| Titre |
Effect of Climate Variability on Yams (Dioscorea spp.) Production in Central and Northern Benin |
| Auteurs |
Adifon Fiacre Hermann [1],
ATINDOGBE GILBERT [2],
Bello D.O. [3],
BALOGOUN IBOURAIMAN [4],
YABI IBOURAÏMA [5],
DOSSOU JOSEPH [6],
AHOTON Léonard [6],
SAIDOU A. [6],
|
| Journal: |
American Journal of Climate Change |
| Catégorie Journal: |
Internationale |
| Impact factor: |
0 |
| Volume Journal: |
9 |
| DOI: |
|
| Resume |
Climate change poses an important constraint to agricultural sector and food
security in tropical African countries dominated by rain-fed agriculture. This
research focuses on the effects of climate variability on yam production in
central and northern Benin. Daily climate data such as temperatures, precipitation,
potential evapotranspiration, relative humidity and insolation from
1981 to 2016 were collected at the direction of METEO-Benin. A survey was
then conducted with 351 producers to collect their perceptions of the effect of
climate variability on the yams production. Descriptive statistics, principal
component analysis (PCA) followed by trend analyses, Lamb index calculations
and the agro-climatic stress index were carried out. The distribution of
rain during the yam cycle (91.5% of those surveyed), the ambient temperature
(84.9%), insolation (83.5%), the amount of rainwater that fell during the rainy
season (82.2%) and the harmattan (53.3%) are perceived by sociolinguistic
groups as climatic factors affecting the growth, the tuberization and yield of
yams according to the producers. The results indicate an upward trend in
temperature over the period 2001 to 2016 in the transition zone (28.4˚C) and
in the Northeast (27.76˚C) and over the period from 2001 to 2011 in the
North-West of Benin (27.71˚C), where the average annual temperature during
these periods is higher than normal (27.82˚C in the center, 27.44˚C in the
Northeast and 27.42˚C to the northwest). This research also shows an insta-bility of the rains with a regular decrease in the rainfall in the Centre and the
North-East of the country. The agro-climatic stress index (ISA) and above all
the annual rainfall constitute the main climatic factors which determine the
yield of yam in the various growing areas in Benin. The average annual temperature
and that of January in the transition zone, the rains of January and
April in the North-East zone and the relative humidity in the North-West
zone also probability determine the yield of the yam. |
| Mots clés |
Yam, Climate Variability, Yield, Food Security, Benin |
| Pages |
423 - 440 |
| Fichier |
 (PDF) |