Abstract
Rice (Oryza spp.) is an important food and cash crop in the Republic of Benin. However, despite its production increase during the recent years, the yield of cultivated varieties remains low, and the introduction of improved varieties threatens the rice diversity existing in the traditional agriculture. Therefore, documenting the on-farm management of rice diversity, farmers' varietal preferences, and their perceptions of the performance of cultivated varieties and species are important prerequisites for the development of on-site breeding and conservation programs. To fill these gaps in Benin, 418 rice farmers, belonging to 21 ethnic groups, were surveyed in 39 villages using participatory rural appraisal tools. Subject to synonymy, 30 improved varieties and 2 68 local varieties were registered and their folk nomenclature and taxonomy were documented. The north of Benin had the highest diversity of rice with the greatest number of traditional varieties, making this region the best place for an in situ conservation program. The number of rice varieties maintained per village varied from 1 to 15 (six on average). The foursquare analysis revealed that the improved variety IR 841 was by far the most popular variety. Most of NERICA varieties were abandoned in the south, while the north still host a wide range of local varieties. Twenty-one reasons explained varietal abandonment by farmers, varying according to geographic areas and ethnic groups. The seed system was both formal and informal in the study area. The participatory evaluation revealed the necessity to create and introduce tolerant/resistant rice varieties to drought and flooding stresses in Beninese agriculture that meet farmers' preferences. Our results showed that the north Benin would be the most suitable place for in situ conservation of local rice diversity.