothalonil (39.03%). Cypermethrin is the most used insecticide (41.81%). Organic fertilisation consisted exclusively of chicken manure, while N-P-K fertilisers (20-10-10) dominated chemical fertilisation. In conclusion, variations in cropping techniques, the type of crop grown and the amount of inputs used by the farmer and the location would have an impact on the soil fauna.A potato rhizosphere’ fauna characterization study will allow us to assess the impact of agricultural practices on soil biodiversity and their effect on crop yield.

Typology

Potato

Cultivation practices

Farmers

Cameroon

In the living world, organisms are in constant interactions with each other and with their environment (Jeffery et al., 2010). The remarkable decline in biodiversity in terrestrial, aquatic, aerial and undoubtedly terrestrial ecosystems is the result of increasing pressure from human activities (Hättenschwiler et al., 2018). Soil may seems inert, but it is an incredible dynamic and heterogeneous system, full of organisms of many shapes, sizes and habitats whose functions are not clearly established (Jeffery et al., 2010). However, the potential of soil organisms to recycle nutrients makes the soil the support for agricultural production, which is now one of the pillars of emerging societies (Hedde, 2018; Kwemi and Tabi, 2021).

In Cameroon, agriculture employs 60% of the working population and is the main source of income for the rural population, contributing about21% to the gross International product (INS, 2013). The diversity of agricultural situations is one of the main reasons for the failure of agricultural support and development programs (Mbetid-Bessane et al., 2003). The history of agricultural development interventions shows that no effective action can be taken without in-depth knowledge of agricultural system dynamics and farm diversity. (Cochet and Devienne, 2006). The development of farm typologies is therefore an effective way of addressing this situation and attempting to explain this situation (Cochet and Devienne, 2006).

In the Department of Menoua, 72% of the total population is considered to be engaged in agriculture (Asrat et al., 2010). This is the prefered area for agriculture in West Cameroon (LE COADIC, 1998), particularly for market gardening, mainly potatoes. The cultivation of potatoes requires the tilling of the soil and the use of pesticides. This is not only due to its dependence on the geographical and pedological characteristics of the soil, but also to its susceptibility to numerous pests. According to Temfack et al.(2021), the main strategy for controlling potato pests in Menoua is based on the use of chemical pesticides. These pesticides, which are intended to stop the progress of pathogens and/or pests, are likely to cause a decline in soil fauna. In order to assess the impact of potato cultivation practices on soil-dwelling fauna, this study aims to group and assess potato farms in the department of Menoua.

2.1. Presentation of the study site

The study was carried out in three localities (Bafou-Nord, Baleveng and Fokoué) in the Department of Menoua, in the West Region of Cameroon. The Department lies between latitude 5°26'44 North and longitude 10°03'16 East and covers an area of 1,380 km². Altitudes range from 1,100m to over 2,000m. The climate is cool and dry. There are also wet savannah landscapes and high-altitude dry forests (Laflèche, 2015). As mentioned above, 72% of the total population of Menoua is considered to be engaged in agriculture (Asrat et al.,2010). Approximately 11.3% of food crops in Menoua are potatoes (Mveng et al., 2021).

2.2 Choice of locations for sample collection

The study sites (Table 1) were selected according to production capacity (high production, medium production, low production) and average altitude (very high, medium high). A prospective study of potato production stations was carried out beforehand. The sites selected were Bafou-Nord (high production zone and very high altitude: 1700 m − 2100 m), Baleveng (medium production, medium altitude, 1473 m), Fokoué (low production zone, medium altitude, 1533 m).

