Determinants de la performance des exploitations agricoles a Kabare, Sud-Kivu, est de la Republique Democratique du Congo

La situation alimentaire du Sud-Kivu est d’autant plus préoccupante que les statistiques la classe parmi les Provinces les plus affectées par la famine en RD. Congo. Cette situation serait due à la faiblesse des exploitations agricoles de subvenir aux besoins alimentaires de la population. Pour cela, une enquête a été effectuée auprès de producteurs dans le but de déterminer les facteurs qui limitent la performance des exploitations agricoles. Les résultats obtenus de typologie des exploitations agricoles de Kabare montrent qu’elles peuvent être regroupées en quatre grandes classes selon les critères de classification considérés, (65.60 %) des exploitants sont des femmes et leur niveau d’instruction est l’école primaire (45,00 %). La principale source de revenu reste la vente de produits agricoles (78,80 %). De plus, nos resultats ont montré que les facteurs qui déterminent la viabilité des exploitations paysannes sont, la quantité et le prix de la main-d’œuvre utilisée, la la taille de l’exploitation (superficie) ; le nombre de bétails élevés, l’âge des exploitants, l’ancienneté en agriculture, la taille du ménage, l’appartenance à une association paysanne de développement ainsi que le niveau d’étude. Ces résultats supposent avec grand intérêt la prise en compte de ces déterminants comme facteurs clés dans toutes les actions de viabilisation des exploitations, gage d’une normalisation de la sécurité alimentaire des ménages tant ruraux qu’urbains.Mots-clés : agriculture, pauvreté, sécurité alimentaire, croissance démographiqueDeterminants of farm performance in Kabare, South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of CongoThe Food situation in South Kivu is more worrying because statistics rank it among the provinces where the most affected by famine. This situation is due to the weakness of farms to meet population’s food needs. For this, a survey was conducted among small producers to determine the factors that determine the performance of their farms. The results obtained show that these farms are classified in four major classes according to the classification criteria considered, (65.60%) of the farmers are women and their education status is primary school (45.00%). The main source of income remains the sale of agricultural products (78.80%). The factors determining the viability of the agricultural exploitations are, the quantity of the labor used, the daily price of it, the area exploited; the number of animals in livestock, the age of farmers, the length of service in agriculture, the size of the household, membership of a farmers association of development as well as the level of study. These results assume with great interest the consideration of these determinants as key factors in all farm-servicing actions, a guarantee of a normalization of the food security of both rural and urban households.Keywords : agriculture, poverty, food security, population growt

Aflatoxin and fumonisin mycotoxins contamination along the maize value chain in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination was assessed in different samples along the maize value chain in different territories of South Kivu province. Kabare and Ruzizi Plain were chosen as they represent two different agroecological areas where maize is mostly produced. Twelve districts and one town were selected across the province. The stakeholders were randomly selected, and 215 maize (139 maize grain and 76 maize flour) samples were taken for laboratory analysis. The Q + kit was used to determine the total aflatoxins and fumonisins. Three categories of maize were examined: freshly harvested dry maize, stored maize (maize stored for 3 months ±1.5 month) and market maize. Aflatoxin was found in 100% of the maize samples with the least content of 0.3 μg/kg detected in freshly harvested dry maize with mean 3.2+0.3 and levels ranging from 0.3 to 18.5 μg/kg. The average level of aflatoxin in stored grain samples was 97.9±182 μg/kg within a range of 1.16 to 841.5 μg/kg, and the mean level of aflatoxin in stored flour was 148.9±164.5 μg/kg with levels ranging from 2.05 to 905.1 μg/kg. The mean level of aflatoxin maize collected from the market was 95.1 ±164 μg/kg, with levels ranging from 1 to 823.2 μg/kg. Almost all the maize flour collected from the three areas had a high contamination level that exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 10 μg/kg. Fumonisin was detected in all samples. However, the levels of fumonisin do not follow a specific trend with the duration of storage. The freshly harvested dry maize concentration was 2.4±5.1 μg/g, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 20.9μg/g. About 37% of freshly harvested maize samples contaminated by fumonisin exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 4 μg/kg. There was a difference between total fumonisin in grain and flour; the average level of fumonisin in stored maize grain was 1.4±0.9 μg/g with levels ranging from 0.18- 4.7 μg/g while in flour, the level was 2.1±1.3 μg/g with levels ranging from 0.3-4.5 μg/g. Almost all the maize samples collected from the three areas had a degree of contamination that did not exceed the maximum tolerable limit of 4 μg/g. These results indicate that the two mycotoxin levels, particularly aflatoxin, were high in the different samples collected at specific nodes. Therefore, preventing mycotoxins accumulation in maize by post-harvest prevention of contamination and growth of toxigenic moulds by promoting proper grain drying and storage should be encouraged among the actors of the maize value chain.&nbsp

