Climate changes and progression of agricultural practices in North Benin

Climate changes constitute nowadays potential threat to the environment and to the sustainable development. Their impacts especially affect agriculture which depends on rainfall in poor countries like Benin. In effect, the development of adequate adaptation strategies constitutes a problematic for population. This work aims at studying adaptation strategies developed by population to face climate changes. It analyzes climate changes impacts on seedling periods of cotton, maize and rice. This study was conducted in Alibori department (Banikoara and Malanville). Consequently, this study demonstrates the statement of seedling periods over a year which took into account a diversity of crops varieties (early and late) Eighty households are randomly selected. Data are collected through Unstructured and Semi Structured Interviews, Focus Groups Discussion and Participant Observations. The modifications of seedling periods are determined on the basis of discourse analysis and descriptive statistics. Results reveal that, farmers use many strategies to cope with rainfall interruption. Thus, Crops seedling periods modifications are parts of those strategies where farmers have to modify the seedling periods to these crops as a response to climate changes. Whereas at the extension services level the seedling periods remained unchanged except the case of rice.