The agriculture-nutrition nexus in North and South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The provinces of North and South Kivu, in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are deeply marked by two decades of conflict. Instability and population displacement have resulted in the destruction of the agricultural base, causing food insecurity and severe malnutrition

The agriculture-nutrition nexus in Haiti

More than one-third of Haiti’s population remains food insecure, despite the efforts of international donors, government ministries and numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Enough food is available in the country to feed everyone, but half of it is imported every year. Chronic poverty prevents much of the country’s population from accessing the food they need. This Technical Brief gives key recommendations to improve food and nutrition security in Haiti

Le lien entre agriculture et nutrition au Nord et au Sud-Kivu en République démocratique du Congo

Les provinces du Nord et du Sud-Kivu, dans l’extrémité est de la République démocratique du Congo, sont profondément marquées par deux décennies de conflit. L’instabilité et les déplacements de population ont entraîné la destruction de l’agriculture de base, provoquant une situation d’insécurité alimentaire et de malnutrition aiguë. Ce Technical Brief présente des recommandations clés pour lutter contre la malnutrition au Kivu

Le lien entre agriculture et nutrition en Haïti

Plus d’un tiers de la population d’Haïti vit encore dans l’insécurité alimentaire, malgré les efforts des bailleurs de fonds internationaux, des ministères concernés et de nombreuses organisations non gouvernementales (ONG). Le pays dispose de suffisamment de denrées alimentaires pour nourrir sa population, mais la moitié des aliments sont importés chaque année. La pauvreté chronique empêche une grande partie de la population du pays de se nourrir correctement. Ce Technical Brief présente des recommandations clés pour lutter contre la malnutrition en Haiti

Response of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Endomycorrhizal Inoculation under Different Phosphorus Application Levels in South-Kivu, Eastern DRC

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been reported to increase yield and phosphorus (P) uptake. However, it is still unclear how the common bean responds to mycorrhizal inoculation when there is a phosphate supply. This research focused on finding out how bean performance will be affected by mycorrhizal inoculation and increasing P dosages in order to reduce phosphate input. The study was conducted during the A 2021 cropping season in Kabare, while a split-plot design was used to compare two levels of inoculation and increasing phosphorus doses. Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation significantly improved mycorrhizal colonization, biomass, yield, and harvest index of beans at 0 and 30 kg P ha-1. Bean plants inoculated with R. irregularis performed better in terms of biomass, yield, and harvest index at 30 kg P ha-1 than non-inoculated and inoculated plants at 60 and 120 kg P ha-1, indicating the potential of AMF in lowering phosphate input. Phosphorus levels of 60 and 120 kg P ha-1 significantly decreased mycorrhizal infection, indicating the impact of inorganic P on the mycorrhizal symbiosis. In the ferralitic soils of Kashusha, mycorrhizal inoculation with R. irregularis may be a key tool for increasing bean production and ensuring phosphate fertilizer savings

Post-harvest constraints of Solanaceae species produced in Kabare Wetlands, Estern Democratic Republic of Congo.

peer reviewedThe Kabare territory wetlands produced a significant quantity of solanaceous crops (potato, tomato and eggplant, etc.). One of the observations is the fact that significant losses are being observed during production and mostly after harvesting. The objective of this study was to assess the post-harvest constraints of the main solanaceous crops grown in these wetlands. A survey was carried out among 225 randomly selected households from four wetlands that lied down six districts to characterize the producers, identify the post-harvest techniques used and the constraints observed. Samples of solanaceous products were preserved for 15 days according to the local preservation techniques used to evaluate their effectiveness. The results showed that the producers face numerous post-harvest constraints of three types: structural, technical, and technological. These constraints a varied from value chain actor group to another. Most of the methods used by producers were mostly classified as moderately effective, and did not allow the quality of the products to be preserved, while quantitative losses remained very significant high. Besides, other external factors such as environmental and socio-economic factors contributed significantly also to these losses. Much losses are observed on tomato than on potato and eggplant; only a few preservation methods were classified as effective, notably tuber sorting (– 60%), the use of ice cubes (– 65%), and the use of pesticides (– 70%). Methods such as spreading out in a corner of the house (60%) and storage in the bag (50%) were classified as less effective for more than half by the farmers. Although suffering significant losses, these solanaceous crops provided important household income and thus contributed to food security in the area. Crop production and preservation have to be improved while effective production practices in Kabare and South-Kivu wetlands, eastern of DR Congo, have to be implemented

Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and plant density improve grain yield, nodulation capacity, and profitability of peas (Pisum sativum L.) on ferralsols in eastern D.R. Congo

peer reviewedAbstractSustaining high crop yield and profitability on marginal soils, such as degraded ferralsols, calls for the use of adequate farming practices. In this study, we assessed for four cropping seasons the effect of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer application doses (100, 150, and 200 kg ha−1) and plant densities (100,000, 166,666, and 250,000 plants ha−1) on growth, yield, nodulation capacity, and profitability of two pea varieties (Adei and Rwanda) under degraded ferralsols in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Results showed that pea growth, yield, nodulation, and profitability were significantly affected by the DAP dose and the plant density. Application of 150 kg ha−1 of DAP improved pea yields from 730 to 1720 kg ha−1 and nodulation from 17 to 22 nodules per plant. The number of active nodules was positively correlated with total number of nodules, DAP doses, yield parameters, and plant height. High grain yield was recorded during the long rainy season (1400 kg ha−1) compared to the short one (930 kg ha−1). All DAP doses were profitable according to the agronomic efficiency (AE) and value–cost ratio (VCR) analyses. For improved and profitable pea production on degraded South-Kivu ferralsols, applying 150 kg ha−1 of DAP combined with low plant density are to be recommended and preferably in the long rainy season

Fortification with mushroom flour (Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm) and substitution of wheat flour by cassava flour in bread-making: Nutritional and technical implications in eastern DR Congo

peer reviewedBackground: The import of wheat flour is the major driver for the high prices and low use of bakery products in nonproducing tropical countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These products' high prices worsen the risk of malnutrition and food insecurity among rural and resource-poor populations. This study aimed at substituting the imported wheat flour with less expensive local cassava flour fortified with oyster mushroom flour in order to mitigate the nutritional crisis in the region. Methodology: Series of experiments were conducted by substituting wheat flour with cassava flour at proportions of 10-25% to find the optimal combination. In addition, oyster mushroom flour (2.5-10%) was added to the composite flour to compensate for nutrient deficiencies of cereals and tuber crops. The overall aim was to identify the optimal wheat-cassava-mushroom combination, improving the nutritional value of breads while keeping their physicochemical and organoleptic properties. Results: Results showed that 0-10% mushroom flour increased bread protein from 19.63 to 22.66%. Besides, 7.5% mushroom flour allowed rising the bread calories from 311.8 to 354.5 kcal, and the dry matter from 77.33 to 87.86%. The wheat substitution for cassava fortified with mushroom flour negatively affected the bread volume, color and taste (p < 0.001). However, other organoleptic features remained unchanged. The different breads were microbiologically stable for bacteria, but susceptible to fungal attacks. Conclusion: This study recommended 5-15-80% and 10-10-80% mushroom-cassava-wheat composite flour for better bakery results, good consistency and high protein and energy contents, for improving the nutritional status of populations in the tropical non-wheat producing regions such as DRC. Efforts are necessary to improve the taste and color of the mushroom-fortified bread to increase its uptake and competitiveness in the local markets

Gully erosion susceptibility mapping using four machine learning methods in Luzinzi watershed, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

peer reviewedSoil erosion by gullying causes severe soil degradation, which in turn leads to severe socio-economic and environmental damages in tropical and subtropical regions. To mitigate these negative effects and guarantee sustainable management of natural resources, gullies must be prevented. Gully management strategies start by devising adequate assessment tools and identification of driving factors and control measures. To achieve this, machine learning methods are essential tools to assist in the identification of driving factors to implement site-specific control measures. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of four machine learning methods (Random Forest (RF), Maximum of Entropy (MaxEnt), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Boosted Regression Tree (BRT)) to identify gully's driving factors, and predict gully erosion susceptibility in the Luzinzi watershed, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Competitive relationships in potato/maize intercropping : involvement of root system architecture

Potato/maize intercropping is practised in many tropical countries because it offers several benefits for sustainability. However, the practical use of this system is often limited by a relatively low maize or potato yields. This thesis analyses the competitive relationships in potato/maize intercropping with a focus on the root system architecture (RSA) and below-ground competition. Field experiments were conducted in South Kivu, eastern of D.R.Congo to quantify the effects of interspecific competition (IC) on the yields of the two species. These were followed by greenhouse and virtual experiments designed to separate above- and belowground competition in order to improve our understanding of these competitions. The results obtained in field conditions suggest that the density of maize should be equal or lower than that of potato to improve the relative yield in intercropping comparatively to sole crops. A strip crop has an advantage comparatively to simple row alternating because of the better light interception by the crops in the canopy. Simultaneous sowing of the two partners can be beneficial compared to a delayed maize sowing. The greenhouse's results show an asymmetric development of potato and maize in ntercropping. Canopy was dominated by potato during the first 45 days after planting and by maize thereafter in simultaneously sowing. Maize does not seem to tolerate early competition for light, as illustrated by the dramatic effect of a delay in maize germination or sowing on RSA and maize grain yield. This response reflects the fraction of incident radiation intercepted by potato at early stage and possibly some level of IC for belowground resources due to the contrasting temporal patterns of root growth and soil exploration of the two species. The superiority of the potato RSA at early stage would result from its rapid, synchronized growth and its horizontal to oblique growth habit, in presence of a maize root system that is only progressively established and has a rather vertical growth behaviour. For potato, the number of stolons and of adventitious roots per stolon were increased under shoot IC, probably as a consequence of a reduction of the soil temperature and an increase of soil moisture. Finally, the distribution of potato roots and potato tuber yield were not affected by the full IC.Doctorat en sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique (AGRO 3)--UCL, 200