Structured or spontaneous dissemination of DMC techniques in small-scale cotton-base agriculture ? The northern Cameroon case study

The northern Cameroon cotton-based agricultural region, as well as the whole of the western and central African cotton belt is mainly characterised by a cotton based agriculture extension program implemented and monitored by the cotton companies. The companies' names or field approaches may differ from one country to another, but they all operate a strong extension team and program that follows the cotton crops from seedling through harvesting, offering relatively higher performances to cotton sectors. Such extension performances can be seen on the large areas covered, involving a large number of cotton farmers and relatively intensive production practices (with high level of fertilisers and other chemical inputs, high average yield, etc.). Direct seedling-Mulch based-cropping systems (DMC) extension program in the northern Cameroon began in 2007 within the Soil Conservation Project (PCS) following the pilot experimental phase in the Water-Soil-Tree Project (ESA) from 2002 to 2006. Since the two soil conservation projects were monitored by SODECOTON (cotton development company), the newly emerging DMC extension program had to choose between two different extension approaches: a structured extension approach laying on Sodecoton performed and experienced extension team which implies well defined technical message to disseminate; and a spontaneous extension, laying on progressive construction of on-farm technical messages, permanent adaptive processes on cropping systems, and hence little need of a highly structured extension team but rather of an agricultural based progressive approach to change. This study examines the two approaches not by offering a final answer to the best suitable extension approach, but through investigations on the advantages and constraints of each approach and common determinants of DMC extension programs like seed supply and community based experimentations and up scaling. The study is based on seven years of experience on DMC experimentation and extension program in northern Cameroon .