Pigeonpea [(Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.)] production system, farmers’ preferred traits and implications for variety development and introduction in Benin

摘要

BackgroundThe success of crop varieties introduction is tightly linked to the uses, biophysical conditions, the cropping systems in which the crop is integrated and farmers’ and consumers’ preferences. In Benin, however, pigeonpea production systems including the cropping systems, marketing, utilizations and preferences have received little attention. This study aimed at analyzing farmers’ practices and constraints related to pigeonpea production as well as identifying farmers’ preferred traits in pigeonpea. MethodsThe study was conducted in three pigeonpea-growing agroecological zones in Benin. Participatory rural appraisal tools including individual interview ( n =?302) and group discussion were used to collect information on production system, constraints and preferred traits. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess the relationship between crop associated with pigeonpea and the growing areas. Based on preferred traits, villages were clustered using UPGMA. ResultsPigeonpea is predominantly grown by men. Approximately 98% of the pigeonpea growers associated pigeonpea with other crops, while 2% of them grew the crop in pure stand. Pigeonpea grown in association with maize (48.7%) was the most encountered cropping system. The type of crops associated with pigeonpea depended on the growing area ( P ConclusionOur results confirm the importance of pigeonpea both in the cropping systems and in contributing to ensure food security in the growing areas in Benin. Farmers’ varietal preferences were identified. This information is important for designing appropriate strategies for sustainable pigeonpea production. Insight gained into farmers’ preferred traits in pigeonpea varieties will also help in the choice of varieties or advanced breeding materials to be integrated into participatory varietal selection programs in order to improve productivity of the crop in Benin.