Survey on Consumption of Vegetables and Fruits in a Coastal District in Ghana

In 2000, The World Health Organisation reported that at least 254 million preschool children suffer from subclinical vitamin A deficiency (VAD) globally. Vitamin A deficiency adversely affects growth, reproduction and resistance to infection, which could have serious economic consequences for a nation in terms of increased medical cost and reduced workforce. Strategies to reduce VAD included periodic vitamin A supplementation of children, but this is donor-dependent and therefore not sustainable. Dietary diversification in low income groups using beta-carotene rich foods such as orange fleshed foods and green leafy vegetables is being advocated. For an effective nutrition promotion drive, however, it is important to study the foods consumed in a particular locality so as to design an appropriate intervention package for that community. The current work therefore surveyed the consumption of vegetables and fruits in a coastal district of Ghana so as to identify the potential vegetables that could be promoted in the district for improving their vitamin A status. The results showed that several fruits and vegetables are eaten in the district, but the potential beta-carotene rich ones that could be promoted on a sustainable basis are mangoes and drumstick leaves. Mangoes are abundant in the district during the two fruiting seasons and could be easily accessed by the inhabitants. Likewise, drumstick leaves are available all year round and these could be incorporated into selected recipes in the school feeding programme, and could also be used in making convenience foods for easy access. Keywords: Beta-carotene, vitamin A deficiency (VAD), green leafy vegetables, fruit

Effect of pesticide application rate on yield of vegetables and soil microbial communities

Lindane is listed among the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) pesticides, and agricultural uses of lindane have been banned in 52 countries due to its hazardous nature. However, lindane is still widely used in vegetable cultivation in Ghana. The effect of increasing rates of application of lindane (156.0, 244.0 and 312.0 g ha-1), unden (propoxur) (125.0, 187.5 and250.0 g ha-1), dithane and karate (166.6, 209.8 and 333.3 g ha-1) on garden eggs, okro and tomatoes was studied to find out if it has any advantage that makes its use attractive to farmers despite its ban. Yields of garden eggs were suppressed by all the rates of lindane applied. In tomatoes, lower rates of lindane increased yields whereas the higherrates suppressed yields lower than the control. In okro yields were higher than the control at all levels of lindane applied though yield increments were low. Unden application had the highest effect on garden egg yields followed by tomatoes and least on okro. In the garden egg and tomato treatments, increasing concentration of unden resulted in decreasing yields though yields were higher on the control plots. The optimum unden rate for garden egg and tomato was U20 (i.e. 125.0 g ha-1). Increasing rates of unden on okro did not have any significant effect. Pesticide applicationhad a higher effect on fungal population (50-70% reduction) than on bacterial population in the soil (23.0–38.4% reduction). Dithane suppressed bacteria most whereas karate suppressed fungal population most. Lower levels of chloride residues in tomato fruits corresponded to lower rates of lindane application. Lindane did not have any advantage over the other pesticides as it caused the least increase in yield. It is recommend that farmers are educated on the adverse effects of lindane use, and government enforces the restriction on lindane importation and use in agriculture

Information sharing as a determinant of pro-environmental behaviour in student population in Ghana

People have always struggled to find a lasting solution to the persistent problem of the management and segregation of waste. The amount and variety of waste produced globally has grown exponentially with the ongoing rise in human population. As a result, there have been several studies conducted in this field, some of which have been supported by private organizations, NGOs, and governments. To protect the environment while progressively achieving global sustainable development, Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB) has been advocated as a universal endeavor for each individual. In affluent nations like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and France, there is a lot of research on PEB. There is, however, a dearth of research on PEB in developing nations, the majority of which are found in Africa, where poor management and segregation of waste is a major problem. Our goal with this study was to better understand how students at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, a developing country, acquire and share knowledge on management and segregation of waste. Our study would provide further details on the main channels by which the student body communicates information about the environment. A chi-square analysis was done to ascertain the association among gender, academic level, and the students’ garbage sorting. Ultimately, we investigated how students’ attitudes or behaviors change after receiving thorough instruction on the significance of acting in an environmentally friendly manner. The following conclusions were drawn from the study: The association between a student’s characteristics, such as gender and academic level, and their propensity to act in an environmentally friendly manner appears to be weak or even nonexistent. Also, a subsequent examination on students’ garbage-sorting behaviors in relation to their academic level produced outcomes that were comparable to those of gender. The benefit of practicing PEB has been made clear to pupils, and we determined that they were ready to accept these standards after receiving this information

