Optimal rice/colocasia cropping systems in the Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions within the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana.

This study is a follow-up survey to investigate the economic viability of the Rice/Colocasia cropping systems introduced by the Root and Tuber Improvement Project (RTIP)/Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the year 2000. It explores the possibility of improving the net earnings of farm families through appropriate farm plans. A Linear Programming model was developed to optimize net income from the Rice and Colocasia enterprises subject to land and labour constraints. The model selected the inter-cropping system as the optimal enterprise in relation to the resources available and allocated 1.2 ha for this cropping system out of the 3 ha available to the typical farm household. The maximum net income obtained from the inter-cropping system for the model farm was ¢4,454,726 ($543.26). There was a binding labour constraint for the first weeding of the farming activities with a shadow price of ¢14.65. Due to labour bottlenecks in certain times of the year, farmers paid unrealistic labour wages of up to ¢8,000 which resulted in low labour productivity in the study area. About 56% of the farmers were females with the younger generation forming the majority (58.9%). Journal of Science and Technology (Ghana) Vol. 27 (2) 2007: pp. 51-6

Multivariate adaptive regression splines models for vehicular emission prediction

© 2015, Oduro et al. Background: Rate models for predicting vehicular emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO X) are insensitive to the vehicle modes of operation, such as cruise, acceleration, deceleration and idle, because these models are usually based on the average trip speed. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using other variables such as vehicle speed, acceleration, load, power and ambient temperature to predict (NO X) emissions to ensure that the emission inventory is accurate and hence the air quality modelling and management plans are designed and implemented appropriately. Methods: We propose to use the non-parametric Boosting-Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (B-MARS) algorithm to improve the accuracy of the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) modelling to effectively predict NO X emissions of vehicles in accordance with on-board measurements and the chassis dynamometer testing. The B-MARS methodology is then applied to the NO X emission estimation. Results: The model approach provides more reliable results of the estimation and offers better predictions of NO X emissions. Conclusion: The results therefore suggest that the B-MARS methodology is a useful and fairly accurate tool for predicting NO X emissions and it may be adopted by regulatory agencies

Chemical control of mango anthracnose disease in Ghana

AbstractSeven different fungicides were evaluated in-vitro and in the field for their efficacy against the causal agent and incidence and severity of mango anthracnose disease in Ghana. The recommended rates of Bendazim, (Carbendazim), Funguran (Copper hydroxide), Ivory (Mancozeb), Agriette +Ivory (Fosetyl-Al +Mancozeb), Sundomil (Mancozeb+Metalaxyl), Top Cop (Copper +flowable sulphur), Mirage (Prochloraz), Bendazim+Ivory and Funguran+Ivory were mixed with potato dextrose agar (PDA) and the radial mycelial growth of the pathogen was determined on these amended media. The fungicides were applied on fruit bearing trees in a commercial farm in the Yilo Krobo District after which the disease incidence, severity and percentage of exportable fruits were determined. The results showed that the pathogen was not able to grow on PDA amended with the fungicides. In the field, Bendazim and Funguran fungicides were able to suppress the disease to a large extent resulting in the highest percentage of exportable fruits. Prochloraz solution at both ambient temperature and 53 °C were able to completely eradicate the pathogen, and prevented development of postharvest anthracnose disease symptoms.Original scientific paper. Received 30 Apr 14; revised 23 Sept 14

Application of a value chain approach to understanding white kenkey production, vending and consumption practices in three districts of Ghana

Traditional processing and street vending of foods is a vital activity in the informal sector of the Ghanaian economy and offers livelihood for a large number of traditional food processors. Kenkey is a fermented maize ‘dumpling’ produced by traditional food processors in Ghana. Ga and Fante kenkey have received research attention and there is a lot of scientific information on kenkey production. White kenkey produced from dehulled maize grains is a less known kind of kenkey. A survey was held in three districts of Ghana to study production, vending and consumption of white kenkey and to identify major bottlenecks related to production, which can be addressed in studies to re-package kenkey for a wider market. Questionnaires were designed for producers, vendors and consumers of white kenkey to collate information on Socio-cultural data, processing technologies, frequency of production and consumption, product shelf life, reasons for consumption and quality attributes important to consumers using proportional sampling. The survey was conducted in white kenkey production zones and trade centers. Results showed that production of white kenkey is done on small-scale levels by middle-aged women in households with 10-50 kg of dehulled maize processed into white kenkey, 1-3 times weekly. A third (28%) of the women processed up to 50-100 kg of maize per week. Although 62% of vendors sell 50-100 balls of white kenkey daily, 15% of them sell more than 170 balls. Majority of consumers (45.9%) liked white kenkey because of its convenience (ready-to-eat). Texture and taste were quality attributes desired by kenkey consumers. Producers did not have written records of process controls and product throughputs. Inspite of their cottage nature, production of white kenkey is a profitable employment for producers and vendors and is popular among consumers. Product improvement, process and product characteristics could offer scale-up criteria for development of white kenkey production using standardized procedures for steeping times, steeping temperature and fermentation times.Keywords: maize, white kenkey, value chain, traditional, product development, re-engineerin

