Agriculture and gender roles in the semi-arid region of Ghana

In the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana, women play an important role in economic growth and poverty reduction through their active engagement in agricultural activities. However, little is known about the extent of their productive roles in agriculture in the region. This study sought to investigate the gender-specific agricultural roles of men and women in the region where the major livelihood is subsistence rain-fed agriculture. A household survey was conducted from August to December 2014 using a pre-tested questionnaire where 150 males and 150 female headed households (HH) were randomly sampled from 14 communities within the Bolgatanga Municipality and Bongo district of UER. The simple Fisher’s exact test using STATA 13 statistical software was used to determine the correlation between gender and agreement or disagreement in productive roles. Results show that women are involved at all levels of farming activities particularly in physically demanding activities such as planting crops, weeding, fertilizer application, tree and crop harvesting among others. Women are not engaged in financial administration except for selling of crops. Men on the other hand, are responsible for land preparation, feeding of livestock, seedling production among others. Planting of crops and harvesting of fruit trees are performed jointly by men and women. About 86 % of men and 94 % of women perceived planting of crops to be a productive task that should be performed jointly, whereas 65 % men and 65 % women expressed the same view on harvesting of fruits. There is a need to empower women through policy formulation and enforcement to allow them equal access to productive resources such as land

Effect of Pre-Crop Type on Growth and Yield of Maize on Two Soils in the Guinea Savanna Zone of Ghana

Mucuna (black type) (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis), devil-bean (Crotalaria retusa), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench.) were grown as preceding crops to maize in a Ferric Luvisol and a Haplic Luvisol in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana in June 2001. Their effects on growth, grain yield and arbuscular mycorrhiza formation of the following maize in a rotational system were assessed. A non-fertilized weedy fallow treatment was also included as control. Each of the legume pre-crops received 40 kg P ha-1 and 30 kg K ha-1 whereas the cereals received 60-40-30 kg N-P-K ha-1. The legume biomasses were incorporated into the soil in June 2002, two weeks before maize was planted and grown to maturity. Each of the legumes produced over 5 t ha-1 of biomass within the cropping season. Devil-bean tended to be the most efficient in increasing maize grain yield (4.04 t ha-1 in the Ferric Luvisol and 1.2 t ha-1 in the Haplic Luvisol). This is probably due to its relatively higher mean shoot N accumulation across the two locations (214 kg N ha-1) and its greater stimulation of mycorrhizal fungal colonization (25.5%) in the following maize, especially in the Haplic Luvisol. Devil-bean and mucuna generally enhanced maize stover growth. Devil-bean can, therefore, produce significant benefits when used as a preceding crop to maize in a rotational system

Geospatial approach to study the spatial distribution of major soil nutrients in the Northern region of Ghana

Open Access Journal; Published online: 10 July 2016Spatial distribution of soil nutrients is not normally considered for smallholder farms in Ghana resulting in blanket fertilizer application which leads to low efficiencies of some applied nutrients. This study focuses on applying geospatial analyses to map 120 maize farms in 16 districts of the Northern region of Ghana to identify nutrient distribution. Soil samples were taken from these 120 locations and analysed for contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Spatial models of the contents were generated through geostatistical analysis to map the status of N, P and K nutrients across the locations. Study results indicated that proportion of area deficient in N is 97%, P is 72% and K is 12%. Distribution pattern for N and K nutrients were clusters of low or high contents at specific locations; and that of P was random. Outcome of this study could enhance site-specific nutrient recommendation in Ghana

Assessing the influence of land-use change on the variability of soil chemical properties in semi-arid zone of Ghana

The study aimed at providing basis to consider spatial variability in soil fertility to inform effective decision making in mineral fertilizer recommendations. The study area was classified into six land-use categories using a rural rapid appraisal technique with the aid of the farmers in the community, and by remote sensing satellite imagery (Quick bird). Land-use categories varied significantly in their nutrient, organic carbon content, and stock with coefficient of determination ranging from 0.14 to 0.46. This is reflected in decline in soil nutrient, organic carbon content, and stock with increasing number of years the land was put under cultivation except for permanently cultivated fields. Permanantly cultivated fields were located in the homestead and benefited from nutrient imports from the bush fields. The two farm types also differed significantly with respect to soil nutrients, organic carbon and stock. Soil organic carbon content was 8.2 and 4.5 g kg-1 for the homestead and bushfields, respectively. Soil organic carbon stock estimated for the two farm types were 125 and 74 t ha-1 for the homestead and bush fields, respectively. The study shows a distinct zone of nutrient enhancement within the homestead and bushfields that should be sampled separately when sampling the zone for fertilizer recommendations

Comparative Nitrogen fixation, native arbuscular mycorrhiza formation and biomass production potentials of some grain legume species grown in the iield in the Guinea Savanna Zone of Ghana

