@article{fdi:010049215,
  title = {{M}ulti-scales and multi-sites analyses of the role of rainfall in cotton yields in {W}est {A}frica},
  author = {{S}ultan, {B}enjamin and {B}ella-{M}edjo, {M}. and {B}erg, {A}. and {Q}uirion, {P}. and {J}anicot, {S}erge},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{C}otton is the main tradable crop of {W}est and {C}entral {A}frican countries, representing for some countries the main exported agricultural product. {C}otton is then of major concern since it represents an important source of income, accounting for more than a tenth of total exports. {M}oreover, the subsector as a whole is essential for rural poverty reduction. {S}ince cotton is a rainfed crop in these {C}ountries, its yield is closely related to climate, in particular to rainfall variability. {T}he objective of this study is to point out the role of rainfall variability in cotton yields. {O}ur approach consists in taking two completely different sites in the analysis of the climate-yields relationships, i.e. an experimental plot in {M}ali with a long-term historical yield-survey and farmers' yields in 28 administrative units in {C}ameroon. {W}e found that the same rainfall parameters (rainy season onset and length) are major drivers for the year-to-year and the spatial distribution of cotton productivity, even if the role of rainfall variability is strongly reduced in farmers' exploitations where other non-climatic factors such as human management, biotic stresses, pests, etc., impact crop productivity. {T}he link between rainfall and cotton yields seems to depend oil the mean climate since the driest cotton areas in {C}ameroon are the most sensitive to climate variability. {T}he coherence of the results from the two very different situations gives us some confidence in the generalization of our findings to the whole {W}est and {C}entral {A}frica. {O}ur study shows also that the aggregation of yield data from the local scale to the national scale tends to smooth the non-climatic variability and highlight the role of climate in the year-to-year variability of cotton yields. {T}hese results are important in working towards the predictability of crop yields using rainfall information, in particular to highlight the most salient rainfall parameters that are needed in a forecast system.},
  keywords = {impacts ; cotton ; {W}est {A}frica ; {C}limate},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{I}nternational {J}ournal of {C}limatology},
  volume = {30},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {58--71},
  ISSN = {0899-8418},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1002/joc.1872},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049215},
}