1t0SC7l

Integrated Nutrient Management methods defined by Janssen (1993), based on combined
application of mineral and organic fertilisers. Improved fallow and agroforestry technology
packages are available at ICRAF.
Prosperous farming: shifting cultivation should move from subsistence farming to income
generating farming to guarantee food security and alleviate poverty of the local population. This
can be made possible if the following parameters are improved or adopted: land tenure rights and
laws, market system, integrated low input and short fallow agricultural system, improved fallow,
integrated cropping system and improved animal husbandry, and diversification of farmers’
crops. A survey carried out in the area (Table 5.2) shows the willingness of the farmers to adopt
changes in the actual farming system.
Table 5.2. Farmers’ predisposition to innovations
Activities
New
crops
Integration of improved
animal husbandry
Agricultural
intensification
Bee keeping Other
innovations
97 78 75 60 97
Sample size n = 200
5.3 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST LAND
USE AND MANAGEMENT
From this study, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. Farmers in the area consider the cropping system their most important activity;
2. The food crop production is mainly for the subsistence of the household, and is practised
mainly by women;
3. A substantial number of tree species are used as indicators of suitable or unsuitable lands;
4. Due to land shortage, land tenure rights, population pressure, etc., farmers are replacing the
expanding shifting cultivation by the rotational short fallow;
5. Nevertheless, agricultural land is expanding into the primary forest, and this is mainly for
Cucumeropsis mannii production;
6. Shifting cultivation leads to chemical and physical soil deterioration and to erosion, but only
the chemical deterioration gives reason for concern;
7. The optimum fallow length that can restore natural soil fertility in southern Cameroon is at
least 10 years;
8. There is a need to intensify the agricultural system, either by improving the natural fallow
system or by extending the cropping period through the use of external input such as organic
manure or other fertilisers, with the aim to guarantee food security and alleviate poverty of
the local people.
The findings presented also leads to the following recommendations:
1. Cropping practices must be considered as the most important activity in land use planning;
2. This agricultural system must move from subsistence farming to income generating farming;
3. For that, access to the market and roads should be improved;
4. Non-Timber Forest Products should also be taken into account in the agricultural system and
research must find way to domesticate the most important ones;
5. Fallow length should be about 10 years;
6. The Cucumis sativum variety adapted conditions after a short fallow may be a good substitute
for Cucumeropsis mannii;
7. Crop diversification and stimulation of animal husbandry should be considered;
8. Improvements of the existing system are required rather than entirely different alternatives;
52