Table 1

Location map of the study area
Localities	Sampling points	Latitude	Longitude	Altitude (m)
Fokoué	Fotomena Chiefdom	05°22.553'	10°06.206'	1424
	Balitio	05°22.356'	10°06.551'	1382
	Fokoué_centre	05°21.981'	10°07.430'	1527
	Touffam-metsan	05°20.780'	10°06.439'	1525
	fontsa-touala	05°19.579'	10°04.820'	1460
Bafou	Aghon III	05°33.399'	10°05.363'	1764
	Pastorale	05°34.426'	10°05.675'	1817
	Ndzih	05°33.482'	10°04.809'	1798
	Aghon II	05°34.009'	10°05.648'	1834
	Ndoh-Djuitisa	05°33.480'	10°04.293'	1857
	Feumock	05°35.089'	10°03.527'	2033
	Tuegon	05°35.867'	10°03.907'	2130
Baleveng	Gui	05°30.750'	10°10.820'	1435
Baleveng	Baleveng	05°29.756'	10°09.166'	1475

2.3 Sampling and data collection

The study took the form of a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between January 2022 and March 2022 in the different study locations. Data were collected on farmers' socio-demographic characteristics, potato production system, cultivation practices, crop protection, fertilization typology, profitability, and health and environmental risks associated with pesticides use. Two hundred and twenty (220) potato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed. The producers selected were those involved in the day-to-day activities of the plantation.

2.4. Data analysis

The data collected were entered into Excel. The data were analysed using R-studio software. Variables likely to influence the physico-chemical and biological qualities of the soil (diversity and abundance of taxa) were selected to create a typology of production systems. These variables were herbicide use, crop rotation, fallow, crop association, intercropping, and number of cropping seasons per year, chemical fertilizer dose, organic fertilizer dose, surface area and seed quantity. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) and Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) were performed using the Factoshiny package. The class variable was then added to the database. The gtsummury package was used to summarize the characteristics of each group.

3.1 Results

3.1.1. Socio-demographic characteristics of potato farmers

Tables 2 and 3 show the socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers interviewed. Table 2 shows that the average age is 41 years and the average experience is about 12 years. The average capital invested by the producers in the development of their farms was 457,165 FCFA, with an average agricultural production estimated at 5108.07 kg. The average agricultural area was 4,178 m².Table 3 shows that 55.91% of the farmers are women. Most farm managers have completed secondary education (30.45% lower secondary, 18.18% upper secondary). However, the percentage of farmers who did not attend school should not be overlooked (13.63%). Of the farmers surveyed, 75% had not received any training in potato cultivation techniques. Farmers are reluctant to join the Common Initiative Groups (CIG). In fact, 23.64% of the growers belongs to a CIG. To carry out the various activities, 39.55% use hired labour and 40% use family labour. Mixed work is very common (20.45%). Mechanisation of agriculture in Menoua is still in its infancy, with only 2.27% of farmers using mechanical ploughs. Farmers combine agriculture with secondary activities such as trade (10.45%) and animal husbandry (10.90%). Farming is the sole activity of 51.81% of the producers surveyed.

Table 2: Socio-demographic characteristics of potato farmers in the department of Menoua: quantitative variables

Variables	Minimum values	maximum Values	Average
Age (in years)	17	80	41
Year of experience (in years)	12	50	12
Capital (in FCFA)	10,000	4,500,000	457 165
Yield (in Kilogram)	30	120,000	5,108.07
Area (m²)	20	40,000	4,178

Table 3: Socio-demographic characteristics of potato growers in the Department of Menoua: qualitative variables

Variables	Terms	Numbers (percentages)
Sex	Feminine	123 (55.91 %)
Sex	Male	97 (44.09 %)
Education level	Unschooled	30 (13.63 %)
	Primary	71 (32.27 %)
	Lower secondary	67 (30.45 %)
	Upper secondary	40 (18.18 %)
	Superior	12 (5.45 %)
Best practice training	No	165 (75 %)
Best practice training	Yes	55 (25 %)
Membership of a common initiative group	No	168 (76.36 %)
Membership of a common initiative group	Yes	52 (23.64 %)
Type of labor	Family	88 (40%)
	Mixed	45 (20.45%)
	Salary	87 (39.54%)
Mechanization	No	215 (97. 73%)
Mechanization	Yes	5 (2. 27%)
Localities	Bafou	97 (44%)
	Baleveng	72 (33%)
	Fokoué	51 (23%)

3.1.2. Farmers’ typology

The Hierarchical Ascending Classification (CAH) was carried out on the coordinates obtained from the factorial analysis of the mixed data. Table 4 shows that the first five dimensions explain 72.51% of the information on the characteristics of potato farmers in Menoua.

