Abstract
Failure to master or ignore good storage or conservation practices often leads to crop loss or spoilage of food in Africa. These can lead to food insecurity and threaten food safety. As a result, cultivation practices and especially the post-harvest conservation of cereals, the main staple food of the populations, remain a major problem in West Africa. A survey was carried out in Senegal in the regions of Tambacounda and Thies to study the cultural practices of sorghum producers and characterize post-harvest management in the production areas. The study was carried out with 384 sorghum producers from 44 villages. The zones were chosen according to their level of production and rainfall. The sample size was determined using the normal binomial approximation. The results showed that in each of the regions, the proportion of male farmers is 97%, and the dominant ethnic groups are the Serer (86%) in Thies, the Peul and the Wolof (47% and 21%) in Tambacounda. The seeds came mainly from the previous harvest (10 to 76%) of the cases, and from agricultural input distributors (2 to 65%). These rates differ by region. The certified varieties are cultivated by 70% of the producers in Thies. The traditional varieties are used by 98% of those of Tambacounda. This study also revealed that farmers use different types of drying at home or in the fields. Among them, 79% store their harvest in huts, 14% in community stores, 7% in granaries in the form of panicles or grains, representing 22 and 75% respectively. These post-harvest management methods for sorghum differ by area and are in some cases inadequate. They can encourage the post-harvest loss of sorghum and its contamination by molds, hence the importance of properly training the players in this sector.