In agroecological zone 5 of Benin, agriculture is mainly rainfed and is closely linked to the evolution of the characteristics of the rainy season. This is intended to be a scientific contribution to the determination of the annual agricultural period linked to the rainy season at the scale of agroecological zone 5 of Benin. A reliable prediction of the start and end date of the rainy season would effectively help the preparation of fields, the mobilization of seeds, labor and equipment and also reduce the risk of sow too early or too late. The model of the cumulative percentage of average rainfall and the hydrological criterion, methods based on the analysis of rainfall at the scale of the study area, made it possible to identify the periods determining the rainy season in the study area. We observe greater instabilities at the start of the seasons than at the end. This trend differs according to climatic regimes.

Growing population is a challenge for developing countries. They must resort to quality agriculture in order to meet the nutritional needs of this population. In Benin, agriculture occupies a prominent place in the socio-economic life of the population. The objective of this study is to identify from a multi-criteria approach combined with GIS, the specific areas for the cultivation of various cereals, tubers and other food crops and market gardening in order to contribute to the improvement of yields in Hills. The methodology used is based on GIS techniques coupled with multi-criteria analysis methods from data on the physico-chemical components of the soil, agricultural statistics and socio-economic data obtained in the field. The results obtained show that the hills department has a good aptitude for soybean crops and market gardening but moderately suitable in the communes of Dassa-Zoumè and Savè. In general, the department of Collines is suitable for most crops practiced in Benin. This is partly due to the knowledge that producers have of the quality of their soil, often assessed through the level of yield of the previous one.