Table 4: Percentage of variance

Own values
Dimensions (Dim.)	Dim.1	Dim.2	Dim.3	Dim.4	Dim.5
Variance	2.992	2.136	1.255	1.228	1.088
Percentage Variance	24.940	17.802	10.458	10.237	9.073
Cumulative Percentage of variance	24.940	42.743	53.202	63.439	72.512

Taking 5% as the correlation threshold, dimension 1 is positively correlated with area, seed quantity and herbicide use (Table 5). Dimension 2 is positively correlated with the number of cropping seasons per year on the same area, as well as with intercropping and crop rotation. These two dimensions are sufficient to identify the main characteristics that can distinguish the different potato farmers’groups.

Table 5: FAMD results: description of axes by variables

Variables	Dimension 1
Quantitative		Correlation	p.value
	Area	8.284E^-01	8.494E^-57
	Amount of seed	8.251E^-01	5.822E^-56
	Dose of organic fertilizer	8.224E^-01	2.560E^-55
	Number of campaigns carried out per year	2.957E^-01	8.171E^-06
	Dose of mineral fertilizer	1.366E^-01	4.302E^-02
Qualitative		*R^{2 }**	p.value
	Herbicide use	4.033E^-01	3.052E^-26
	Inter-campaign culture	2.086E^-01	9.514E^-12
	Crop rotation	2.060E^-01	1.342E^-11
	Cultural association	2.335E^-02	2.339E^-02
	Dimension 2
Quantitative		Correlation	p.value
Quantitative	Campaign number	5.580E^-01	2.083E^-19
Qualitative		R^2*	p.value
	Inter-campaign culture	8.385E^-01	1.185E^-86
	Crop rotation	8.078E^-01	1.893E^-78
	Fallow practice	1.355E^-01	1.828E^-08
	Cultural association	2.198E^-02	2.790E^-02

* Correlation report

Figure 1a shows the distribution of potato farmers on a factorial plane described by dimensions 1 and 2. Figure 1b shows the dendrogram resulting from the HAC on the coordinates of the FAMD. These figures show that three groups of farmers stand out. The first group contains the majority of the farmers. This majority of potato farmers is located in the negative parts of dimensions 1 and 2. The farmers in the second group are located in the positive part of both dimensions (1 and 2), but also in the negative part of dimension 1. The third group is characterised by the distribution of its farms mainly along the positive axis of dimension 1 and the negative axis of dimension 2.

The relationship between the variables and the groups gives an overall description of the groups, as shown in Table 6. Group 1 is negatively correlated with all the variables included in the model. This group is therefore characterised by the practice of intercropping, the absence of flooding, low area values, low doses of organic fertilizer, low seed quantities and the number of cropping seasons per year. Group 2 is mainly described by the absence of intercropping due to plot flooding. This group is negatively correlated with herbicide use, low area value, low seed quantity and low organic fertilizer doses. Group 3 is characterised by a high area value, high organic fertilizer doses and high seed quantities.

Table 6: Description of each class by variables and modalities

Variables et modalities	Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
Inter-campaign culture = none	-8.86	11.7	-1.5
Rotation practice = flooding	-7.67	9.52	-1.99
Area	-6.36	-1.29	10.5
Dose of organic fertilizer	-6.2	-1.57	10.6
Amount of seed	-6.11	-1.49	10.3
Rotation practice = non	-5.73	5.14	1.06
Number of campaigns	-4.17	4.61	0.469
Herbicide use = oui	-2.68	-0.556	4.49
Fallow practice=non	-2.25	4.76	-1.9

3.1.3. Characterization of potato farmer categories

Table 7 shows the characteristics of the three groups of potato growers. These groups include

i) Group 1: small potato growers on firm soils.

