Etude de la filière rotin dans le district d'Abidjan (Sud Côte d'Ivoire)

Study of rattan production-to-consumption system in the district of Abidjan (South Côte dIvoire). The domestication of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) requires an evaluation of their social and economical potentials in the target zones. The present work deals with this problematic in the district of Abidjan (South Côte dIvoire) in order to suggest for this zone, a community-based forest management plan, allowing a conservation and sustainable exploitation of rattan, used as plant model. From interviews and printed forms addressed to 42 rural families composed of about 200 persons, 30 rattan collectors, 12 rattan raw stems traders, 187 craftsmen distributed among 60 workroom and ten urban families (about 70 persons) we determine the commercial channels and evaluate the economic profit of rattan exploitation for each social category involved. We also note the different problems encountered by rattan operators. Data show that rattan trade is profitable at both rural and urban levels, suggesting that this plant should be a NWFP biological model for the implementation of rural forests management and sustainable exploitation program. Then we showed that the exploitation of 250 bunches used for furniture production generated a global income equalled 2830 or 2877 US $according to harvester (farmer or collector from town). Of this global income, 375US$ (13.03%) are owned by farmers, 696 (24.59%) by harvesters, 929 (32.39%) or 561 (19.82%) by canes wholesalers, and 1573 (54.67 or 55.58%, according the case) by craftsmen. Nevertheless, many legislative, institutional, and logistic constraints threat presently the stability and expansion of rattan industry. From obtained data, suggestions are made either for forests management and sustainable exploitation strategies and a best organisation of rattan channels

Effet des dates de semis sur la performance agronomique de Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (Cucurbitaceae) et Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae) en culture associée

Effect of sowing dates on the agronomic performance of the intercrops: Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (Cucurbitaceae) and Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae). Description of the subject. The intercropping system is a beneficial method, which is widely used in tropical areas for sustainable soil fertility management, and has been found to improve both the yields of traditional agriculture and the income of small producers. Objectives. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the effect of associated culture and pure culture of cucurbit Lagenaria siceraria creeping plant and the variety of cassava Manihot esculenta var. 'Bonoua Blanc' upright plant on the agronomic performance of each crop. Method. An experiment was established in randomized complete block design with three replicates per treatment. The treatments compared were firstly, associated crops M. esculenta var. 'Bonoua Blanc' / L. siceraria with cucurbit seedlings at 0 days (CAT0), 15 days (CAT15), 30 days (CAT30) and 45 days (CAT45) after cassava; secondly, pure cultures of cucurbit on the same dates as for associated crops (CPT0, CPT15, CPT30 and CPT45), and thirdly, a pure culture of cassava at 0 days (CP). Nine agronomic characteristics were analyzed in cucurbit and eight in cassava. Results. The agronomic parameters evaluated were the yield components of cassava, which varied with the increase in seedling time of cucurbit. However, the performance of cucurbit decreased with the increase in seedlings either in the associated crop or in pure culture. Performance also decreased sharply for the same sowing dates in pure culture. Despite high productivity when cucurbit was simultaneously planted with cassava, it remained low compared to the cucurbit pure crop. Conclusions. Intercropping of cucurbit L. siceraria and cassava M. esculenta was not found to be beneficial to the yield of the individual crops. However, the use of cucurbit as an intercropping cover crop helps to conserve soil moisture and to manage arable land and weeds for the benefit of cassava crops