Performance and Trace Element Uptake of Rice Varieties under Different Fertilizer Application

This paper underscores the influence of different fertilizers application on the growth, yield and some trace elements uptake of two released local rice varieties widely cultivated and consumed in northern Ghana. Field experiments were conducted at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute at Nyankpala in the Northern Region of Ghana, to compare the performance of the rice varieties, viz. Digan and Nabogu. They were treated with three different inorganic fertilizers – NPK 15-15-15 (NPK), Sulphate of Ammonia (SA) and Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) and a control plot with no fertilizer treatment. The variety, Digan, showed shorter number of days (95) to 50% flowering than the Nabogu variety (107 days). The Digan variety yielded more under NPK and SA treatments than the Nabogu variety. The trace elements, Cd and Pb uptake by the two rice varieties were also assessed and found to be below detection limits.  Fe and Mn were detected at an average of 2.540 and 0.419 mg/l respectively (within acceptable levels by FAO/WHO guidelines). Keywords: heavy metal, bioavailability, inorganic fertilizer, split plot, iron, manganes

Factors Influencing Farmer’s Participation in Agricultural Projects: The case of the Agricultural Value Chain Mentorship Project in the Northern Region of Ghana

Farmers’ participation in agricultural projects has a direct bearing on technology awareness, adoption, livelihoods, environment, nutrition, poverty, performance of the agricultural sector and the macro economy. This study therefore sought to identify factors, which delimitate farmer’s participation in agricultural projects using the case of the Agricultural Value Chain Mentorship Project. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to collect cross sectional data from 180 farmers in the Saboba and Chereponi districts of the Northern Region of Ghana. The study adopts the binary probit model and results of the analysis indicate that number of years in school, access to production credit and agricultural extension service are factors that significantly determine farmer’s participation in agricultural projects. It appears that farmer’s interest in agricultural projects can be permanently sustained by providing them with tangible benefits such as production credit and agricultural extension services. Keywords: AVCMP, Chereponi, Farmer-Based Organization, Participation, Probit, Sabob

Rice Growth Responses to Tillage and Weeding Frequency

The upland field study was conducted under rainfed conditions at Nyankpala, located in the Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana, to determine the effects of tillage and weeding frequency on the growth of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety NERICA 4 variety. The experiment was set up as a split plot design with three tillage practices as main plots, and four weeding frequencies as sub-plots. Each treatment was replicated three times

Effects of Tillage and Weeding Frequency on Rice Yield and Yield Components

The upland field study was conducted during the 2014 major crop growing season under rainfed condition on a sandy loam soil (Ferric Acrisol) to compare the effect of different tillage practices and weeding frequency on yield parameters and yield of NERICA 4 rice variety at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Nyankpala, Northern Region of Ghana. The experiment was arranged in a split plot design with three replications. The tillage treatments consisted of disc ploughing only, disc ploughing followed by disc harrowing, and no tillage as main plots and four weeding frequencies (weeding thrice, twice, once and no weeding) as sub-plots. The results indicated significant effects of tillage practices on the yield components and yield of NERICA 4. Disc ploughing followed by disc harrowing produced the highest number of panicles, panicle weight, number of spikelet's per panicle, dry matter yield, number of grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and the longest panicles. The no tillage treatment gave the lowest yield performance. Similarly, weeding frequency significantly affected the yield components and yield of NERICA 4

Fluid-particle energy transfer in spiral jet milling

Spiral jet milling is a size reduction process driven by the fluid energy of high velocity gas jets. Inter-particle and particle-wall interactions are responsible for size reduction. The process is energy intensive, but inefficient. The underlying mechanisms for size reduction in the mill are also not very well understood. The optimum grinding conditions are still currently found by trial and error experimentation. In this work, the Discrete Element Method coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics is used to investigate the effects of different parameters on the particle collisional behaviour in a spiral jet mill. These include the particle concentration in the grinding chamber, the particle size, and the fluid power input. We report on our work analysing the efficiency of energy transfer and how it can be improved by changing the milling conditions and particle properties

Status quo of chemical weed control in rice in sub-Saharan Africa

If future rice production is to contribute to food security for the increasing population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), effective strategies are needed to control weeds, the crop’s fiercest competitors for resources. To gain better insights into farmers’ access to, and use of, herbicides as part of weed control strategies, surveys were conducted in key rice production locations across SSA. Farm surveys were held among 1965 farmers across 20 countries to collect data on rice yields, farmer’s weed management practices, herbicide use, frequencies of interventions and information sources regarding herbicides. Markets were surveyed across 17 countries to collect data on herbicide availability, brand names and local prices (converted to US$ha−1). Herbicides are used by 34$17 ha−1). They are also the most popular herbicides among farmers. For advice on herbicide application methods, farmers primarily rely on their peers, and only a few receive advice from extension services (<23%) or inform themselves by reading the product label (<16%). Herbicide application timings are therefore often (38%) sub-optimal. Herbicide technologies can contribute to reduced production losses in rice in SSA. However, through negative effects on crop, environment and human health, incorrect herbicide use may unintentionally counteract efforts to increase food security. Moving away from this status quo will require strict implementation and monitoring of national pesticide regulations and investment in research and development to innovate and diversify the currently followed weed management strategies, agricultural service provision and communications with farmers

Technical Efficiency of Soybean Farms and Its Determinants in Saboba and Chereponi Districts of Northern Ghana: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

This study analyzes the level and determinants of technical efficiency of soybean farms in the Saboba and Chereponi districts of northern Ghana. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 200 soybean farmers from which cross-sectional data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data collected includes farmers’ socio-economic characteristics such as age and education as well as input and output quantities and prices. Data was analyzed using the stochastic frontier approach. Results showed a mean technical efficiency estimate of 53 percent and the return to scale was 0.75. Location of farm, participation in the Agricultural Value Chain Mentorship Project and age of farmer were found to be important in explaining technical inefficiency among soybean farmers. This implies that farmers in the short run can increase their production by 47 percent by adopting practices of the best soybean farms in Saboba and Chereponi districts of northern Ghana

Yield and income risk-efficiency analysis of alternative systems for rice production in the Guinea Savannah of Northern Ghana

Risk efficiency of rice grain yield and returns to farm operators' household resources generated from an improved short-duration cover crop fallow system were compared with (traditional) natural bush fallow, and continuous rice-cropping systems. The improved fallow system involved maintaining "Calopogonium mucunoides", seeded into a natural bush fallow for 2 years before planting to rice. With no chemical fertilizer application, which reflects farmers' practice in the area, average grain yield for continuous rice (1,185 kg/ha) and the cropping sequence incorporating a natural bush fallow (1,175 kg/ha) did not differ, but were higher for the improved fallow system (1,304 kg/ha). This suggests that nutrient contribution from the leguminous cover crop made up for critical crop N requirements in the improved fallow. Stochastic dominance of grain yield distributions from the improved fallow system, relative to the other two cropping systems, was more dramatic with no N fertilizer application compared to treatments with 30 kg/ha N. Average returns were highest for the improved fallow system, followed by the natural bush fallow-cropping system, and then continuous rice, under the no N fertilizer treatment regime. With 30 kg/ha N fertilizer, income risk efficiency was less clear (compared to treatments with no N fertilizer), especially between continuous rice and the improved fallow treatment, because of faster N mineralization effects on continuous rice. In contrast, the improved cover crop fallow system completely dominated the natural bush fallow treatment under both fertilizer regimes. Rice production systems that incorporated the leguminous cover crop fallow were superior to the natural bush fallow system, based on both grain yield and average farm income risk-efficiency considerations. Copyright 2005 International Association of Agricultural Economics.