The Susceptibility of Cassava Cultivation to the Observed Effects of Rainfall Vagaries around the South Eastern Flanks of Mount Banboutos, Cameroon
Authors: Kumbo Ivodia Tiaze  , Obenebangha Bate Mbi  , Nkwemoh Clement Anguh  , Nji Juliet Karba  
Published: February 2025

The South Eastern Flank of Mount Bamboutos is an epitome of areas in sub-Saharan Africa where crops have witnessed untold impacts of climatic variation. The situation of the strong influence of crops by climatic factors is much more preoccupying during this era when the impacts of the World Food Crisis are increasingly being felt. The condition is even more precarious for some of sub-Saharan Africa's most staple food crops, such as cassava, which are highly needed to feed the rapidly increasing global population. With this notion in mind, a susceptibility assessment of cassava cultivation to the observed effects of rainfall variability in the southeastern flanks of the Bamboutos Mountains in Cameroon has been carried out.
Using a research methodology that included the administration of questionnaires, interviews, and field observation complemented with topographical maps, satellite images and data from other secondary sources, the susceptibility of cassava cultivation to the observed effects of rainfall in the study was investigated. The results show that there has been a decreasing rainy season rainfall, unreliability in the onset and duration of the rainy season, inter-annual fluctuations as well as wide differences in the number of rainy days between the months of the first rains and the second month of rain, the termination of the rainy season and in the duration of rainy days and within the months of onsets and termination of the wet season. Six extreme rainfall anomalies were observed. These anomalies reflect extreme weather conditions, which are unfavourable, especially for agriculture. Results using the quantitative approach of student t-test on the correlation between cassava Production and Rainfall Variation show that for the one-tailed test, the critical value is 1.681952357. Since the absolute value of the t-statistic (4.93) is greater than this critical value, the null hypothesis is rejected. Even for the Two-tailed test, the critical value is 2.018081703. Here again, the absolute value of the t-statistic exceeds the critical value, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis and, therefore, validating the fact that rainfall variation strongly influences cassava production. Results equally obtained from the correlation of the various indices, such as CWD, CDD, RX5, RX10, RX20 and SPEI, show a strong relationship between cassava Production and related rainfall indices. The inter-annual rainfall variability influences cassava production at a 90% level of probability.
The adaptation strategies that have been adopted were viewed at different levels, being both spontaneous and proactive. They include farm-level, plant-level, and farmers-level adaptation strategies and concerted efforts by the government and non-governmental bodies. The recommendations entail the reinforcement of extension workers, improvement of small credit schemes, farm-to-market roads, rehabilitation of Meteorological Centers and the promotion of agro-forestry.