| Summary: | BACKGROUND: Cassava is an important crop for the survival of smallholder farmers in Cameroon. However, the cassava sector
has a low production per unit area compared to the technological potential in this country. In this context, breeders have developed
varieties based mainly on their potential in terms of yield and disease resistance. These varieties have been widely disseminated
in Cameroon within the framework of development projects. However, these releases have not achieved the
expected adoption and yield levels at the national level. Therefore, it appears important to rethink the determinants of dissemination
with a broader examination of the cassava production system.
RESULTS: This paper analyses varietal complementarity as a key strategy in support of optimizing the experimental and continuous
use of cassava varieties by farmers in the Central and Eastern regions of Cameroon. These two regions account for 50% of
the country's production. A total of 111 semi-structured interviews were conducted with farmers selected through purposive
sampling in four villages in Central and Eastern Cameroon where improved varieties have been disseminated. The research
revealed four types of complementarity, related to use, crop management, risk management and cultural complementarity.
CONCLUSION: Our results argue for considering varietal complementarities practiced by farmers, within research and development
programs to develop more effective breeding and dissemination approaches.
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