10.3.3 Agro-diversity Management
Twenty-six crop species were recorded with a total of 55 cultivars i.e. separate
genetic entities (Table 10.7). There is a relatively high mean number of cultivars per
crop species within the study area, with six cultivars for cassava and five cultivars for
plantain. About 12% of crop species have four or more cultivars, 8% have three,
58% have two cultivars and 23% have just one cultivar.
Traditional forest–agriculture practices follow the forest-cropping fallow-forest
conversion cycle, which begins with forest clearing and burning for developing
Cucumeropsis agroforestry systems (Sect. 10.1). Traditional practices influence
decisions over the conservation of various forest tree species within farming plots
during this cycle. Through ecological surveys, we assess below the size of the
remaining trees and agro-diversity in terms of tree species.
Generally speaking, smaller plants are cleared, and larger trees are left relatively
intact within cleared plots. In particular, Fig. 10.2 implies that plant size influences
Table 10.7 Crop species and cultivars per species within the mixed food-crop agroforestry system
Crop species
Common name
Local name
Number of cultivars
Manihot esculenta
Cassava
Mbon
6
Musa paradisiaca
Plantain
Ekon
5
Arachis hypogea
Groundnut
Owondo
4
Zea mays
Maize
Fon
3
Solanum nigrum
Eggplant
Zom
3
Vernonia amygdalina
Ndole
Metet
2
Musa sapientum
Banana
Odjoé
2
Ipomea batatas
Sweet potatoe
Meboura
2
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Macabo
Akaba
2
Allium spp
Onion
Ayan
2
Amaranthus spp
Amarantha
Folong
2
Carica papaya
Papaya
Fofo
2
Corchorus olitorius
Tegue
2
C. mannii
Melon seed
Ngôn
2
Cucurbita spp
Squash
Ndzeng
2
Hibiscus esculentus
Gumbo
Etetam
2
Solanum incanum
Eggplant
Zong
2
Capsicum spp.
Pepper
Ondondo
2
Lycopersicon esculentum
Tomatoe
Ngoro
2
Dioscorea sp
Yam
Ekoara
2
Colocasia esculenta
Cocoyam
Atu
1
Talinum triangulare
Epinard
Elók soup
1
Solanum aethiopicum
Eggplant
Zom nnam
1
Nicotiana tabacum
Tabaco
Ta’a
1
Cucumis sativa
Cucumber
Ombalak
1
Solanum tuberosum
Potatoe
Atora
1
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
331
Twenty-six crop species were recorded with a total of 55 cultivars i.e. separate
genetic entities (Table 10.7). There is a relatively high mean number of cultivars per
crop species within the study area, with six cultivars for cassava and five cultivars for
plantain. About 12% of crop species have four or more cultivars, 8% have three,
58% have two cultivars and 23% have just one cultivar.
Traditional forest–agriculture practices follow the forest-cropping fallow-forest
conversion cycle, which begins with forest clearing and burning for developing
Cucumeropsis agroforestry systems (Sect. 10.1). Traditional practices influence
decisions over the conservation of various forest tree species within farming plots
during this cycle. Through ecological surveys, we assess below the size of the
remaining trees and agro-diversity in terms of tree species.
Generally speaking, smaller plants are cleared, and larger trees are left relatively
intact within cleared plots. In particular, Fig. 10.2 implies that plant size influences
Table 10.7 Crop species and cultivars per species within the mixed food-crop agroforestry system
Crop species
Common name
Local name
Number of cultivars
Manihot esculenta
Cassava
Mbon
6
Musa paradisiaca
Plantain
Ekon
5
Arachis hypogea
Groundnut
Owondo
4
Zea mays
Maize
Fon
3
Solanum nigrum
Eggplant
Zom
3
Vernonia amygdalina
Ndole
Metet
2
Musa sapientum
Banana
Odjoé
2
Ipomea batatas
Sweet potatoe
Meboura
2
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Macabo
Akaba
2
Allium spp
Onion
Ayan
2
Amaranthus spp
Amarantha
Folong
2
Carica papaya
Papaya
Fofo
2
Corchorus olitorius
Tegue
2
C. mannii
Melon seed
Ngôn
2
Cucurbita spp
Squash
Ndzeng
2
Hibiscus esculentus
Gumbo
Etetam
2
Solanum incanum
Eggplant
Zong
2
Capsicum spp.
Pepper
Ondondo
2
Lycopersicon esculentum
Tomatoe
Ngoro
2
Dioscorea sp
Yam
Ekoara
2
Colocasia esculenta
Cocoyam
Atu
1
Talinum triangulare
Epinard
Elók soup
1
Solanum aethiopicum
Eggplant
Zom nnam
1
Nicotiana tabacum
Tabaco
Ta’a
1
Cucumis sativa
Cucumber
Ombalak
1
Solanum tuberosum
Potatoe
Atora
1
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
331