Assessment of Farmers’ Perception of Soil Quality within the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Abstract

Globally, incorporating farmers’ perception on soil quality indicators and its associated influence on soil management practices into policy decisions has become a topical issue in recent times. This study assesses the perception of farmers on soil quality within the Ada District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Using a mixed method approach, 212 questionnaires were administered to farmers in five communities of the Ada West District. Thirty six soil samples were taken from four of the communities based on farmers’ categorisation of soils into high, medium and low quality. Chemical test such as the pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Total Nitrogen (N), available Phosphorous (P), Cation Exchange capacity (Mg, Na, Ca, K) were conducted on these soils which revealed that farmers could not accurately predict the quality of their soils as the nutrient content was generally low. Most of the farmers (64.8%) were of the view that climate change had an effect on their soil quality whereas only a few (18.1%) of them put in place any adaption measures. The most predominant farm yield management practice used was the application of organic soil amendments as farmers believed it increased crop yield rapidly. The study recommends that further training be organised for farmers on application rates of soil amendments. Climate change adaptation measures should be included in extension services.