Diagnostic Investigation of the Potential Effect of Soil Moisture Condition in Detecting Climatic Hazards During the Crops Sowing in Cameroon

Abstract

The beginning of the sowing period in Cameroon has always been difficult to define and determine by scientists. Most of the authors analyze the state of the beginning of the sowing period in Cameroon using rainfall and temperature data. Soil moisture, which is an essential climate variable, has not been much used, even though it can be a good climate variable to monitor the seasonal agricultural drought. The present study intends to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of agricultural drought based on soil moisture data during the beginning of the growing season (march and July). The choice of the two months was made since they are respectably defined by the Ministry of Agriculture and the agricultural research center as the periods of the beginning of sowing in Cameroon. Rainfall and soil moisture data were collected from different sources. The analysis of the data was made using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as remote sensing. The findings show that from 1950 to 2010, while the March soil moisture was decreasing, the July soil moisture was increasing. The year 1990 has been detected as the year with an exceptional soil moisture deficiency in Cameroon. Also, it has been found that the regions from Adamaoua to the south have a high variation in March soil moisture. While the Far North and the North Region have less variation in soil moisture. It can lead us to observe that in March in the area from Adamaoua to the south of Cameroon, the beginning of the growing season is more variable and unstable than in July in the north and far north regions.