Amélioration du système traditionnel de caféiculture au Cameroun par l'introduction de trois innovations techniques

Abstract

Improvement of traditional coffee farming system in Cameroon by introducing three technical innovations. With the aim to improve the traditional coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre, var. Robusta) growing practices in the Center of Cameroon, trials were conducted with coffee farmers. Three innovations were tested: use of selected coffee materials, double-line hedge planting, and their association with food-crops in the space between coffee lines. Three years after planting, the superiority of the newly tested system is obvious. The selected coffee clones were 2.4 more productive than ordinary seedlings taken in old plantations. Similarly, with the double-line hedge system with food-crops in the space between coffee lines, the production of calories was increased by 2.8 and the production of proteins by 5.2 compared with the traditional system. From an economic point of view, the current crisis in the coffee production has reduced the interest of farmers for highly selected coffee material. However, it has strengthened their interest for the newly tested planting system with a wider space for food-crops. The profi t margin of the improved system is estimated to be 257,600 CFA instead of 100,150 CFA for the traditional system using foodcrop in between coffee trees. All crops taken together, the improved system gives a rise of 300 CFA per work day, compared to the traditional coffee farming system

Keywords

• Coffea canephora
• Cameroon
• crop combination
• fertilization
• profi tability