Visit to Yangambi Reserve
During the colonial era, Yangambi was home to the ‘Institut national pour les études agronomiques du Congo belge (INEAC)’. The INEAC experimental fields and laboratories were built along a road parallel to the north bank of the Congo river, and along a road stretching northward from the river for about 25 kilometres . In the 1930s researchers at INEAC found the relationship between the tenera, dura and pisifera oil palms. Oil palms have relatively low yield around Yangambi compared to coastal regions. This appears to be due to the lower night temperatures in the continental interior, which have a mean minimum at Yangambi of around 20 °C.
The center developed a number of varieties of soybeans for use in different parts of the country. Early-maturing varieties yielded over 1,200 kg/ha of soybeans. Field trials showed that inoculation could increase yields by 80% to 300%. In the 1950s INEAC researchers discovered the 'Yangambi km 5' (AAA) dessert banana. This variety yields large numbers of small fruit with an excellent taste, is productive even on poor soils and is resistant to black leaf streak disease. There is some evidence that this cultivar may have originated in southern Thailand, introduced to the Kilo-Moto region in northeastern Congo and then brought to Yangambi before World War II.
More recently, the Institut Facultaire des Sciences Agronomiques, Yangambi has undertaken studies with the International Food Policy Research Institute of Washington, D.C. to provide data to the government for use in developing an agricultural policy to improve crops yields in the country.
A visitor in 1888 described Yangambi as "very prettily situated on a piece of flat ground, backed by a semi-circle of fine wooded hills about four hundred feet high, across which lies the road to Yambuya . The channel in front of Yangambi has very little water. Later on, in the dry season, one can walk right across this channel to the islands in front.
06h00: After early breakfast, drive towards Yangambi in the North West, about 90 kms in around 3.5 hours. On the way, pass through river Lindi on a Bac (ferry) carrying the vehicle to cross the river. Then, further drive about 75 kms to reach the INERA Research Center of Yangambi, facing the River Congo at about 09h30. After visiting the Research Center, visit on foot the residence of Royal Belgium King Leopold II who ruled the colonized Congo with an iron fist. (Just in April 2018, the Ambassador of Belgium, followed by Ambassador of France visited it and stayed inside alone for more than an hour).
11h:00 - After visiting the residence of Belgium King, visit the IFA University, Yangambi about 5 kms from there. Here the plantation of Palm trees, afromosia or afrormosia (African teak), the precious black trunk trees and a few more varieties takes place. In the Yangambi Reserve forest, you will find some amazing trees, one of them with a huge trunk of about 2 meters. It is here in Yangambi that some new varieties of soya-bean were produced.
13h30 – Arrive at the restaurant/guesthouse for lunch, and have some rest.
14h30 – Start back the journey. At the river crossing, the tourist will have to cross on a motorized boat (pirogue), as the bac (ferry) service ends around 16h00. Take another vehicle on the other side of the river and drive back to the hotel Rwenzori.
Dinner and night stay at the hotel.
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