Group 1 producers represent 70.91% of the total sample, i.e. 156 farmers. These farmers cultivate an average area of 2,505 m², the smallest being 20 m²and the largest 10,000 m². These are farmers who use low doses of organic fertilizer (0.14 kg/m2) and a mineral fertilizer (0.068 kg/m²) in accordance with the recommended doses (2 kg/m²for the organic fertilizer and 0.06 kg/m²for the mineral fertilizer). In addition, farmers in this group rotate crops (100%), replacing potatoes with maize (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (66%).

(ii) Group 2: small potato farmers on swampy soils

This group represents 17.27% of the total sample. The area cultivated varies between 20 and 20,000 m², with an average of 3,017 m². This group is characterised by the absence of intercropping (100%), flooding of the land (61%), low organic fertilization (0.13 kg/m²) and compliant mineral fertilization (0.063 kg/m²).

(iii) Group 3: Large potato producers on firm soils

This group contains 11.82% of the farmers surveyed. In this group, 85% of the farmers use herbicides for potato weeding. As in groups 1 and 2, organic amendments are insufficient (0.17 kg/m2). However, mineral fertilization is higher than the reference value (0.47 kg/m2 > 0.06 kg/m2). The cultivated areas range from 5,000 m²to 40,000 m², with an average of 15,912 m². 88% of the farmers in this group practices crop rotation, replacing potatoes with cereals (35%) and others horticultural crops (54%).

Table 7: Structural typologies of potato farmers groups in Menoua

Features	Modalities	Total, N = 220¹	Group 1, N = 156¹		Group 2, N = 38¹	Group 3, N = 26¹		p-value²
Qualitative variables
Crop rotation									<0.001
	Flooding	23 (10%)	0 (0%)		23 (61%)	0 (0%)
	No	14 (6.4%)	0 (0%)		11 (29%)	3 (12%)
	Yes	183 (83%)	156(100%)		4 (11%)	23 (88%)
Fallow practice									<0.001
	No	140 (64%)	92 (59%)		36 (95%)	12 (46%)
	Yes	80 (36%)	64 (41%)		2 (5.3%)	14 (54%)
The practice of combining crops									0.002
	No	117 (53%)	78 (50%)		17 (45%)	22 (85%)
	Yes	103 (47%)	78 (50%)		21 (55%)	4 (15%)
Herbicide use									<0.001
	No	124 (56%)	97 (62%)		23 (61%)	4 (15%)
	Yes	96 (44%)	59 (38%)		15 (39%)	22 (85%)
Number of campaigns per year									<0.001
	1	178 (81%)	137 (88%)		21 (55%)	20 (77%)
	2	41 (19%)	19 (12%)		16 (42%)	6 (23%)
	3	1 (0,5%)	0 (0%)		1 (2,6%)	0 (0%)
Inter-campaign culture									<0.001
	None	51 (23%)	10 (6.4%)		38 (100%)	3 (12%)
	Cereals	116 (53%)	107 (69%)		0 (0%)	9 (35%)
	Market gardening	53 (24%)	39 (25%)		0 (0%)	14 (54%)
Quantitative variables
Area (en m²)		4 178 [20 – 40 000]		2 505 [20 – 10 000]	3 017 [20 – 20 000]		15 912 [5000 – 40 000]		<0.001
Quantity of seed (Kg)		817 [16 – 12 000]		438 [16 – 2 800]	501 [16 – 2 560]		3.557 [960 – 12 000]		<0.001
Dose of organic fertilizer (Kg)		630 [0.00 - 8400]		350 [0.00 – 2000]	390 [0.00 – 3200]		2640 [720 – 8400]		<0.001
Dose of minéral fertilizer(Kg)		1040 [0.00 – 17500]		170 [0.00 – 1000]	190 [0.00 – 800]		7490 [0.00 – 17500]		<0.001
1 n (%); Moy.: Mean [min-max: Range]
2 Fisher's exact test; Pearson's Chi-squared test; Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test

3.1.4. Presentation of farmers groups by locality

Figure 2 shows the distribution of potato producer groups by locality. Bafou and Baleveng are home to all categories of producers. However, groups 1 and 2 predominate in Bafou and Baleveng respectively. In Fokoué, the farmers are grouped in a single group (group 3).

