Soil and Irrigation Research Centre (SIREC)

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    Accounting for Weather Variability in Farm Management Resource Allocation in Northern Ghana: An Integrated Modeling Approach
    (Sustainability, 2023) Adelesi, O.O.; MacCarthy, D.S.; Adiku, G.K.; et al.
    Smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana face challenges due to weather variability and market volatility, hindering their ability to invest in sustainable intensification options. Modeling can help understand the relationships between productivity, environmental, and economic aspects, but few models have explored the effects of weather variability on crop management and resource allocation. This study introduces an integrated modeling approach to optimize resource allocation for smallholder mixed crop and livestock farming systems in Northern Ghana. The model combines a process-based crop model, farm simulation model, and annual optimization model. Crop model Simulations are driven by a large ensemble of weather time series for two scenarios: good and bad weather. The model accounts for the effects of climate risks on farm management decisions, which can help in supporting investments in sustainable intensification practices, thereby bringing smallholder farmers out of poverty traps. The model was simulated for three different farm types, represented in the region. The results suggest that farmers could increase their income by allocating more than 80% of their land to cash crops such as rice, groundnut, and soybeans. The optimized cropping patterns have an over 50% probability of increasing farm income, particularly under bad weather scenarios, compared with current cropping systems.
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    First report and population dynamics of the Tobacco Thrips, Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on ridged gourd, Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxy in selected export fields in southern Ghana
    (Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 2022) Fening, K.O.; Billah, M.K.; Amouzou, K.; et al.
    Thrips attack several crops, causing considerable economic damage. To prevent this damage, sticky traps can be used to monitor their population for the timely execution of management interventions. Ridged gourd or turia (Luffa) acutangula (L.) Roxy is an important Asian vegetable exported regularly to the European Union market from Ghana. However, this vegetable has been intercepted several times at the point of entry because of thrips infestation. The current study is aimed at identifying and monitoring thrips population on turia using blue and yellow sticky traps in six export vegetable production sites in Ghana for two consecutive seasons and three trapping periods. The results showed that Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) was the commonest and only species of thrips found attacking turia. The highest and lowest mean number of thrips were recorded from the blue and yellow sticky traps during the dry and the late part of the major rainy seasons, respectively. Thrips population build-up was observed to reach its peak at the flowering stage of the crop. This is the first report of T. parvispinus in Ghana. The implications of this Findings on the export of turia to the EU market have been discussed.
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    Growth and Yield Performance of Maize Hybrids on the Vertic soils of Accra Plains Ghana
    (West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 2023) Darrah, Y.O.K.; Ofori, B.; Puozaa, D.K.
    Maize is the most important food staple in Ghana; however, the yield potential of 6t/ha for this cereal has yet to be realized. Increasing yield productivity has become crucial in recent times due to food security pressures as a result of a growing population and a rapidly expanding use in the local industry. Maize hybrids offer the opportunity to significantly increase yields in the country and this has led to an increasingly greater number of hybrids being developed and released. There is therefore a need to test maize hybrids before recommending them to farmers in specific agroecological areas. In this study, a recently released hybrid, ‘Legon Aburo’ (released by West African Centre for Crop Improvement, WACCI), tested alongside two commonly used hybrids ‘Opeaburo’ (local hybrid) and ‘Pan 53’ (imported hybrid) and two open-pollinated Pollinated Varieties (OPVs) (‘Obatanpa’ and ‘Abontem’), in the coastal savannah agro-ecological zone with distinctive vertices and heavy clayey soils. The results show significant differences (p < 0.05) in the leaf area index (LAI) among the maize varieties and was highest in ‘Obantanpa’ in both seasons. Biomass, which varied significantly among varieties, was highest in ‘Legon Aburo’ and ‘Pan 53’ and lowest in ‘Abontem’. In terms of yields, the most popular OPV is ‘Obatanpa’ was comparable to the local hybrid ‘Opeaburo’ and the foreign hybrid ‘PAN 53’. The OPV ‘Abontem’ had the lowest grain yield, while the WACCI hybrid ‘Legon Aburo’ produced the highest grain (<7t/ha) for both years. This novel hybrid variety may offer an opportunity for farmers in the Coastal Savannah with predominantly vertice clayey soils to increase their yields.
