Banana and plantain production systems in Benin: ethnobotanical investigation, varietal diversity, pests, and implications for better production

The cultivated banana and plantain (Musa spp.) are valuable for nutritional and socio-economic security for millions of people worldwide. In Benin, banana and plantain are among the most produced, consumed, and traded commodities. Its production is mainly for local consumption and remains insufficient to the demand. However, the varietal diversity of banana and plantain cultivated in Benin is not documented. This study aims at characterizing the banana and plantain cropping systems, genetic diversity, and production constraints as a baseline to the full utilization of this resource in crop improvement and to identify the potential production and agronomic qualities. A baseline investigation of ethnobotanical attributes of banana cultivars was done in 51 randomly chosen villages in southern Benin. Interviews with randomly selected representative farmers were carried out. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used for global confirmatory investigation of survey data. Socio-demographic data and indigenous knowledge on the farmer uses of banana and plantain diversity, such as cultural practices, origin, and availability of banana and plantain planting materials, and the constraints and criteria of varietal preference cited by farmers were ranked. Eighty-seven locally recognized cultivars were found: 73 of banana and 14 of plantain groups. The most popular cultivars were Sotoumon (banana) (52.94%), Aloga (plantain) (41.17%), Planta (banana) (33.33%), and Adjangan (plantain) (27.45%). Of the eleven production constraints identified, the main biotic challenges were banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus Germar and banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), while abiotic problems were drought and the wind. Some local varieties like Amandan, Assonwonnou, Coleti, and Ninkouin are extremely rare owing to agronomic and economic preference perceptions. This study provides a baseline for banana diversity in Benin and the West African region and entry points for biological characterization and production improvement. This would enable the exploitation of this resource for plant breeding towards biotic and abiotic challenges facing banana production

Perceptions paysannes et impacts des changements climatiques sur la production et la diversité variétale de l’igname dans la zone aride du nord-ouest du Bénin

L’igname (Dioscorea spp.) est une culture vivrière de grande importance pour la sécurité alimentaire au Bénin. Cependant, sa production dans le département de l’Atakora (extrême Nord-Ouest) est sérieusement affectée par les changements climatiques. Pour analyser les perceptions paysannes des changements climatiques, documenter les impacts de ceux-ci sur la production des ignames et les stratégies d'adaptation développées pour y faire face, quinze (15) villages ont été sélectionnés au hasard et explorés. Les producteurs ont signalé des fluctuations de température et de pluviométrie, une augmentation de la température et une diminution de la pluviométrie corroborées par l’analyse des données météorologiques. L’âge et le genre influencent significativement la perception paysanne des changements climatiques. Les impacts les plus importants sont la baisse de rendement, la pourriture des tubercules et des semences, l’appauvrissement et la dégradation des sols et la prolifération des insectes et ravageurs. Les stratégies adoptées inclus entre autres le paillage des buttes, le déplacement vers les zones humides et l’utilisation de bonnes pratiques culturales et de la diversité variétale. Cette capacité d’adaptation des producteurs pourrait être accompagnée par les politiques publiques mais ceux-ci devront tenir compte des différents facteurs influençant la capacité d’adaptation des producteurs déterminés au cours de cette étude.Mots clés : Critères de préférence, cultivars tolérants, sécheresse, stratégies d’adaptation, variabilité climatique

Diversity of the Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species of Importance in Benin

Many of the plant species that are cultivated for food across the world are neglected and underutilized. To assess their diversity in Benin and identify the priority species and establish their research needs, a survey was conducted in 50 villages distributed throughout the country. The study revealed 41 neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) among which 19 were identified as of priority base on 10 criteria among which included their extent and degree of consumption. Reasons for neglect vary with the producers and the agricultural technicians. Market surveys revealed that NUCS are important source of household incomes and substantially contribute to poverty reduction. Review of the literature available revealed that most of the species are rich in nutrients and have some proven medicinal values and the promotion of their use would help in combating malnutrition and improving the health status of the local populations. The knowledge gaps and research needs are immense on most of the species identified as no concrete scientific data is nationally available. In terms of research, almost all has to be done starting from basic ethnobotanical investigation. The results will help the scientists and students willing to conduct research on NUCS in Benin to better orient their research programs

Genetic diversity and relationship of Guinea yam (Dioscorea cayenensis Lam.-D. rotundata Poir. complex) germplasm in Benin (west Africa) using microsatellite markers

Guinea yam (Dioscorea cayenensis–D. rotundata complex) is an important tuber crop that highly contributes to food security and poverty alleviation in Benin. The knowledge and understanding of the extent of genetic variation of Guinea yam germplasm is important for planning of the genetic conservation, and the utilisation of this resource. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and relationships of 64 yam landraces whose dried chips are considered as resistant to insect attacks using 41 simple sequence repeat. Among these primers, 13 were found to be polymorphic, giving 113 polymorphic alleles. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 (Ym50) to 13 (Ym29), with an average of 8.69. Unique allele was observed with some landraces (Singou and Tchakatchaka) and can be considered as unique gene and use in yam breeding program. The mean polymorphic information content values for all markers used was 0.76 and ranged between 0.58 and 0.91 in loci YM3 and YM32 respectively. The genetic distance of yam landraces ranged from 0.45 (Yasoubagarou) to 0.04 (Assinapeira and Alahina), indicating that the yam germplasm has a high degree of genetic diversity supported by an averagely observed heterozygosity of 0.78. Cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average grouped the 64 yam landraces into two distinct clusters. This tendency was also observed in the principal coordinate analysis. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 96 % of the variation was found within the population and only 4 % between the populations. Genetic diversity and relationship assessments among the 64 yam landraces of Benin could provide useful information for efficient use of these materials, especially for genetic improvement