3.1.5. Presentation of inputs according to farmer groups

The farmers surveyed in the study areas identified different categories of pesticides. These included fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and nematicides.

Figure 3 shows the distribution of farmers using the different categories of fungicides listed. This figure shows that farmers in group 1 use all types of fungicides listed (mancozeb, azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, chlorothalonil + carbendazine, mefenoxam and copper oxide, ametoctradine + dimethomorph). Farmers in groups 2 and 3 prefer mancozeb, chlorothalonil and the combination chlorothalonil + cymoxanil. Among the fungicides, mancozeb is the most widely used. It is followed

by chlorothalonil.

Figure 4 shows the different insecticides identified by the farmers. They are Diadrin, Imidacloprod, Chloryrifos, Lambdacyhalothrin + Acetamiprid, Cypermethrin, Lambdacyhalothrin + Imdacloprid, Emamectin benzoate. At least one Group 1 farmer uses each insecticide listed. Group 2 farmers prefer to use Diadrin. Group 3 farmers prefer cypermethrin.

Tables 8a and 8b show the variation in doses and frequency of application of mancozeb and cypermethrin by the farmers surveyed. These varied considerably from farmer to farmer. Most farmers (36% group 1; 40% group 2; 48% group 3) used mancozeb at a dose of 50 grams per 16 litre sprayer. It is applied twice a week by 37% of Group 1 farmers and once a week by 41% of Group 2 and 65% of Group 3 farmers. Cypermethrin is used in doses between 20 ml and 100 ml at a frequency of 2 applications per potato production season. However, farmers combine several fungicides and insecticides.

Table 8 a: Summary of doses and frequency of use of mancozeb by farmer group

Features	Group 1, N = 156¹	Group 2, N = 38¹	group 3, N = 26¹	Total
Mancozeb
No	36 (24%)	14 (38%)	6 (23%)	56 (26%)
Oui	117 (76%)	23 (62%)	20 (77%)	160 (74%)
Unknown	3	1	0	4
Dose in grams for a 16 litre sprayer
0	36 (25%)	14 (40%)	6 (24%)	56 (28%)
20	1 (0.7%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)
30	1 (0.7%)	1 (2.9%)	1 (4.0%)	3 (1.5%)
50	51 (36%)	14 (40%)	12 (48%)	77 (38%)
100	42 (29%)	5 (14%)	4 (16%)	51 (25%)
120	1 (0.7%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0%)	2 (1.0%)
150	11 (7.7%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)	13 (6.4%)
Unknown	13	3	1	17
Frequency (number of applications per week)
0	36 (24%)	14 (38%)	6 (23%)	56 (26%)
1	51 (34%)	15 (41%)	17 (65%)	83 (39%)
2	55 (37%)	6 (16%)	3 (12%)	64 (30%)
3	7 (4.7%)	2 (5.4%)	0 (0%)	9 (4.2%)
Unknown	7	1	0	8
Total dose in kilogramme	4 [0 - 40]	3 [0 - 40]	26 [0 - 120]	6 [0 - 120]

¹ n (%) ; Moy.: Mean [min-max: Range]

Table 8 b: Summary of doses and frequency of use of cypermethrin by farmer group

Features	Group 1, N = 156¹	Group 2, N = 38¹	group 3, N = 26¹	Total
Cypermethrine
No	78 (54%)	26 (68%)	10 (43%)	114 (55%)
Oui	67 (46%)	12 (32%)	13 (57%)	92 (45%)
Unknown	11	0	3	14
Dose in millitres for a 16 litre sprayer	16 [0 - 100]	11 [0 - 50]	25 [0 - 50]	16 [0 - 100]
Unknown	18	0	3	21
frequency (number of applications per campaign)
0	78 (55%)	26 (72%)	10 (43%)	114 (57%)
1	9 (6.3%)	2 (5.6%)	2 (8.7%)	13 (6.5%)
2	25 (18%)	3 (8.3%)	5 (22%)	33 (16%)
3	12 (8.5%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.3%)	13 (6.5%)
4	10 (7.0%)	3 (8.3%)	4 (17%)	17 (8.5%)
7	2 (1.4%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (1.0%)
8	4 (2.8%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (2.0%)
10	0 (0%)	1 (2.8%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)
12	2 (1.4%)	1 (2.8%)	1 (4.3%)	4 (2.0%)
Unknown	14	2	3	19
Total dose in litre	0.94 [0.00 - 30.00]	0.70 [0.00 - 5.00]	4.83 [0.00 - 50.00]	1.35 [0.00 - 50.00]
Unknown	19	1	3	23

