TCHEOBE Carmel Foulna

Description

The effects of current and future climate change on cropping systems continue to be a major challenge for mankind, and in particular for farmers in sub-Sahelian Africa, who rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture. In northern Cameroon, cotton and maize are respectively the leading cash crops, providing local farmers with around 30% of their income, and maize is a staple in the diets of this population. However, yield losses due to reduced rainfall and increased exposure of land to drought are projected by 2080, resulting in lower maize yields.

On the other hand, increases in CO2 would benefit cotton, a C3 plant. Agroecological cropping systems offer a number of advantages: by modifying certain pedoclimatic parameters beneficial to crops, they can enable cotton and maize cropping systems to be better adapted. Agroforestry (parks with Faidherbia albida, prosopis africa etc.) and conservation agriculture (SCV) are two innovative systems that have been implemented for several years in the northern region, with perceived effects in terms of microclimate and improvements in soil physico-chemical properties. However, little is known to date about the contribution of these agroecological systems to climate change adaptation in this region.

The aim of this project is to model the performance of cotton and maize crops grown in different agroforestry and agricultural cropping systems, and to determine their potential for adaptation to climate change. More specifically, it will involve calibrating and validating the models used, simulating crop yields under several climate change scenarios and identifying their sensitivity to certain changes in climatic parameters. Finally, propose recommendations for cotton/maize cropping systems.