Performance and Acceptability of Legume-Fortified Yam Flours

Yam (Dioscoreasp.) is an annual climbing plant with edible underground tubers which is a major staple of many African and Asian countries. About 52 million tonnes of yam was produced globally in 2007, with 96% from West African (IITA, 2009). Yam has the highest calories provided per hectare when compared with other starchy tubers such as cassava and potatoes. Yam is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibre and some minerals. Yams are usually consumed boiled, roasted, fried or pounded. The tubers are stored in-between harvests for later use which is characterized by changes in wholesomeness which may result from poor handling, wound repair, diseases, and pests infestations. Also due to its high moisture content (50- 80%), large size, and high respiration rates, it is highly perishable. Hence yam tubers are lost after 4-5 months of storage, thus causing a yearly cycle of huge post- harvest losses. In Ghana, post- harvest losses of yam have been reported to range from 10% to 50%. Although West Africa produces about 94% of the world’s yam, yams have not been processed to any significant extent commercially. However due to similarity in composition of yam to crops like potato,yams could be processed into ready to eat foods like chips, crisps flakes and fries to increase their commercial value. They can also be processed into flours for instant foods (e.g. porridge, fufu, mpotonpoton (yam porridge that is spiced with palm oil added)). Fortifying yam flours with legumes such as soyabean and cowpeas could further enhance their commercial value as the fortified products could be used for complementary feeding. This study therefore developed legume-fortified yam flours to enhance their nutritional level as well as extend the shelf-life of yam. The results showed that the blends were acceptable to trained sensory panellists at baseline and also at six months. The products were also nutritionally enhanced, and could therefore be used for complementary feeding. Keywords:Yams, Post-harvest Losses, Value-addition, Legume-fortified flour

Physicochemical properties and sensory attributes of local snacks fortified with powdered fish processing by-products and an underutilised fish species

Fish processing by-products and small pelagic fish could provide minerals and protein in diets of vulnerable populations as these could be more affordable than seafood. The study objectives were to determine the proximate nutrient content of tuna processing by-products and burrito fish and also assess the acceptability of fish powder-fortified local carbohydrate snacks. Tuna trimmings, gills, frames and burrito were dried at 55oC for eight hours to moisture levels of 4.8% (trimmings), 8.9% (frames), 6.8% (gills) and 6.9% (burrito). The products were milled and incorporated at varying levels into four local snacks namely: mpotompoto, yakayake, abolo and yam balls. Proximate nutrient levels of both fortified and non-fortified snacks were determined by Official Methods of Analysis (AOAC). Protein contents of mpotompoto-fortified fish products ranged from 3.75% to 8.5%. Ash also ranged from 1.12% to 5.54%. The control contained 1.17%. Acceptability tests were conducted on the fortified snacks using a 5-point hedonic scale. On the whole, fortified products showed significantly higher levels of protein and ash over the non-fortified snacks. Acceptance of the snacks by pupils (11-12) years was high enough to warrant incorporation of the fish powders into a school lunch menu

Input Supply Structure for Yam Production in Ghana

Yam is an extremely important crop for at least 60 million rural poor producers, processors and consumers in West Africa providing multiple opportunities for poverty reduction and nourishment of poor people in the sub-region. Despite the importance of this crop, its production is stagnating, thus threatening rural livelihoods and urban food security. Input supply dealers to the yam sub-sector are quite scanty and rather focused on general agro inputs. Literature on the structure of yam input supply systems is  scanty and non-existing. This creates inefficiencies in supplying the necessary inputs for production affecting productivity of the production process. The objective of this paper is therefore to provide a structural analysis of the input supply system and the role input dealers play in providing products and services to the  production process. Through the use of stakeholder analysis and structured interviews, results revealed that 50% of agro input dealers interviewed provided herbicides to farmers. Information on input on high demand was through extension (43%) indicating the relevance of the extension services in information delivery. The most common form of assistance was training (42.86%) followed by advisory services (28.57%) with limited access to credit (4.29 %). Gross margins were quite faviourable such that seed yam had gross margin of GHC 30 per 100 tubers, agro chemicals was GHC 5/litre and fertilizer GHC 2.67/Bag. Strengthening the capital base of input dealers will make them more efficient to serve the production system effectively and productively. Keywords: Input dealer,  yam production, labour , seed yam, agro input

Nutritional status of children 0-59 months in selected intervention communities in northern Ghana from the Africa RISING project in 2012

Background Poor nutritional status during childhood and its long-term impact on economic growth and wellbeing is well known. This study assessed the nutritional status of children in selected communities in northern Ghana, to serve as baseline data for the Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) project that sought to improve farm-household nutrition through agriculture. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among children 0–59 months in selected communities in the Northern (Tibali andCheyohi No. 2), Upper West (Goli and Zanko) and Upper East (Bonia and Sambulgu) regions of northern Ghana. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on background characteristics of caregivers and children. Weight and height were measured for children following World Health Organization (WHO) procedures and transformed into z-scores using the WHO Anthro. Results All the caregivers (522) were females; majority (73.4 %) had no formal education, 82.7 % were married and 70.5 % engaged in farming. In all, 533 children were recruited: Northern region (38.6 %), Upper West (33.4 %) and Upper East (28.0 %). Majority (52.5 %) of the children were males. The mean age was 32 ± 19 months. Levels of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.2, 17.6 and 8.2 % respectively. Stunting, underweight and wasting levels increased within the first two years of life. Overall, 33.8 % of the children in northern Ghana were malnourished; 20.2 % were from the Northern region, 7.0 and 6.8 % were from Upper East and Upper West respectively. Conclusion Different forms of malnutrition still exist as a public health problem in various communities in northern Ghana and need to be curtailed using effective agriculture-nutrition sensitive interventions

