Climate and yam cultivation in the commune of Savalou

Yam production is hampered by changing climatic conditions. Thus, this study addresses the impacts of climate variability on yam production in the commune of Savalou. Climatological data (rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, potential evapotranspiration) and agricultural data (area planted and yam production) were used to characterize the major agroclimatic situations. The calculation of water variation, the sensitivity matrix and the PEIR model and the correlations between yam production and climatic parameters made it possible to evaluate the impact of climate on yam cultivation. In the commune of Savalou, the evolution of the climate is marked by a break in stationarity in 1983 with an increase in rainfall of 315 mm in the post-breakup period, or 41%. The temperature increased by 1.6°C from 1981 to 2015. The correlations made show that yam production depends more on relative humidity (r=31%), than on temperature (r=22%) and rainfall (r=14%). Climatic factors disrupt the growth of the yam crop. This results in low production.