Archives-June 2026

The present study aims to investigate rainfed rice farming systems and the main constraints on production in Kibombo. The results after analyzing the contribution of two factors (CP I and CP II) and the total variance observed between the analyzed variables based on the original characteristics is estimated with a contribution of 98.74%. CP I explains 60.13% of the variance and is characterized mainly by: areas, number of bags and yield is the positive factor. Compared to CP II, it explains a variance of (38.60%) is determined negatively and positively by the number of deaths at birth and the age at weaning respectively positive. The spatial distribution shows that agricultures with 60.13% of the main component in production are favorable to the area and number of bags, and the second component represents 38.60% for farmers who are better in terms of acreage, number of bags and yield. The income of farmers in the rural commune of Kibombo after the harvest allows them to meet their social needs.

Our investigation aimed to analyze the morphometric-structural characteristics of pig carcasses in order to determine the most commercially available pork type in Kindu. Three hundred and twenty-four pig specimens, including 101 of the local breed, 154 of the crossbred breed, and 169 of the "improved" breed, served as study material. Data sources included experimentation, ad hoc observation, guided interviews supported by a questionnaire, and content analysis of collected opinions. In addition, a participatory survey was conducted concurrently with three hundred respondents (pork sellers and resellers, as well as some consumers of various meats) regarding consumer preferences for different types of pork and its ranking among other meats from domestic and bush mammals. The following results were obtained as a result of these investigations: Most of the pigs culled at the Mikelenge slaughterhouse were females, 59.87% compared to 40.12% males; of mixed breed (47.53%) and with white (39.5%), mottled brown (24.07%), or brown (17.28%) coats. In addition, they generally had short, cylindrical snouts (90.43%) and concave backs (79.32%). The improved breed pigs had an average weight of 91.65 kg, higher than those of the mixed breed which is 50.8 kg and those of the local breed which is 36.1 kg; The back (4.38±2.46), ham (3.68±1.72) and abdomen (3.1±1.58) regions are richer in fat, followed by the neck (2.66±1.4) and ham hock (2.09±0.77); The majority of consumers surveyed are relatively women (60.33%), generally married (46.33%), of Christian faith (65.67%), working in the private and informal sector (54.66%). The population of Kindu prefers to consume pork (41.33%) more than other mammals, and especially meat that is truly whole, meaning without the skin commonly called "cuineau" and without the fat or lard (53.66%). Furthermore, they acknowledge that improved pork is richer in fat than local pork (64.66%). However, they believe it is possible to produce a carcass with less fat (64.33%).

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a pillar of food security in the Democratic Republic of Congo, both for its starch-rich tuberous roots and for its leaves consumed as a vegetable. This study analyzes the preferences of value chain actors (producers, processors, and consumers) for cassava cultivars intended for the consumption of tender leaves in the city of Kindu. A socio-economic survey was conducted with 150 stakeholders using a participatory approach and a value chain framework. The findings reveal that from an agronomic perspective, the observed phytogenetic diversity (27 cultivars) constitutes a major asset for agroecological resilience against phytopathogenic constraints. However, a strong varietal consolidation is observed, with three cultivars largely dominating preferences: Kelenga (32.3%), Obama (31%), and Kavide (28.5%), together representing more than 90% of the distribution. Local varieties are valued for their organoleptic qualities and ecological adaptation, while improved varieties are adopted for their morpho-agronomic productivity, rapid vegetative growth, and efficiency in post-harvest processing. This coexistence reflects an agri-food transition where traditional practices and agronomic innovations complement each other. The perceptions of producers and consumers reveal a predominantly favorable trend toward foliar biomass harvesting (72.4% positive opinions), confirming its nutritional and socio-economic importance. However, the major constraints identified are primarily biophysical and agronomic (limited knowledge of agricultural practices, lack of resistant cultivars, diseases, and pests), representing nearly 75% of the bottlenecks. Logistical and commercial constraints (transport, price volatility, market access) appear secondary but directly affect economic valuation. These results have significant implications for varietal selection programs aimed at dual-purpose production (leaves and roots). The integration of local preferences into ideotype breeding strategies could enhance the adoption of agronomic innovations.

Our work, which focused on the impact of substituting wheat flour with sweet potato starch on the organoleptic qualities in bread preparation, was carried out in the city of Kisangani, more specifically within the University of Kisangani. The hypothesis of this study was to verify whether substituting wheat flour with sweet potato starch flour could affect the organoleptic qualities of bread. The aim of this work was to observe the effect of substituting wheat flour with sweet potato starch flour on the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of bread, and thus determine the extent to which this substitution can be achieved while still resulting in bread of acceptable quality in terms of taste, color, aroma, and texture. The aim of this work is to encourage the population of Kisangani to consume local products, save foreign currency and improve the living conditions of the population. The research results showed that substituting sweet potato starch for wheat flour in proportions ranging from 10 to 12% resulted in no significant differences in color, taste, aroma, or texture in the resulting loaves. Therefore, sweet potato starch can be substituted for wheat flour up to 15% without significantly affecting the bread's qualities in terms of color, taste, aroma, and texture.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, valued for both its storage roots and edible leaves. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, cassava leaf harvesting is widely practiced; however, limited information is available regarding its effects on vegetative growth and foliar biomass production among local cultivars. This study assessed the influence of leaf harvesting frequency on vegetative growth and leaf biomass production of three cassava cultivars (Obama, Kelenga, and Kavide) under the agroecological conditions of Kindu, Maniema Province.The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications. The evaluated vegetative parameters included sprouting rate, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, regenerated buds, and fresh leaf biomass. The results revealed significant varietal effects on stem diameter (p = 0.01893), number of leaves (p < 0.001), and leaf biomass yield. The cultivar Kavide produced the highest fresh leaf biomass after the first harvest (400 ± 29 g), significantly exceeding those of Kelenga (252 ± 35.8 g) and Obama (240 ± 37.2 g). However, at five months after planting, differences in biomass production among cultivars were no longer significant (p = 0.5975), suggesting a convergence in regeneration capacity following repeated harvesting.Leaf harvesting frequency significantly affected plant height, stem diameter, and leaf production. These findings emphasize the importance of appropriate cultivar selection and harvesting management strategies for optimizing cassava leaf production systems in tropical agroecosystems.

In Maniema, average yields in smallholder farming areas are far lower than those obtained on large farms and at research stations. To address this shortfall and the resulting dependence on imports due to low yields, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the productivity of several maize varieties cultivated under the agro-ecological conditions of Kindu, specifically at the Lwama I site. These varieties were sown using a randomized complete block design with six replications, each consisting of three treatments. All of these varieties produced good maize yields and were well-received by the population of Kindu.