Purpose Crop wastes are underused organic resources due to low heating value and slow decomposition rates. However, conversion to biochar through pyrolysis could offer agronomic and environmental benefits. The study compared the pyrolysis of biochar from crop wastes, assessed their physicochemical properties for the purposeful use to improve soil fertility, crop productivity and their carbon sequestration potential. Methods Biochar was produced from crop wastes such as cassava residues, corncobs, rice husk, sawdust, coffee husk, and peanut using an Elsa barrel pyrolyser. Standard laboratory procedures were used to analyze pH, CEC, total carbon and nitrogen and exchangeable cations.

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Article HistoryIn order to evaluate cassava roots yield of two varieties at three harvesting dates and assess the effect of harvesting date on physico-chemical composition of roots and quality of gari and baton de manioc, a study was done. Cassava roots of a popular variety (local white) and the improved variety 8034 were harvested in small holder farmers' fields in the mono-modal humid forest zone and the bimodal humid forest zone of Cameroon. At harvest, the yield was evaluated, the physico-chemical composition of roots evaluated and a sensory test carried out on gari and baton de manioc after processing. Results showed that harvesting date has an effect on the cassava roots yield, for both local white and variety 8034. Cassava yield varied according to agro-ecological zones, with higher yield in the mono-modal humid forest zone than the bimodal humid forest zone. The nutrient content in cassava root varied with the variety and age of roots. There was an increase with the age of roots for K, P and dry matter content for the variety 8034. With the local white variety, there was an increase in total N and dry matter content. In contrary, there was a gradual decrease of percentage Mg, K, Na with the age of cassava roots for the variety 8034.Baton de manioc obtained from variety 8034 at 10-12 months and gari obtained from same variety were scored the highest global quality. Contribution/Originality:This study is one of very few studies which have investigated the right harvesting time and the best cassava variety to be used to obtain good cassava based-products.

Background: Cassava (Manihot esculentaCrantz

Background: Development of high yielding and disease resistant cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) varieties, coupled with the promotion of efficient processing technologies, is the principal intervention aimed at changing the cassava sector in Cameroon. National research and extension programs have been spearheading efforts to disseminate these varieties alongside improving farmer's access to other technologies. Methods: This paper investigated the rate of adoption of the disseminated cassava varieties and processing technologies on adopting households. Survey of 100 households was done in 5 villages (Mbankomo, Akono, Okola, Ngoumou and Nkoldoum) in the Center Region of Cameroon. Results: The results showed that in all the study sites 40% of the farmers cultivate improved variety. They process cassava at home using small processing commercial processors. It is noted that the farmers prefer the improved variety because of their high dry matter content and most common processed cassava products were found to be "Baton" and "Fufu". Moreover, farmers that were able to obtain the improved variety appreciate this variety so much because of its yield and disease tolerant and most of all of because of their high dry matter content which the farmers appreciate a lot. The farmer's adhesions in community organizations or cooperative organizations have a higher tendency of obtaining credits for their farms seeds and other technical support. Thus the introduction of new cassava varieties would be enhanced by farmers' access to these facilities and services. Conclusion: The size of the farm, the availability and the adoption of improved planting material play a critical role on cassava tuber production in Center Region of Cameroon.

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Contribution/Originality: This study contributes to existing literature that biochar; a product of pyrolysis contains some important plant nutrients and properties which can significantly affect soil fertility and crop growth.It further seeks to assess how the growth of arabica coffee seedlings is affected by different types of organic fertilizers.Between the two most commercial species: Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) and Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora),Arabica coffee provides a superior quality beverage but is less resistant to different pests (fungi, nematodes, and insects), compared to Robusta coffee [4,5]. The caffeine, antioxidant compounds and characteristic flavor of the beverage which beneficially influence human health, has been the major motivation for the mass production and