Smallholder farmers' perception and challenges toward the use of crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts in livestock feeding systems in eastern DR Congo

The extent of crop residues and agricultural byproducts utilization for their integration in feeding systems in Eastern DR Congo was assessed in South-Kivu (Walungu territoire) and two territoires in the Tanganyika province (Kalemie and Moba territoires). Data were collected through 21 focus group discussions in which 273 farmers participated including respectively 116 (42%) from South Kivu and 157 (58%) from Tanganyika province. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors influencing the adoption of crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts as livestock feeds. Results revealed that all the respondents keep goats and chicken as major livestock. In all the territoires, crop residues (26.9%) were utilized more than agro-industrial byproducts (6.4%). Both crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts were most utilized in Walungu (39%, 10.3%), compared to Moba (18.3%, 6.2%) and Kalemie (23.4%, 2.7%). Sixteen types of crop residues and eight agro-industrial byproducts were identified and categorized into cereal crop residues (4), legume crop residues (4), root crop residues (3), fruit crop residues (3) and other crop residues (2). These crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts were generally sourced from around the homesteads and available and utilized throughout the year. They were often fed to livestock twice daily. The main constraints affecting adoption of crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts were access to information, lack of knowledge, poor infrastructures, high cost of transportation of material, storage and conservation facilities, the toxicity of material and plant diseases, high cost of products, microbial infestation and the insufficient supply of the material. Improving the utilization of crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts in the livestock feeding system in these territoires should tackle the above mentioned factors for sufficient utilization

Contribution of ‘human induced fires’ to forest and savanna land conversion dynamics in the Luki Biosphere Reserve landscape, western Democratic Republic of Congo

peer reviewedHuman-induced fire is one of the most important determinants of forest cover and change in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Yet its impact on forest cover and forest cover change remains unclear, as fires in Africa generally do not spread over very large area. This is particularly the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a region of the world that is still poorly investigated. Here, we propose to study the effect of humaninduced fire on land use and land cover change in a protected area of the DRC, i.e. the Luki Biosphere Reserve (LBR). We investigate tree cover changes in and around the reserve between 2002 and 2019 using Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS and MODIS MCD12Q1 images and quantify human induced fires using MODIS MCD64A1 images. The study combines land use and land cover (LULC) change detection analysis of four images, two acquired in 2002 and two acquired in 2019, with multi-temporal assessment of annual burnt area acquired between 2002 and 2019 from MODIS MCD64A1 to assess the role of fire in LULC changes and the sensitivity of different LULC types to fire. The results show a dynamic conversion of primary forest to secondary forest over about 16% of the area, the evolution of savanna to secondary forest over 9.6% (Landsat image) and the replacement of secondary forest by savanna over 8.1% (MODIS image) of the total area of Luki Reserve. Of the total area undergoing land use change, 34.1% (Landsat image) and 35.7% (MODIS image) were caused by fire, which however did not cause a significant LULC change. For the LULC types that experienced fire events, the least stable type was KEYWORD

Therapeutic effects of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) seed powder against reproductive toxicity induced by Mancozeb (herbicide) in female rabbits