¹ n (%) ; Moy.: Mean [min-max: Range]

Table 9 shows the proportions of groups of farmers using nematicides and herbicides in potato production. Most farmers were against the use of nematicides (91.92%). However, some farmers (1.36% of the respondents) use home-made "organic" preparations to control nematodes. Herbicides are widely used, with 43.64% of farmers stating that they use these products for weeding.

Table 9: Percentage of farmers using nematicides and herbicides, by group.

Variables et terms		Effectifs (percentage)
Variables et terms		Groupe 1	Groupe 2	Groupe 3	Total
nematicides	No	141 (64.10%)	37 (16.82%)	24 (10.91%)	202 (91.92%)
	Yes= Organic	2 (0.91%)	0 (0.00%)	1 (0.45%)	3 (1.36%)
	Yes=Chimical	5 (5.91%)	1 (0.45%)	1 (0.45%)	6 (2.73%)
Herbicides	No	97 (44.09%)	23 (10.45%)	4 (1.82%)	124 (56.36%)
Herbicides	Yes	59 (26.82%)	15 (6.82%)	22 (10%)	96 (43.64%)

As with other inputs, mineral fertilizers in the Menoua department are very diverse in terms of their chemical composition. They are simple fertilizers (urea, calcium nitrate and sulphate have been reported); complex fertilizers of the N-P-K type with the following chemical formulae 13-13-21; 21-8-21; 20-10-10; 11-11-22. Figure 5 shows the allocation of each location to the chemical fertilizer most used by its farmers. It can be seen that 20-10-10 is the most used fertilizer by farmers in the three localities.

It was also observed that farmers used combinations of fertilizers during the same potato production season, as shown in Table 10. The table shows the following observations: 43%, 58% and 62% of the farmers in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively used 20-10-10 for mineral fertilization. This is combined with urea by 7.1% of farmers in group 1, 13% in group 2 and 7.7% in group 3. Chemical fertilizers were applied twice by most farmers (64% in group 1, 50% in group 2 and 85% in group 3). Group 3 also had a higher average total dose (7,490 kg) than the other groups (170 kg for group 1 and 190 kg for group 1).

Table 10: Mode of combination of chemical fertilizers for potato fertilization in Menoua Department

Features	Group 1, N = 156¹	Group 2, N = 38¹	Group 3, N = 26¹
Chimical fertilizers
11-11-22	13 (8.3%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (3.8%)
11-11-22+urea	3 (1.9%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
13-13-21	20 (13%)	5 (13%)	1 (3.8%)
13-13-21+11-11-22	2 (1.3%)	0 (0%)	1 (3.8%)
13-13-21+20-10-10	7 (4.5%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
13-13-21+20-10-10+urea	1 (0.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
13-13-21+21-8-12	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (3.8%)
13-13-21+urea	1 (0.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
20-10-10	67 (43%)	22 (58%)	16 (62%)
20-10-10+11-11-22	4 (2.6%)	0 (0%)	1 (3.8%)
20-10-10+11-11-22+calcium nitrate	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (3.8%)
20-10-10+sulphate	1 (0.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
20-10-10+urea	11 (7.1%)	5 (13%)	2 (7.7%)
21-8-12	13 (8.3%)	3 (7.9%)	0 (0%)
21-8-12+11-11-22	0 (0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0%)
21-8-12+20-10-10	5 (3.2%)	1 (2.6%)	2 (7.7%)
21-8-12+urea	1 (0.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Absent	6 (3.8%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Sulphate	1 (0.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
frequency of applications per campaign
0	5 (3.2%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0%)
1	48 (31%)	16 (42%)	4 (15%)
2	100 (64%)	19 (50%)	22 (85%)
3	3 (1.9%)	2 (5.3%)	0 (0%)
Total dose (Kg)	170 [0.00 – 1000]	190 [0.00 – 800]	7490 [0.00 – 17500]
¹ n (%) ; Moy. : Mean [min-max : Range]

