Research and Development for Improved Cassava Varieties in Ghana: Farmers’ Adoption and Effects on Livelihoods

The importance of Cassava in the food systems of Ghanaians cannot be underestimated. As a main staple crop, Cassava contributes about 22% and 30% to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and daily calories intake respectively. Per capita consumption of 152 kg makes it the highest among all food crops. Due to Cassava’s importance, there have been lots of attention paid to it by the Government and Donor agencies towards its improvement. This has yielded substantial results in terms of the development of cassava varieties and good agronomic practices. This chapter reviewed cassava technologies development in Ghana, adoption of these technologies by smallholder farmers, and livelihood implications. Results generated showed that Research and Development since 1993 has developed, released, and disseminated 25 new cassava varieties to smallholder farmers. Average cassava yields have increased from about 14 t/ha in 2009 to 21 t/ha in 2018. Partial budget analysis showed that smallholder farmers’ profitability has increased over the years from GH₵644.32 (about US$111) in 2009 to GH₵5243.27 (about US$ 904) in 2018. Again, the crop is gradually gaining attention as an industrial crop for flour, starch, and alcohol production, a drive that would further improve on returns to farmers. It is a food security crop because it is robust, produces more per unit area, and versatile for multiple usages in household foods and derivatives. It is recommended that continuous policy consideration on cassava in national agricultural agenda setting is essential

Prospects for Intensifying Soil Fertility Management on the Growth and Yield of Assava in Ghana

Crop-specific fertilizer recommendations are necessary to improve yield and enhance food security in Ghana. This approach would help in improving crop productivity while maintaining a good soil health status. A new NPK fertilizer has been recently developed by the private sector with Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) proportions of 11:22:21 respectively for improved cassava root yield. This study evaluated the right and economic rate of this fertilizer to apply for improved cassava productivity and farmer livelihoods. Rates of 0, 300, 400, 600, and 800 kg/ha of newly developed fertilizer were applied at Fumesua and Akumadan located in the forest agro-ecological zone, and at Ejura and Techiman located in the transitional agro-ecological zone of Ghana. The experiments were conducted in two growing seasons (May 2019 to April 2020 and May 2020 to April 2021). Increases in cassava growth were observed with the increasing levels of fertilizer at all locations and in the two growing seasons. Cassava yield was in the linear phase of the fertilizer response curve. It ranged from 28 to 52 tons/ha with the increasing fertilizer levels. Cassava in the forest agro-ecology had better growth and 25% more yield than other locations. Fertilizer rates between 0 and 400 were found to have the best yield returns and sufficient profit opportunities to sensitize adoption by financially constrained farmers. The results indicate that the newly developed fertilizer (11:22:21 N:P2O5:K2O) can improve cassava productivity in the inherently poor soils of Ghana. Keywords: fertilizer recommendation; plant nutrients; rainfall; agronomic practices; cassava productivity; root yield DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-18-03 Publication date:September 30th 202

Impact of foliar application of zinc and magnesium aminochelate on bean physiology and productivity in Ghana

Foliar application of fertilizers can guarantee nutrient availability to beans, leading to higher yield and seed quality. Different approaches including glycine have been used to improve mineral nutrient status of plants toward safer products and improved human health. However, limited research has been undertaken to understand the response of beans to amino Zn and Mg foliar fertilizer application in Ghana. )is study was conducted to investigate the effect of zinc, magnesium, and combined zinc and magnesium foliar fertilizer application on two improved common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties locally referred to as Adoye and Nsroma in the forest (Fumesua) and forest-savannah transition (Akumadan) agro-ecological zones of Ghana during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons.)etreatments were arranged in split-plot design with the two improved common bean varieties as the main plot, and foliar fertilizer options (zinc, 200 g/ha; magnesium, 224 g/ha; combined zinc and magnesium, 100 g/ha Zn and 112 g/ha Mg) and water spray (control) as the subplot treatments. )e zinc and combined zinc and magnesium treatments had similar and significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher plant height of 37.1 cm and 38.7 cm compared to the control and magnesium treatments. )e results also showed that chlorophyll content was approximately 15.6% higher in plants treated with zinc plus magnesium compared to the other treatments. Similarly, stomatal conductance was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased by 35.6% with zinc plus magnesium treatment relative to the other treatments. )eimproved chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance in those treatments resulted in ∼55.3–80.6% increase in crop biomass and seed yield. Crop performance parameters such as plant height, canopy spread, and chlorophyll content were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) at Akumadan, resulting in a greater seed yield of 1486.2 kg/ha compared to 1365.3 kg/ha at Fumesua. Combined application of zinc and magnesium appears to be a potential soil improvement strategy for common bean production in tropical soil environment of Ghana

A Socioeconomic Study of Transition Zone Yam Farmers Addressing Constraints and Exploring Opportunities for Integrating Pigeonpea into Yam Cropping Systems

Cultivation of yams by rural households contributes to food supply and income generation. Notwithstanding the importance of this crop, yam production has been stagnating, threatening rural livelihoods and food security. Contrary to traditional yam systems in Ghana, an alternative system that integrates pigeonpea and yam is being proposed to mitigate constraints in existing yam production system through replenishing soil fertility, the provision of stakes for staking, and providing nutritious grains to farmers. The purpose of this study was to explore farmers’ constraints and determine farmers’ knowledge of the pigeonpea⁻yam cropping system. The investigation was conducted using structured questionnaires on a sample consisting of 150 yam farmers from three major yam-producing districts of Ghana. Results revealed that access to capital, mechanization, and poor road network were among the main constraints that militated yam production. A majority (68%) farmers are also still using shifting cultivation in search of fertile lands for yam production. The study found that farmers had poor knowledge of the pigeonpea⁻yam cropping system and the benefits and uses of pigeonpea. Given the potential of the pigeonpea⁻yam intercropping system in addressing soil fertility and providing a readily available source of stakes, it would be a viable option for smallholder farmers to increase and sustain production