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    Efficacy of selected biopesticides on key pests of chilli pepper for increased productivity in Ghana
    (Crop Protection, 2024) Adom, M.; Fening, K.O.; Billah, M.K.; et al.
    Chilli pepper is an important food and cash crop in Ghana. Unfortunately, production and marketing are con strained by many insect pests. In this study, the efficacy of five different biopesticides: Neemazal® (Azadirachtin 0.3% w/w EC), Agro blaster® (Pyrethrin I and II 1% w/w), Bypel 1® (Pieris rapae 10000PIB/mg + Bacillus thuringiensis 16000 IU/mg), Cryptogran® (Cryptophlebia leucotreta Granulovirus ≥ 5.1010 OBs/ml) and Attack® (Emamectin benzoate 1.9% w/w EC) were assessed against the major insect pests of chilli pepper. These pests included the false codling moth (FCM), thrips, whiteflies and fruit flies. The study was conducted during the minor and major cropping seasons of 2019 and 2020, respectively, using RCBD plot design in two locations (Legon and Begoro) in southern Ghana. All five tested biopesticides reduced the infestation of the target insect pests. Neemazal® and Attack® were more efficacious than the other three biopesticides in controlling FCM. For fruit flies, the infestation in Neemazal® and Attack® treated plots varied between 0.69 ± 0.60 to 12.84 ± 0.91% and 1.40 ± 0.69 to 9.72 ± 1.27%, respectively against 3.82 ± 0.67 to 21.87 ± 2.14% in control plots. Nee mazal®, Bypel 1® and Attack® significantly reduced thrips population compared to other biopesticides. Apart from Neemazal® and Attack®, Agro blaster® also reduced whiteflies population compared to control plots. The highest yields were recorded in Neemazal® (3.17 ± 0.33 to 4.35 ± 0.22 t/ha) and Attack® (3.05 ± 0.21 to 4.55 ± 0.25 t/ha) treated plots against 2.12 ± 0.31 to 3.06 ± 0.37 t/ha in the control. Therefore, these two bio pesticides are promising and could be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM) against chilli pepper insect pests in Ghana.
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    Scientific agenda for climate risk and impact assessment of West African cropping systems
    (Global Food Security, 2023) Diancoumba, M.; MacCarthy, D.; Webber, H.; et al.
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    Assessment of human activities and its effects on forest management: a survey of charcoal producers in the Sekyere Central District of Ghana
    (IOP, 2023-05) Honger, J. O.; Lambon, J. B.; Anambam, D. Y.
    A survey to assess the effects and sustainability of charcoal production on the local vegetation cover was conducted in the Sekyere Central District of Ashanti region from December 2017 to April 2018. The study involved the use of structured questionnaires, focus group discussions(FGDs), key informants, secondary data and field observation by reconnaissance survey. The socio-economic survey was to identify who in the district is undertaking charcoal production as an economic venture, how widespread the activity is, and the preferred tree species being harvested to produce charcoal. In the field survey, the vegetation types in the study area were identified in a reconnaissance survey as secondary forests with increasing grassland. The relative abundance of tree species which could be used for charcoal production was also identified and quantified. A 640-meter square plot was delimited and divided into 64 square plots within each of which five-meter quadrats were marked at random and presence or absence was recorded for the individual tree species. The results of the study indicated that charcoal production is widely carried out throughout the district especially in the Afram Plains portion. It is practiced by the Akan and the Sissala ethnic groups who have very little education. Female producers(8%)were less than their male counterparts. Majority (73%) of the producers was 31 and above years whiles those of 30 years and below was 27%. The study revealed that most tree species are becoming rare and are only common in the protected area (Kogyae strict natures reserve) in the district.