Efficacy of spraying intervals of Ridomil Plus 66 WP for control of taro leaf blight disease

Taro leaf blight causes up to 100% yield loss in susceptible taro ( Colocasia esculenta L. (Schott)) cultivars. The use of fungicides in disease management is fast and effective; however efficacy of fungicides could be affected by frequency of application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spraying intervals and economic benefits of Ridomil Plus 66 WP (12% Metalaxyl-M and 60% Copper (1) oxide) on taro leaf blight disease. The study consisted of four fungicide spraying intervals, viz at one, two and at four weekly intervals, all at the concentration of 3.3 g l-1 and no fungicide application as the control. Results showed no significant differences (P > 00.5) between one and two weekly spraying intervals in terms of taro leaf blight disease incidence and severity. These were, however, significantly different (P < 0.05) from four weekly and no fungicide applications. Taro corm yield was higher in weekly spraying interval, but not significantly different (P > 0.05) from biweekly application intervals. Yields in weekly intervals were 2.9, 33.0 and 44.0% higher than biweekly, four weekly and no application intervals. Applying fungicide at a biweekly interval was found to be economically efficient as it recorded higher total revenue and net present values. Applying 66 WP (12% Metalaxyl-M and 60% Copper (1) oxide) at 2 weekly interval was the optimum period and most efficient to reduce the incidence and severity of Phytophthora leaf blight disease and increase yield of taro.La br\ufblure des feuilles de taro peut causer une perte de rendement allant jusqu\u2019\ue0 100% chez les cultivars sensibles de taro ( Colocasia esculenta L. (Schott)). L\u2019utilisation de fongicides dans la gestion des maladies est rapide et efficace; cependant, l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des fongicides pourrait \ueatre affect\ue9e par la fr\ue9quence d\u2019application. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des intervalles de pulv\ue9risation et les avantages \ue9conomiques de Ridomil Plus 66 WP (12% de m\ue9talaxyl-M et 60% d\u2019oxyde de cuivre (1)) sur la maladie du taro. L\u2019\ue9tude consistait en quatre intervalles de pulv\ue9risation de fongicide, c\u2019est-\ue0-dire \ue0 une, deux, quatre intervalles hebdomadaires, le tout \ue0 la concentration de 3,3 g l-1 et sans application de fongicide. Les r\ue9sultats n\u2019ont montr\ue9 aucune diff\ue9rence significative (P> 00,5) entre un et deux intervalles de pulv\ue9risation hebdomadaires en termes d\u2019incidence et de gravit\ue9 de la br\ufblure du taro. Celles-ci \ue9taient cependant significativement diff\ue9rentes (P <0,05) de quatre applications hebdomadaires et sans fongicide. Le rendement en corme de taro \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 dans l\u2019intervalle de pulv\ue9risation hebdomadaire, mais pas significativement diff\ue9rent (P> 0,05) des intervalles d\u2019application bihebdomadaires. Les rendements \ue0 intervalles hebdomadaires \ue9taient de 2,9, 33,0 et 44,0% sup\ue9rieurs \ue0 ceux des deux semaines, quatre semaines et aucun intervalle d\u2019application. L\u2019application d\u2019un fongicide toutes les deux semaines s\u2019est av\ue9r\ue9e \ueatre \ue9conomiquement efficace car elle a enregistr\ue9 des revenus totaux et des valeurs actuelles nettes plus \ue9lev\ue9s. En conclusion, l\u2019application de 66 WP (oxyde de m\ue9talaxyl-M \ue0 12% et oxyde de cuivre (1) \ue0 60%) \ue0 intervalles de 2 semaines s\u2019est av\ue9r\ue9e \ueatre la p\ue9riode optimale et la plus efficace pour r\ue9duire l\u2019incidence et la gravit\ue9 de la maladie phytophthora et augmenter le rendement du taro

Drug discovery research in Ghana, challenges, current efforts, and the way forward

We have a long-term vision to develop drug discovery research capacity within Ghana, to tackle unmet medical needs in Ghana and the wider West African region. However, there are several issues and challenges that need to be overcome to enable this vision, including training, human resource, equipment, infrastructure, procurement, and logistics. We discuss these challenges from the context of Ghana in this review. An important development is the universities and research centres within Ghana working together to address some of these challenges. Therefore, while there is a long way to go to fully accomplish our vision, there are encouraging signs