Staking Options for Sustainable Yam Production in Ghana

The study evaluated staking options to address the problem of deforestation for sustainable yam production in the Forest and Forest-Savannah Transition zones of Ghana. A split-plot design with three yam varieties (Dente, Water Yam and TDR95/19177 line) and three staking options (No staking, Vertical staking and Trellis with 50% and 30% number of vertical stakes for 2012 and 2013 respectively) as main plots and subplots respectively were used. Results revealed a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between yam variety and staking options on yam tuber yields in both locations and years. While water yam had similar tuber yields under all staking options, Dente and TDR95/19177 under no staking had significant yield reductions ranging from 37 to 65% compared to the other staking options. The observed yield reduction under no staking of Dente and TDR95/19177 could be attributed to higher incidence of yam mosaic virus leading to significantly lower fresh leaf biomass production. Reducing the number of stakes in trellis to as low as 30% of the vertical/optimum staking option did not result in a significant reduction in tuber yields for TDR95/19177 and Water yam. The economic analysis revealed that it is more profitable to produce water yam and TDR95/19177 under no staking and trellis (50% and 30% number of optimum staking) respectively in both locations. The results suggest trellis/minimum staking can be used to minimize the use of stakes, yam mosaic virus disease infection and for sustainable yam production in the face of climate change

Effect of waste landfill site on surface and ground water drinking quality

Drinking water quality of surface and underground water within 1.34 km from a waste landfill site in Kumasi, Ghana was investigated. Physico‐chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations were analysed to determine water quality and pollution indices. It was found that turbidity of 83% of hand dug wells, 50% of the streams and 33% of boreholes were higher than World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for drinking water. Water quality index (WQI) showed that 25% of the water sources are of excellent quality, while 50%, 15% and 5% are good quality, poor quality, very poor quality and unsuitable for drinking, respectively. Heavy metal pollution index (HPI) indicated that the water sources were above the critical limit for drinking water (HPI > 100). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed 75.30% and 70.88% of the total variance for the physico‐chemical parameters and heavy metals, respectively. The findings concluded that cadmium concentrations in all the water sources were extremely higher (0.0122–0.1090 mg/L) than WHO limit (0.003 mg/L), rendering them unwholesome for consumption

Monitoring and Modelling Analysis of Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield Gap in Smallholder Farming in Ghana

Modelling and multiple linear regression were used to explore the reason for low maize yield in the Atebubu-Amantin and West Mamprusi Districts of Ghana, West Africa. The study evaluated maize yields on twenty farms against measures of soil fertility, agronomic attributes and soil water availability. Correlations between yield, soil fertility, rain, crop density, and weed biomass, were low, and no single factor could explain the low yields. A 50-year virtual experiment was then set up using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) to explore the interactions between climate, crop management (sowing date and nitrogen fertilization) and rooting depth on grain yield and nitrate (NO3-N) dynamics. The analysis showed that a lack of optimal sowing dates that synchronize radiation, rainfall events and nitrogen (N) management with critical growth stages explained the low farm yields

Identification of sources of resistance in cowpea lines to Macrophomina root rot disease in Northern Ghana

Macrophomina root rot disease (MRRD) caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is an emerging threat to the profitable cowpea production in northern Ghana.Recommended control methods including the use of fungicides are ineffective and expensive for resource poor farmers whilst biocontrol options are not commercially available. An integrated method based on host plant resistance is considered the cheapest and most effective method of managing the disease. This study sought to confirm and characterize previously identified MRRD isolates from Northern Ghana using molecular technology, and to identify cowpea with potential sources of resistance to the MRRD. A PCR assay of ten isolates of the cowpea root rot pathogen revealed all isolates belonged to the species M. phaseolina, whilst a nucleotide BLAST of eight isolates showed 98% similarity with the sequences of Macrophomina isolates from other host available in GenBank. A sick pot method evaluation of 49 cowpea lines found 10 lines resistant to MRRD on a 1–9 disease severity scale (disease score, less than 5). A selection of eight resistant lines (Suvita 2, Abagbaala, IT97K573-1-1, IT93K-503-1-1, Hewale, AV2 3224, Nhyira and T2T4), and a susceptible check (Songotra) were evaluated against 10 isolates of M. phaseolina using a sick pot method. All the genotypes except for the susceptible check were resistant to MRRD. Thus, these genotypes could be used in cowpea MRRD resistance breeding programs

<em>Phytophthora</em> Diseases in Ghana: Threats, Management Options and Prospects

Ghana’s agricultural economy is largely dominated by the crop subsector with much focus on the production of tree, arable and vegetable crops. Nevertheless, Phytophthora spp. are major threat to the production of these crops contributing significantly to yield reduction. In this review, the main focus will be to look at the threats the pathogen poses to production, economic importance of Phytophthora diseases, highlights some Phytophthora diseases with limited research in the country but have the potential of affecting crop production, management options and the prospect of developing and deploying biological control strategies considered environmentally friendlier and devoid of human health risks to reduce the effect of this pathogen on crop production as well as reducing the dependency on chemical control option