In the center region of Cameroon, maize production is rapidly passing from subsistence

agriculture to commercial farming; here the rainfall pattern is bimodal, the temperature is hot
and the humidity is high, soils are highly sandy.
1. Which precaution should be taken to ensure the success of two cropping seasons in
relation to the bimodal pattern of the rainfall?
2. As many annual crops, maize faces a high effect of weeds in this region, explain a
method of effectively reducing the impact of weeds in maize cultivation on large
surfaces.
3. Propose a rotation system which would contribute to the sustainability of maize
production in this region.
4. Soils here are essentially highly acidic, explain how can the effect of high soil acidity be
neutralize in maize cultivation as well as in the production of other speculation.
5. In this region many farmers continue to spray fertilizer at the surface of the soil in order
to gain in time; is this an efficient method of fertilizer application? Justify your answer.

MODEL ANSWERS
1) In a bimodal rainfall pattern, there are two rainy seasons and none of the two season
may be long enough to delay the planting the of the crop; to ensure the success of the
two cropping seasons in relation to the bimodal rainfall pattern, each cropping season
should start early, immediately at the beginning of rains. The retention capacity of
sandy soil being low, if crops are not planted early, the stop of rains may result in a
very low yield.
2) The impact of weeds in annual crop production can be neutralize effectively during
land preparation. In this case, after tilling, grass is allowed to grow and then is killed
with herbicides; a second tilling is done to bring more grass seeds towards the soil
surface for germination, and after germination, planting of maize takes place; two or
three days after planting, a second spray of weeds with herbicides takes place an as
the maize germinates, the grass dies off, and the next generation of grass will grow
poorly since its germination will occur when the maize has already shaded the soil.
3) The sustainability of maize production will increase in this region if each year a season
of maize is followed by a season of a legume crop such as soybean.
4) Where the acidity of the soil is high, crops suffer the deficiency of phosphorus since
this nutrient element is not more naturally made available to plants; a supply of
commercial phosphorus in a high rate will correct the deficiency, for example instead
of N.P.K (20.10.10), N.P.K( 20.24.10) can be used.
5) When fertilizers are applied at the surface of the soil, the water runoff takes it away
from plants, and the nitrogen may also be lost through volatilization. Good practice is
to incorporate the fertilizer into the soil.