Faisabilité et adaptation au contexte, les systèmes/plantes retenus en 2006 et 2007 avec atouts et limites. Le bilan de la pré diffusion des SCV 2006 suit avec quelques premiers résultats de la diffusion des SCV en 2007 puis la vision de L'OPCC par rapport la diffusion des SCV.

Stratégie retenue pour l'implication de tous dans la logistique semencière en accompagnement de la diffusion des SCV.

Diaporama sur rendements en maïs et sorgho associés ou non, et en coton sur labour, Semis direct et SCV, données agro-éco et production de biomasse sur projet ESA au Nord Cameroun

Diaporama sur expériences intégration agriculture-élevage au Nord Cameroun: Sorgho + pâturages et jachères.

Economic growth in North Cameroon is based on agriculture relying mainly on the cotton crop. Confronted with the short-comings agricultural intensification model developed 30 years ago which rely on the use of mineral fertiliser and draught animals and the integration of animal and crop production, SODECOTON in collaboration with CIRAD and IRAD are working towards developing Direct seeding Mulch-based Cropping systems (DMC) for the cotton crop and related crops in rotation. Adoption of these systems by farmers is being met with certain difficulties, notably those related with work organisation within the farm holding, poor land tenure regime, rational use of plant biomass between animal feed and soil mulch. Some of these constraints cannot be analysed only at the level of the cropping system nor at that of the farm holdings, since the rules of decision-making do not depend entirely on the farm family head. This work describes the present state of natural resource and land use management at different levels, by grazers and farmers of two village communities and their environs. At the level of farm holdings a structural type-description was done in order to bring out the various strengths and weaknesses in the adoption of DMCfrom the standpoint of the different farmers. Visit of on-farm experimental fields and plots were organised for farmers and grazers. These visits provided a forum for debate in which the system's weaknesses were corrected so as to render the mulchbased cropping system compatible with grazer practices, fodder-biomass and landed-property management.

Direct-seeding mulch-based cropping systems (DMC) now provide an interesting cost-effective alternative for farmers, especially in developing countries, while alleviating environmental degradation and enhancing farmers'production competitiveness. DMC techniques have many agronomic, environmental an economic benefits that have proven effective in diverse settings (mechanized farming, smallholdings). These alternative cropping systems gives hope to many countries for sustainable and highly productive agricultural development.

Ce dossier consacré à cette nouvelle agriculture, est le fruit d'une collaboration entre l'AFD, le Cirad, le MAE et le FFEM. Il a pour objectif de faire connaître cette véritable révolution agronomique au-delà du petit cercle des chercheurs impliqués. Nous espérons que ce dossier apportera une contribution utile aux efforts déployés par tous les partenaires des actions soutenues par l'aide française dans ce domaine, pour promouvoir une agriculture à la fois rentable et durable. La dégradation des sols dans le monde n'est pas une fatalité. Nous pouvons donner aux générations actuelles et futures les moyens de s'en préserver.

About 250 farmers have tried comparing cereal cultivation under direct seeding mulch-based cropping systems (DMC) against the traditional cropping practices from year 2001 to 2004. The on-farm tested systems include mixed cropping of a cereal (maize, sorghum, millet) and a cover crop (mucuna, brachiaria, crotalaria, cowpea, dolichos). These mixed cropping practices are done for the following objectives: 1) Produce aboveground biomass to build-up mulch for the following season's crop (mainly cotton). 2) Soil improvement through the physical and chemical (produce N) contribution of the associated plants. 3) Forage production. 4) Weed control. 5) Protect the soil surface against erosion and rain impact. 6) Produce consumable grains for man and animals. Up till present the tested plants meet the above objectives differentially and are adapted to the local agro climatic conditions of North Cameroon (rainfall from 700 to 1200 mm). Thus Brachiaria ruzisiensis produces aboveground biomass in quantities (4-5 t/ha even under mixed cropping) and quality (persisting as mulch for over one year after production). Further, it is very efficient in controlling Striga and is a good forage crop. However, it can impoverish the soils if its biomass is exported several times without any fertiliser supplements since it is not a nitrogen fixing plant. On the contrary Crotalaria retusa is a nitrogen fixing plant and therefore enriching the soils. This plant is less palatable to animals and therefore advantageous to farmers who cannot protect their farmland from pasturing animals in the dry season. It is equally very efficient in controlling weeds. Four years of experimentation has enabled us to produce practical recommendations in mixed cropping on the following : sowing date, crop type, tolerance to herbicides, competition with cereals, etc. This experimentation has also enabled us to see how the various plants tie with the above-mentioned objectives. On-going research work is on the following: 1) Diversifying the range of plant material available, focusing on local varieties. 2) Extending these cropping techniques to cover vertisols covering tens of thousands of hectares in North Cameroon. 3) Introducing these plants at the beginning and at the end of the cycle of the main crop in order to better use early and the late rains.

Following falling cotton yields in North Cameroon (17kg/ha/an) and the degradation of natural resources, the cotton development corporation (SODECOTON) has put in place many projects since 1994 with the assistance of French Agency for Development (AFD) and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The principal techniques used up till date consist essentially in slowing down soil run-off thanks to anti-erosion land management techniques or soil fertility improvement using manure or fertilising tree crops.

On farm trials in CA are very useful. They provide farmer’s opinions on experimented techniques and enable to take them into account when designing DMC features. But the monitoring is expensive and sometimes fastidious. After these 4 years of trials in farmers’ fields, the effort will be focused on the training of Sodecoton extension team that will be in charge of CA extension to a large scale. At a research point of view, the remaining topics to be focused on are: + selection of adapted fertilisation according to cover plants used in the rotation + selection of herbicide treatment to decrease labour on the field with more weeds (North province) when mulching is not sufficient + production of biomass the same year of the cotton, taking advantage of the first rain of the season.