3.2. Discussion

Potato production in the Department of Menoua is carried out by people of both sexes, but with a higher proportion of women. Fontem et al. (2004), who showed that potato production in Cameroon is mainly carried out by rural dwellers and mainly by women, reported this predominance of women. However, the work of Magui et al. (2019) in the Santa subdivision and that of Temfack et al. (2021) in the Western Highlands of Cameroon show a predominance of male farmers. However, women are more involved along the production chain. Women are an important link in the potato marketing chain.

The age of the farmers surveyed varied. The average age of farmers in the Menoua Department was 41 years, which is confirmed by the work of Temfack et al. (2021), who reported that most potato farmers in the highlands of West Cameroon are between 30 and 50 years old. The low proportion of farmers trained in potato production techniques in Menoua was also observed by Magui et al. (2019) in the Santa subdivision, where more than half of the working producers have a technical efficiency of less than 50%. This technical inefficiency results in low yields and the suppression of soil-dwelling fauna through poor practices.

The classification of farmers in the department of Menoua highlights three groups of farmers, mainly differentiated by area. The use of this discriminant variable in the typology analysis confirms the work of Akouehou et al. (2013) and Bélières (2014). The number of farmer groups is similar to that obtained by Adjobo et al. (2020) in their typology of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) producing farms in northern and central Benin. Tria and Chehat (2013), in their typology of potato producers in the D'ain Defla region, also highlighted three categories of farms. However, the typology shows a predominance of small farms, as highlighted by Soukaradji et al. (2017) in Niger and Sossou et al. (2021) in Benin.

It is likely that the area used to cultivate a crop is a factor that can alter the diversity of soil fauna, from microfauna to megafauna. In fact, depending on its size, the area determines cultivation practices such as ploughing (manual or mechanical) and weeding (manual or chemical). It has been observed that potato growers in the department of Menoua plough the soil daily. The aim is to loosen the soil to make it easier for the plant to take root. Unfortunately, repeated manual or mechanical ploughing has a negative impact on the species richness or abundance of many macrofauna organisms, especially earthworms (Le Roux et al., 2008).Potato production in the department of Menoua is not homogeneous. Most farmer’s alternate potato production with maize and/or beans (group 1 farmers) or with other horticultural crops such as carrots (Daucus carota), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), leeks (Allium porrum) and beetroot (Beta vulgaris) (group 3 farmers). The aim of this crop rotation is to reduce the pressure of pathogens and climatic and economic hazards (Agossou et al., 2016). The practice of crop rotation should therefore help to replenish the fertilizing elements of the soil and diversify the soil fauna. However, it can only benefit the diversity of soil organisms if it is combined with a long fallow period (Le Roux et al., 2008). The absence of potato cultivation between seasons and the practice of involuntary short-term fallow are characteristics of certain farmers (group 2). This situation is explained by the location of the plots in the lowlands (horticultural zone). This means that the plots are flooded during the rainy season.

With the aim of eliminating pest pressure and exploiting larger areas, potato farmers in the department of Menoua resort to pesticides. These include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and nematicides. Naturally, the families of pesticides vary between categories of producers and between localities, as do the doses and frequency of use. In general, synthetic pesticides are considered to be one of the main factors responsible for the severe decline of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems (Le Roux et al., 2008).Herbicides are used in the production chain for weeding (before ploughing) and mainly for weeding (before full emergence). Farmers in groups 1 and 2, especially in Fokoué, are not very receptive to this practice. They argue that it alters the quality of the potatoes and therefore poses a health risk to consumers and the environment. The producers in group 3 seem to be the promoters of this practice, as 85% of them use herbicides at least at one stage of the potato production cycle. For the actors in this third group, this practice represents an economic opportunity, as it reduces the labour required to weed potatoes and allows farmers to cultivate large areas without the risk of weed infestation. The use of herbicides does not lead directly to the loss of micro-arthropods and macro-fauna, but it does cause a significant reduction in the number of plants species that are food sources for fauna (Madge, 1981). Herbicides also affect the diversity of the bacterial microflora (Martin-Laurent et al., 2006).

