Endogenous Knowledge and Production of Potential Local Varieties of Cucurbita Maxima Dutch (Cucurbitaceae) in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

Purpose: The main concern of this study is to contribute to the availability of data on the endogenous production system of pumpkin in the Sudano-Sahelian zone in Cameroon. The results of this work will undoubtedly allow decision-makers to consider a policy of promoting endogenous knowledge regarding this plant. Methodology: To achieve this objective, surveys were conducted among 483 people in eighteen villages of six Divisions (Bénoué, Mayo- Louti, Mayo-Rey, Mayo- Kani, Mayo- Danay and Mayo- Tsanaga). The data collected were codified and encoded in the Excel spreadsheet of the Microsoft Office 2019 program. They were then analyzed using SPSS 20 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software, the chi-square test (χ 2) for the comparison between percentages and XLSTAT to perform Principal Component Analysis of the variables Findings: These surveys revealed that the potential Cucurbita maxima farmers are women, they represent 78.67 % of producers. Pumpkin is grown in association with other crops including: 56 % with Arachis hypogaea, 22 % with Eleusine coracana, 10 % with Zea mays, 9 % with Gossypium hirsitum and only 4 % with other speculations including Abelmoschus esculentus. Producers use seeds of local varieties. Derived products such as fruits, seeds, leaves, stem, root and peduncles have high ethnobotanical values. Pumpkin is mainly cultivated for self-consumption and the rest for sale. The fruits are preserved by farmers under the seed beds, around a family watering hole canary for a period ranging from one to three months. Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The results of this study will allow breeders to exploit these genetic resources in different ways to produce new cultivars and promote the pumpkin sector in Cameroon.