No abstract

Urban growth, coupled with increasing vegetable demand, has led to the utilization of lowlands in Cameroon for agricultural production. This study investigates the factors influencing the farming practices and the prevalence of diseases in vegetable producers through a cross-sectional survey of 130 farmers. Using logistic regression models, we found a positive association between education level and farm size with the overall quantity of fertilizer, both organic and mineral, used. Pesticide usage was positively associated with the number of years a farm had been cultivated, but it was negatively associated with land ownership. However, the number of years that farms had been cultivated was negatively associated with mineral fertilizer applications. In general, the prevalence of waterborne diseases was linked to the education level, while malaria prevalence was linked to the gender of the farmers. The location of cultivated areas significantly influenced the likelihood of reporting malaria and headaches. Despite the associated health risks, vegetable production is necessary for farmers’ livelihoods in the lowlands of Yaoundé. Therefore, policymakers should provide measures to optimize the benefits of urban agriculture, including training in safe farming techniques to minimize the associated health risks.

In order to improve the production and commercialization of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.) in Cameroon, an inventory on the use of available resources and peasant agronomic practices is a necessary prerequisite. Their understanding can help to establish efficient strategies to enhance this neglected crop. The objective of this work was therefore to identify the uses and the peasant knowledge on the Bambara groundnut in Cameroon. To this effect, a survey on the use of Bambara groundnut was carried out through interviews and direct discussions with farmers in the main production areas (Far North, Adamawa, Littoral (Coastal), Centre, North-West and West) of Cameroon. The survey revealed that in Cameroon, Bambara groundnut is mainly grown by women (74%). Monoculture (60%) is the most widely used cropping system; 40% of farmers associate it with other crops such as groundnuts, maize, sesame, okra, millet, sorghum, beans, egusi or pumpkin, and tubers. It is produced mainly on small land areas by the elderly. It is mainly cultivated by the poor peasants and without soil amendments. Several landraces are cultivated, the preferred varieties varying according to the production basins. Seed storage is mainly done with chemicals in closed containers. Weeds, lack of improved varieties, low yields, diseases and pests (insects, rodents) are the main production constraints identified. Results of this study could be exploited for the improvement and vulgarization of Bambara groundnut in Cameroon.

This study examines quality and variability of FS collected in Yaounde City. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied for the description of FS data obtained in the context of Yaounde (Cameroon). Almost 13 parameters for the appreciation of the FS characteristics (temperature, pH, electric conductivity, salinity, COD, BOD 5 , NH 4 + , TKN, TS, TVS, TSS, water content and total helminth eggs) were measured in 53 different samples originated from various on-sanitation systems found around the town represented by septic tanks, traditional latrines, ventilated improved pit latrines and piped equipped latrines located all around the town. FS samples were classified into 9 clusters with 72.91% of variation within the samples of the same cluster and 27.09% of variation between clusters. PCA of the whole data set indicated about 78% of the total variance with the first component accounting for 28.38% of the total variance and significantly correlated with COD, BOD 5 , NH 4 + , TKN, TS and total helminth eggs. The second component accounting for 18.54% of the total variance correlated with electric conductivity, salinity and TVS. We found that the quality of FS is significantly different (p< 0.05) between groups of latrines. The p-values obtained after the Kruskall Wallis test were 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.002 respectively for the parameters salinity, TKN, DCO, TSS and Water content. On the base of this study, it can be concluded that PCA and HCA could be helpful for the representation and interpretation of high variable FS quality data produced in urban and rural area of developing countries.

In this study, we investigated the distribution and the principal sources of macronutrients (N, P, K, S) in groundwater in agro-pastorally dominated North Cameroon. Graphical methods and multivariate statistics were used to understand the impact of land use and regional geology on nutrient concentrations (K+, NO3−, SO42−, PO43−). Groundwater was acidic (median pH 6.8) and more mineralized (EC range = 35–2500 µS/cm, median = 376 µS/cm) than surface water (EC range = 50–222 µS/cm, median = 81 µS/cm). The median concentration of nutrients was (in mg/L) in the order NO3− (41.3) > SO42− (7.7) > K+ (5.2) > PO43− (0.1) in groundwater and rather K+ (3.3) > NO3− (0.3) > SO42− (0.2) > PO43− (0.2) in surface water. Using hierarchical cluster analysis and Schoeller diagram, we identified three distinct water quality groups. Group I, which contained cluster 1 and 2 were generally less mineralized and characterised as Na + K − HCO3 water type found in the urban area such as Garoua and Lagdo. Group II, containing cluster 3 was much higher mineralized and characterised as the Na + K − HCO3 water type with elevated nitrate. The occurrence of these groups is linked to the outcrops of cretaceous terrestrial sediments of the Garoua basin. Group III, which contained cluster 4 were heavily mineralized and characterised as the Ca + Mg − NO3 water type. The occurrence was controlled by the outcrop of the crystalline Proterozoic basement. The nitrate median (41 mg/L) found in groundwater demonstrates the influence exerted by anthropogenic activities. Management strategies are required for the whole study area to limit further deterioration of groundwater resources in the wake of the planned expansion of agricultural productivity in the North Region of Cameroon.