Perception of producers and processors on sorghum diversity in the context of climate change in center and Northern Benin

To promote local varieties of sorghum produced in Benin, the perception of producers and processors on sorghum diversity in the context of climate change was assessed. Three hundred eighty-six sorghum producers were interviewed. The main data collected are socio-cultural (ethnicity, place of activity) and technical (years of experience, varieties cultivated, causes of sorghum diversity and endogenous indicators of climate change). Significant differences were realised at the 5% threshold according to the Student Newman-Keuls test. The results revealed an ethnic diversity dominated by the Bariba (40,12%) in N’Dali, Yom-Lokpa (48,84%) in Djougou and (50,29%) in Ouake, Ditammari (39,31%) in Natitingou, Idaatcha (35,23%) in Dassa and Yoruba (32,09%) in Savalou. The majority of producers in the North (70%) have made sorghum, theirs main activity. The proportions of producers of local varieties compared to resilient varieties show a significant difference. The color of the grains in Dassa (50%), the compactness of the panicle in N’Dali (55%) and the grain size in Djougou (30%) which characterize the diversity of sorghum. The causes of this diversity include the environment (50%), followed by the peasant practices (40%) except in Dassa and N’Dali which record the requirements of the processors. These include grain color (>60%) and the moisture content (>50%). The effects of climate change are the cause of the productivity decrease (>50%), followed by abnormal length of seasons and excessive heat in the Center and decline in land productivity in the North. The diversity of sorghum is linked to the effets of climate change in Benin.