Climate variability impact on cotton production in North Cote d’Ivoire

In Cote d’Ivoire, cotton ranks third in exports after cocoa and coffee. Moreover, it constitutes a vital economic resource in Cote d’Ivoire savannah region. Due to climate variability, the cotton sowing period, from May 20 to June 20, is less and less respected. In this context, this study objective was to analyze, in conjunction with cotton production, the wet season length, from 1992-1995 to 2015-2018 in Korhogo region. So, stationarity tests were used as well as two climatographic types, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration (PLv-PET) and PET-Relative Humidity (ETP-RH), reinforced by means comparisons. For this purpose, data were collected from airports aeronautical operation and meteorological development company at Korhogo station. Overall, there was a non-significant downward trend in rainfall from 1990 to 2023. Looking deeply, this reduction trend was 58 days decrease (-27%) in wet season length on 2015-2018 period, compared to an average 214±16 days annual length on 1992-1995. In fact, the wet period has shrunk significantly, from 151±24 to 103±6 days (-32%). At the same time, there was no significant difference in active growing season duration, between periods 1992-1995 and 2015-2018, although 22 days decrease was observed. Indeed, despite the relatively short study's period length, there was shortening wet periods, combined with late rainy seasons start. Consequently, farmers sowed later. These conclusions lead to a suggestion of new cotton variety’s introduction with adapted cycle, as well as new agricultural practice initiations. These include forecasting sowing dates by area and adapting alternative cultivation techniques, which improve soil's useful water reserve.