Trends in agriculturally-relevant rainfall characteristics for small-scale agriculture in Northern Ghana

dc.contributor.authorYengoh, G.T.
dc.contributor.authorArmah, F.A.
dc.contributor.authorOnumah, E.E.
dc.contributor.authorOdoi, J.O.
dc.date.accessioned2012-05-18T11:50:49Z
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-14T11:55:03Z
dc.date.available2012-05-18T11:50:49Z
dc.date.available2017-10-14T11:55:03Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.description.abstractThis study set out to investigate the trends of agriculturally-relevant rainfall characteristics among small-scale farmers in the rainfall-sensitive dry savanna agro-ecological zone of northern Ghana. Interviews are used to identify characteristics of rainfall which are deemed by the farmers as important in their food production. Time series daily rainfall data from 1960-2007 is then used to identify trends in these variables which include the amount and temporal distribution of rainfall, occurrence of extreme daily rainfall events, the onset of rains, risk of dry spells and coefficient of variability of rains. The risk of dry spells for varying number of days following the planting period is computed using first-order Markov chain modeling. We find that there is a significant increase in mean rainfall per rain day and the coefficient of variation or summer rainfall amounts. No significant change in the onset of rains, the annual rainfall amount or maximum rainfall days are established. However, a significant decrease in the number of rain days and the probability of dry spells of up to seven and eleven days in the first four weeks of the planting season is revealed. There is need for development of an agricultural policy framework designed to understand the growing risks associated with agricultural production among small-scale farmers, and to improve management practices to accommodate and adapt to the new challenges of varying rainfall.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Agricultural Science 2(3): 3-16en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://197.255.68.203/handle/123456789/1568
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherJournal of Agricultural Scienceen_US
dc.subjectRainfall Variabilityen_US
dc.subjectFarmingen_US
dc.subjectNorthern Ghanaen_US
dc.subjectStatisticsen_US
dc.subjectRisk of Dry Spellsen_US
dc.subjectMarkov Chain Modelingen_US
dc.titleTrends in agriculturally-relevant rainfall characteristics for small-scale agriculture in Northern Ghanaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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