An on-station trial was conducted in the experimental field of Savanna Agricultural Research Institute at Nyankpala in the Northern Region of Ghana to assess the nitrogen fixation, native arbuscular mycorrhizal formation and biomass production potentials of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), devil-bean (Crotalaria retusa), Mucuna pruriens var. utilis(black and white types) and Canavalia ensiformis with maize (Dorke SR) as the reference crop using the total nitrogen difference (TND) method. Plants were fertilized with 40 kg P/ha and 30 kg K/ha at 2 weeks after planting and grown for 55 days after which they were harvested. The harvested biomass (separated into roots, stems and leaves) of eachcrop was oven-dried at 70 oC for 48 h to a constant weight. Cowpea and devil-bean produced approximately 5 and 6 t/ha biomass whereas Mucuna and Canavalia yielded about 2 t/ha biomass each. Although cowpea had the least number of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungal (AMF) spores in its rhizosphere, its roots were the most heavily colonized (34%) and M. pruriens recording below 5% colonization. Apart from C. ensiformis, the test legumes derived over 50% of their total accumulated N from the atmosphere with cowpea being the most efficient (90% Ndfa). Both N and Paccumulations were significantly higher in cowpea than the other legumes due to increased N concentration and dry matter accumulation, respectively. In all the legumes, there was a direct positive correlation between the extent of mycorrhiza formation, biological N fixation and total N uptake. It could, therefore, be concluded that the extensivemycorrhiza formation in cowpea and its high N2-fixing potential resulted in a high shoot N and P uptake leading to a comparatively better growth enhancement. Cowpea could, therefore, be the grain legume for consideration in the selection of a suitable legume pre-crop to cereals for the amelioration of the low fertility of the degraded soils of the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana, and also as a source of food to fill the hunger gap that precedes the growing season in the Northern Region of Ghana

The Role of Formal and Informal Institutions in Smallholder Agricultural Adaptation: The Case of Lawra and Nandom Districts, Ghana

As the current frequency of climate impacts is expected to increase in semi-arid regions of Ghana, smallholder farmers will require access to new and relevant information to adapt successfully. Institutional support is increasingly gaining attention for effective and successful adaptation; however, there is limited knowledge on the specific roles of both formal and informal organizations in implementing adaptation strategies in semi-arid regions. Using the Lawra and Nandom Districts as case studies, the various roles of existing institutions in adaptation strategies were examined. A total of 135 household questionnaires, six focus group discussions (FGDs), 20 in-depth interviews with farmers, and seven key informant interviews from institutions evaluated climate risks and impacts, adaptation responses of farmers and the functions of the different institutions in supporting these adaptation strategies. Majority of respondents observed that irregular and unpredictable rainfall (77%), high temperature and extreme heat (56%) and rainfall irregularities during growing season (55%) as the main changes in the past 10 years. Major agricultural adaptation strategies identified were changing of planting dates (100%), planting of different varieties of the same crop (51%), planting of trees (35%) and seasonal migration by the local farmers (21%). There is high dependence by the smallholder farmers on formal institutions’ resources to adapt, especially for developing/ building the local capacity, rather than on local innovations within the communities. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge about climate change risks and adaptation strategies and limited or no access to financial resources. Government-led adaptation is considered to be more sustainable than NGO-led programmes although it comparatively lacks specific mandates and financial resources. Continued support by formal institutions will therefore enable the development of more effective agricultural adaptation initiatives

Assessing Public Perception of Beach Quality for Ecotourism Development: A Case Study in Kokrobite Beach in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Tourism has become a major economic force in the world in recent times and seen as one of the fastest growing sectors of the 21st century. Over the years, tourism sector in Ghana has seen a drastic growth and ranked as the fourth foreign exchange earner for the country with a contribution of 6.2% to GDP in 2008 and 6.9% in 2011. However, tourism in Ghana still remains largely undeveloped and leaves much to be desired; with minimal support for tourism infrastructure. The objective of this paper is to assess the public preferences in selecting a beach and their perceptions of the quality of Kokrobite beach to recommend some management strategies and policies toward tourism development. A reconnaissance survey was conducted, followed by a survey of 150 beach users to collect relevant data. The study revealed that the preference for Kokrobite beach is influenced by specific characteristics such as less noise, security and landscape. Most of the tourists were satisfied with the availability of restaurants and bars, accommodation, noise level and access to the beach. They were, however, not satisfied with the level of sanitation and toilet facilities. It is recommended that the conservation of the natural environment, sanitation and an improvement in toilet facilities should be treated with utmost priority by managers of the beach to promote its patronage. Fencing of the beach was also recommended to prevent intrusion by humans as well as animals. Sea defense is also recommended to be built to check erosion, and lighting systems provided to promote the use of the beach at night. Key words: Environment, Greater Accra, landscape, Kokrobite beach, tourism and sanitation