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    Spodoptera frugiperda in Togo 5 years on: early impact of the invasion and future developments
    (Bulletin of Entomological Research, 2023) Koff, D.; Agboka, K.; Fening, K.O.; Adjevi, M.K.A.; Badziklou, J.E.A.; Tchegueni, M.; Tchao, M.; Meagher, P.L.
    The infestation of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Africa since 2016 has been a major threat to maize production. Previous studies in Togo and Ghana from 2016 to 2018 did not correlate FAW infestation to yield losses. Thus, the aim of this study which assesses the impact of FAW infestation by inspecting 150 maize farms throughout the five Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) of Togo for FAW plant damage, and third instar larvae were used to infest 10-day-old maize plants in netted plots under controlled conditions at an experiment station (Station d’Expérimentations Agronomiques de Lomé) in 2019 and 2020. As control plots at the experiment station, plots were both netted and treated with emamectin benzoate, simply netted, or open to natural infestation. The number of larvae, egg masses, percent damaged plants, and damage proportions of leaves and ears were scored until harvest. Infestations and damages on maize plant throughout Togo were similar between the two years but were higher in the southern part of the county (AEZ5). At the experiment station, the yield losses were significantly considerable and increased from 25% infestation. The losses were 0.37 t ha−1 for 25% infestation, 0.34 t ha−1 for 30%, 0.59 t ha−1 for the open plots, 0.70 t ha−1 for simple netted and 50% infestation, 1.03 t ha−1 for 75%, and 1.27 t ha−1 for 100% infestation. This current study suggested thorough inspection on maize farms to set off management practices from 25% of infestation.
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    Co-application of triple super phosphate and chicken litter biochar improves phosphorus availability of mineral tropical acid soils to reduce water pollution
    (Desalination and Water Treatment, 2022) Ahmeda, O.H.; Ali, M.; Abdullah, R.; Chowdhury, A.J.K.; Salleh, N.T.; Musah, A.A.
    Although organic amendments could increase P use efficiency, unbalanced use of organic amendments and P fertilizers in farming systems is uneconomical and environmental unfriendly. This study explored if the right combination of chicken litter biochar (CLB) and triple superphosphate (TSP) could improve soil P availability to minimize P losses through leaching to prevent ground water and other water bodies’ contamination through for example eutrophication (Algae bloom). Rates of 75%, 50%, and 25% of 5 t ha–1 chicken litter biochar and 75%, 50%, and 25% of 130 kg ha–1 (existing TSP recommendation for Zea mays, L.), respectively were evaluated in a leaching study using standard procedures. Results revealed that CLB treatments minimized P leaching compared with the treatment without CLB. This resulted in significant improvement in available P. This was possible because CLB improved soil pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na besides reducing P fixation by Al and Fe ions. Leaching of available P following application of chicken litter biochar only occurred within the first 10 d after which the leaching significantly reduced. This finding further suggests that if the availability P is not in synchrony with optimum crop uptake in agricultural systems, available P could be lost from the soil profile to contaminate or pollute water bodies. Chicken litter biochar can be used to improve P availability but it is not an excellent organic amendment to sorb P for a long period.
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    Location, biophysical and agronomic parameters for croplands in northern Ghana
    (Copernicus Publications, 2022) Gómez-Dan, J.L.; Lewis, P.E.; Yin, F.; Asare, K.; Lamptey, P.; Aidoo, K.K.Y.; MacCarth, D.S.; Ma, H.; et al.