Assessment of emergency medical services in the Ashanti region of Ghana

Background: We aimed to assess the structure, function and performance of Ashanti Region’s emergency medical services system in the context of the regional need for prehospital emergency care.Design: A mixed-methods approach was employed, using retrospective collection of quantitative data and prospectively gathered qualitative data. Setting – pertinent data were collected from Ghanaian and international sources; interviews and technical assessments were performed primarily in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.Participants: All stakeholders relevant to emergency medical services in the Ashanti Region of Ghana were assessed; there was a special focus on National Ambulance Service (NAS) and Ashanti Region healthcare personnel.Intervention: This was an observational study using qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques.Main outcome measures: The structure, function and performance of the Ashanti emergency medical services system, guided by a relevant technical assessment framework.Results: NAS is the premier and only true prehospital agency in the Ashanti Region. NAS has developed almost every essential aspect of an EMS system necessary to achieve its mission within a low-resource setting. NAS continues to increase its number of response units to address the overwhelming Ashanti region demand, especially primary calls. Deficient areas in need of development are governance, reliable revenue, public access, community integration, clinical care guidelines, research and quality assurance processes.Conclusions: The Ashanti Region has a growing and thriving emergency medical services system. Although many essential areas for development were identified, NAS is well poised to meet the regional demand for prehospital emergency care and transport.Keywords: EMS, prehospital, ambulance, emergency, Ghana, Afric

Comparative studies on the structure of an upland African stream ecosystem

Upland stream systems have been extensively investigated in Europe, North America and Australasia and many of the central ideas concerning their function are based on these systems. One central paradigm, the river continuum concept is ultimately derived from those North American streams whose catchments remain forested with native vegetation. Streams of the tropics may or may not fit the model. They have been little studied. The Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains of north-eastern Tanzania offers an opportunity to bring these naturally forested systems to the attention of the ecological community. This article describes a comparison made between two lengths of the River Dodwe in this area. The work was carried out by a group of postgraduate students from eighteen European and African countries with advice from five staff members, as part of a course organised by the Tropical Biology Association. Rigorous efforts were made to standardise techniques, in a situation where equipment and laboratory facilities were very basic, through a management structure and deliberate allocation of work to specialists in each area.The article offers a summary of invertebrate communities found in the stream and its biomass. Crabs seem to be the key organism in both sections of the streams

Mortality from external causes in Africa and Asia: evidence from INDEPTH Health and Demographic Surveillance System Sites.

BACKGROUND: Mortality from external causes, of all kinds, is an important component of overall mortality on a global basis. However, these deaths, like others in Africa and Asia, are often not counted or documented on an individual basis. Overviews of the state of external cause mortality in Africa and Asia are therefore based on uncertain information. The INDEPTH Network maintains longitudinal surveillance, including cause of death, at population sites across Africa and Asia, which offers important opportunities to document external cause mortality at the population level across a range of settings. OBJECTIVE: To describe patterns of mortality from external causes at INDEPTH Network sites across Africa and Asia, according to the WHO 2012 verbal autopsy (VA) cause categories. DESIGN: All deaths at INDEPTH sites are routinely registered and followed up with VA interviews. For this study, VA archives were transformed into the WHO 2012 VA standard format and processed using the InterVA-4 model to assign cause of death. Routine surveillance data also provide person-time denominators for mortality rates. RESULTS: A total of 5,884 deaths due to external causes were documented over 11,828,253 person-years. Approximately one-quarter of those deaths were to children younger than 15 years. Causes of death were dominated by childhood drowning in Bangladesh, and by transport-related deaths and intentional injuries elsewhere. Detailed mortality rates are presented by cause of death, age group, and sex. CONCLUSIONS: The patterns of external cause mortality found here generally corresponded with expectations and other sources of information, but they fill some important gaps in population-based mortality data. They provide an important source of information to inform potentially preventive intervention designs