The most commonly used fungicide in potato production in Menoua is mancozeb. This belongs to the carbamate family of fungicides, which have been shown to be toxic to most groups of soil fauna (Madge, 1981). Organochlorine and organophosphorus fungicides and the metals they contain are toxic and even lethal to macrofauna (Le Roux et al., 2008).The susceptibility of potatoes to insect pests has led to significant use of insecticides. Insecticides are more toxic than herbicides to soil fauna, especially earthworms and soil arthropods (Le Roux et al., 2008). They have a critical effect on protozoa and are generally more toxic than herbicides. Nematicides appear to be highly toxic to soil micro-arthropods (Madge, 1981).

Growing demand for food and declining soil fertility are leading farmers to use organic and chemical fertilizers. On the face of it, this should lead to higher yields. However, this is not the case in the Department of Menoua, where expected yields are not being achieved. Harahagazwe et al. (2018) estimate potato yields in Cameroon at 6 tonnes/hectare, but yields of more than 30 tonnes/hectare are found at the station. This can be explained by the lack of adherence to good cultivation practices, poor organic amendments and the use of mineral inputs with an inappropriate composition (NPK with chemical formula 20-10-10). Applying a low dose of organic fertilizer and a recommended or high dose of mineral fertilizer would not solve the fertility problem and improve yield. Bacye et al (2019) have shown that only organic fertilizer significantly improves organic matter content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), sum of exchangeable bases and soil pH at the 5% threshold.The vast majority of farmers with no agricultural training justify their inappropriate potato cultivation practices. The proletarian status of the farmers and the high cost of inputs are also blamed for poor crop improvement (Sossou et al., 2013).

The distribution of potato farm groups is based on locality. The largest farms are located in Bafou-North. Bafou-Nord contains all farm categories surveyed and is the main potato production area in Menoua. This result could be explained by the climatic and soil conditions in Bafou-Nord, which are favourable for potato cultivation. Adjobo et al. (2020) report that the areas with the largest cashew (Anacardium occidentale) farms are those with favourable climatic, soil and geological conditions for this crop.

Scientific and policy research aimed at combating global warming and preserving ecosystems requires knowledge of the various human practices that affect the environment. The aim of this study was to identify current human practices related to potato cultivation in Menoua. Potato farmers in Menoua fall into three categories: smallholders who alternate with cereals (70.91%), smallholders on flood plains (17.27%), and medium-scale farmers who alternate with horticultural crops (11.82%). Of the farmers interviewed, 14% had not been to school, 75% had not received any training, 88.18% did not use the appropriate inputs (doses and qualities) for potatoes, and the yields obtained were low. The pesticides (fungicides, insecticides) used to control diseases are very different and the doses used also vary from one grower to another. Herbicides were used by 44% of the farmers surveyed. Faced with this situation, the scientific community must pay particular attention to the possible effects of agricultural practices on the fauna of agricultural soils, with a view to identifying environmentally friendly farming techniques that meet the growing demand for food.

Funding of the study

No external funding was received for this study.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Menoua for issuing research permits and facilitating contact with growers through the heads of agricultural offices. The authors would also like to thank the potato growers in the Menoua department who agreed to provide informations during data collection.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.

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Potato farmers' typology in Menoua Department, West Region of Cameroon

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Abstract

Figures

1. Introduction

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Presentation of the study site

2.2 Choice of locations for sample collection

2.3 Sampling and data collection

2.4. Data analysis

3. Results and discussion

4. Conclusion

Declarations

References

Status:

Version 1