    Smallholder agriculture is the bedrock of the food production system in sub-Saharan Africa. Yields in Africa are significantly below potentially attainable yields for a number of reasons, and they are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Monitoring of these highly heterogeneous landscapes is needed to respond to farmer needs, develop an appropriate policy and ensure food security, and Earth observation (EO) must be part of these efforts, but there is a lack of ground data for developing and testing EO methods in western Africa, and in this paper, we present data on (i) crop locations, (ii) biophysical parameters and (iii) crop yield, and biomass was collected in 2020 and 2021 in Ghana and is reported in this paper. In 2020, crop type was surveyed in more than 1800 fields in three different agroecological zones across Ghana (the Guinea Savannah, Transition and Deciduous zones). In 2021, a smaller number of fields were surveyed in the Guinea Savannah zone, and additionally, repeated measurements of leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll concentration were made on a set of 56 maize fields. Yield and biomass were also sampled at harvesting. LAI in the sampled fields ranged from 0.1 to 5.24 m2 m−2 , whereas leaf chlorophyll concentration varied between 6.1 and 60.3 µg cm−2 . Yield varied between 190 and 4580 kg ha−1 , with an important within-field variability (average per-field standard deviation 381 kg ha−1 ). The data are used in this paper to (i) evaluate the Digital Earth Africa 2019 cropland masks, where 61 % of sampled 2020/21 cropland is flagged as cropland by the data set, (ii) develop and test an LAI retrieval method from Earth observation Planet surface reflectance data (validation correlation coefficient R = 0.49, root mean square error (RMSE) 0.44 m2 m−2 ), (iii) create a maize classification data set for Ghana for 2021 (overall accuracy within the region tested: 0.84), and (iv) explore the relationship between maximum LAI and crop yield using a linear model (correlation coefficient R = 0.66 and R = 0.53 for in situ and Planet-derived LAI, respectively). The data set, made available here within the context of the Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM) initiative, is an important contribution to understanding crop evolution and distribution in smallholder farming systems and will be useful for researchers developing/validating methods to monitor these systems using Earth observation data. The data described in this paper are available from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6632083 (Gomez-Dans et al., 2022).
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    Horizon scanning for prioritising invasive alien species with potential to threaten agriculture and biodiversity in Ghana
    (NeoBiota, 2022) Kenis, M.; Agboyi, L.K.; Adu-Acheampong, R.; Ansong, M.; Arthur, S.; Attipoe, P.T.; Baba, A.M.; Beseh, P.; Clottey, V.A.; Combey, R.; Dzomeku, I.; Eddy-Doh, M.A.; Fening, K.O.; Frimpong-Anin, K.; Hevi, W.; Lekete-Lawson, E.; Nboyine, J.A.; Ohene-Mensah, G.; Oppong-Mensah, B.; Nuamah, H.S.A.; van der Puije, G.; Mulema, J.
    Invasive alien species (IAS) continue to shape the global landscape through their effects on biological diversity and agricultural productivity. The effects are particularly pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen the arrival of many IAS in recent years. This has been attributed to porous borders, weak cross border biosecurity, and inadequate capacity to limit or stop invasions. Prediction and early detection of IAS, as well as mechanisms of containment and eradication, are needed in the fight against this global threat. Horizon scanning is an approach that enables gathering of information on risk and impact that can support IAS management. A study was conducted in Ghana to establish two ranked lists of potential invasive alien plant pest species that could be harmful to agriculture, forestry, and the environment, and to rank them according to their potential threat. The ultimate objective was to enable prioritization of actions including pest risk analysis, prevention, surveillance and contingency plans. Prioritisation was carried out using an adapted version of horizon scanning and consensus methods developed for ranking IAS worldwide. Following a horizon scan of invasive alien species not yet officially present in Ghana, a total of 110 arthropod and 64 pathogenic species were assessed through a simplified pest risk assessment. Sixteen species, of which 14 were arthropods and two pathogens, had not been recorded on the African continent at the time of assessment. The species recorded in Africa included 19 arthropod and 46 pathogenic species which were already recorded in the neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. The majority of arthropod species were likely to arrive as contaminants on commodities, followed by a sizable number which were likely to arrive as stowaways, while some species were capable of long distance dispersal unaided. The main actions suggested for species that scored highly included full pest risk analyses and, for species recorded in neighbouring countries, surveys to determine their presence in Ghana were recommended.