Pesticides like Mancozeb are being increasingly indispensable in the control of crop pests. Unfortunately, they have been implicated in genotoxicity due to their ubiquity, toxicological properties, persistence and presence in the food chain. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of powdered avocado seed on reproductive parameters in the management of oxidative stress in female rabbits caused by the herbicide Mancozeb. Twenty-eight female rabbits aged 7–8 months and weighing between 2780.4 g and 3143.7 g were randomly divided into four groups of seven rabbits each. Each group received for 90 consecutive days distilled water or Mancozeb associated or not with avocado seed powder orally as follows: T1: 10 ml distilled water; T2, T3 and T4: 100 mg/kg bw Mancozeb. This was followed by oral administration of 250, 500, and 0 mg/kg of avocado seed powder for T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Water and feed were distributed ad libitum. Collected data concerned growth, carcass and reproductive performances, hematological and biochemistry characteristics. Results demonstrated that pregnant and lactating female rabbits administered Mancozeb exhibited a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in food intake, body weight, and body weight gain. Female rabbits exposed to Mancozeb had a decrease in litter size and weight from birth to weaning, as well as in weaning body weight and weight increase, fertility and prolificacy rate, milk yield, and daily milk efficiency. However, administration of avocado seed powder reversed (P < 0.05) the trends in these parameters in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in relative weight of the kidney and liver, concentrations of urea, creatinine, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, mean cell volume, white blood cells, and lymphocytes were all associated with increased Mancozeb rates (P < 0.05). On the contrary, administration of the Mancozeb caused decrease in hemoglobin (Hb), Red blood Cell (RBC) and protein content. Administration of avocado seed powder significantly (P < 0.05) ameliorated the Mancozeb effects on these parameters. Applying 500 mg/kg b.w Avocado seed powder may be suggested as an alternative therapy for reproductive defects induced by Mancozeb in female rabbits

Aflatoxin and fumonisin mycotoxins contamination along the maize value chain in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination was assessed in different samples along the maize value chain in different territories of South Kivu province. Kabare and Ruzizi Plain were chosen as they represent two different agroecological areas where maize is mostly produced. Twelve districts and one town were selected across the province. The stakeholders were randomly selected, and 215 maize (139 maize grain and 76 maize flour) samples were taken for laboratory analysis. The Q + kit was used to determine the total aflatoxins and fumonisins. Three categories of maize were examined: freshly harvested dry maize, stored maize (maize stored for 3 months ±1.5 month) and market maize. Aflatoxin was found in 100% of the maize samples with the least content of 0.3 µg/kg detected in freshly harvested dry maize with mean 3.2+0.3 and levels ranging from 0.3 to 18.5 µg/kg. The average level of aflatoxin in stored grain samples was 97.9±182 µg/kg within a range of 1.16 to 841.5 µg/kg, and the mean level of aflatoxin in stored flour was 148.9±164.5 µg/kg with levels ranging from 2.05 to 905.1 µg/kg. The mean level of aflatoxin maize collected from the market was 95.1 ±164 µg/kg, with levels ranging from 1 to 823.2 µg/kg. Almost all the maize flour collected from the three areas had a high contamination level that exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 10 µg/kg. Fumonisin was detected in all samples. However, the levels of fumonisin do not follow a specific trend with the duration of storage. The freshly harvested dry maize concentration was 2.4±5.1 µg/g, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 20.9µg/g. About 37% of freshly harvested maize samples contaminated by fumonisin exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 4 µg/kg. There was a difference between total fumonisin in grain and flour; the average level of fumonisin in stored maize grain was 1.4±0.9 µg/g with levels ranging from 0.18- 4.7 µg/g while in flour, the level was 2.1±1.3 µg/g with levels ranging from 0.3-4.5 µg/g. Almost all the maize samples collected from the three areas had a degree of contamination that did not exceed the maximum tolerable limit of 4 µg/g. These results indicate that the two mycotoxin levels, particularly aflatoxin, were high in the different samples collected at specific nodes. Therefore, preventing mycotoxins accumulation in maize by post-harvest prevention of contamination and growth of toxigenic moulds by promoting proper grain drying and storage should be encouraged among the actors of the maize value chain