Caractérisation des systèmes paysans de production d’igname Au Bas-Fleuve en République Démocratique du Congo

To characterize peasant yam production systems, a study was conducted in four (4) out of three territories of the Bas-Fleuve region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A survey was conducted among 255 yam producers. Marital status showed a significant difference between married and unmarried individuals, and income allocation also differed between consumption, household organization, and schooling. The most practical production system is intercropping, with yams in secondary position. Forests are the most widely used cultivation area. Seed conservation methods are primarily based on cool, dry locations; the most commonly used production material is the whole tuber, while the most common source of varieties is exchange or gift. Ascending hierarchical classification (AHC) revealed three (3) classes of yam production systems. The first two axes represent 21.35% of the information relating to production systems. The characteristics that differentiated the production systems are: cultivation areas, associative cultivation systems, seed conservation method, propagation material and the origin of the varieties.