Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is one of the staple foods of the populations of northern Côte d’Ivoire. And, farmers serve as both producers, curators of millet biodiversity and are also repositories of knowledge to determine and differentiate the varieties of millet in their possession. It therefore seems necessary to carry out an investigation with them, in order to benefit from their knowledge on the management methods of the millet accessions cultivated in their possession as well as on the socio-cultural characteristics of the genetic diversity of millet. To do this, 176 producers in the savannah district were questioned during a survey. They were predominantly male and belonging to a diversity of ethnic groups using different local names to designate millet. Three varieties of millet were identified there, namely late and intermediate local varieties, with gray colored seeds, and early varieties which are improved with olive-yellow or light yellow seeds. The results showed that it is a food present in all the ceremonies of the peoples of the North and is consumed in several culinary forms. However, its cultivation is in decline due to certain constraints encountered there and would be neglected in favor of cash crops such as corn, cotton and cashew nuts. Given the important place this culture occupies within the populations of northern Côte d’Ivoire, actions must be taken to contribute to the promotion and development of its culture.

Faced with climatic hazards that lead to the abandonment of some traditional local varieties of maize (Zea mays L.), a study was undertaken in northern Côte d'Ivoire. Its objective was to determine the effectiveness of different manure on the productivity of these local maize varieties under water deficit conditions during the reproductive phase. The experimental device was a split-plot, the first factor of which was fertilizers and the second, variety. A water deficit was observed during the reproductive phase of the maize varieties studied with a higher ETo accumulation than the water available for the plants. The application of chicken droppings and cattle droppings has reduced the development cycle of black seed maize. The depressive effect of water deficit on yield was more pronounced on the control, unlike chicken dropping and cattle dropping manure, which yielded six times more than the control in the black seed variety. As a result, these manures have reduced the depressive effect of water deficit on the yield of this variety. The use of these manures in maize cultivation could be an alternative to the consequences of the water deficit recorded during the reproductive phase in maize.

The Sahel low agricultural yields are gone due to poor soils, drought and rainfall variability. Knowledge and understanding of the interactive effects of drought and nitrogen fertilization on growth of millet appear important. For this purpose the SOUNA3 millet was used as an experimental split-plot with two factors and four replications during the dry season in 2002. The water regime factor was used at two levels (watered and water-stressed) and the nitrogen fertilization factor also at two levels (without nitrogen, F0 and with a nitrogen supply of 68.5 kg ha-1, F1). The water-stressed was applied during the vegetative stage and the grain formation and filling phases. The values of water consumption, the plant water status and the leaf area index were measure during the plant growth. The above dry matter was calculated at each development stage. Yield was calculated at the end of cycle. The results of the water consumption of plants and leaf water potential showed that water stress has reduced the values of these parameters and no difference was showed between nitrogen fertilization treatments whatever the level considered water regime. As for the values of leaf area index and the above dry biomass production, they were higher in fertilized plants for a given water regime. The nitrogen increased the values of these parameters at the irrigated plants. The water deficit has reduced the yield of 52.79 % in stressed plants. The water deficit cancels the beneficial effect of nitrogen fertilization on millet growth and yield.